The ladies of The Real Housewives of New York have been doing the press rounds to promote the craziness that is season 10. Tinsley Mortimer was the latest to sit down with Bravo’s Daily Dish Podcast to share her two cents on all things RHONY. She weighs in on feeling like Sonja Morgan wants to take her down, the Bethenny Frankel and Carole Radziwill friendship fallout and defends her strong work ethic.
On filming her second season with the show, “When I came in it was season 9 and I just had been through a lot in Palm Beach and I didn’t realize how traumatic my experience in Palm Beach was until I got to New York. And then living with Sonja and filming a TV show is a lot, so this experience now, season 2, which is season 10, I feel lucky to be a part of this whole franchise, this whole thing. To be able to come in at season 9 and now 10, it’s just great. For me, it’s my life. Look, it’s hard to break it down into seasons but this was such a better time for me. I’m in a better place. I moved out of Sonja’s, I live in the hotel, which is fabulous – I have room service and don’t have to cook, I love it.”
Tinsley adds that she has gotten used to the cameras and has better friendships now. She made “legit” genuine friends. “I started to speak up a little more for myself, too. You definitely see that coming up.” She then apologizes to her 94-year-old grandfather because she curses and she promised him she wouldn’t, but says “sorry, but Sonja was being a bitch and I had to. And just not being truthful. It felt like she wanted to take me down for some reason and I don’t know why.”
On Sonja Morgan talking about the things Scott buys for Tinsley: “A present is a present. You shouldn’t be questioning where it comes from but I don’t understand her motives and saying that Scott paid for it. First of all, I had been dating Scott for like two weeks at that time and I don’t know what guy is gonna do that for you, not to mention I had already planned to move out of Sonja’s and move into the hotel before I even met Scott. NO one is paying for me.”
Tinsley then explains that she has always been a hard worker, despite her family having money. “I did grow up well and I had a nice family that did provide for me and I was lucky to have that and certainly, I have money from my family but it doesn’t mean that I don’t work hard. I’ve worked hard my whole life. I was a national tennis player, I went to Columbia University, I played tennis there, I worked at Vogue, I worked at Harrison PR company, I had my own handbag and clothing line in Japan for ten years, I wrote a book called Southern Charm. I have really worked my butt off and never relied on my family money even though it’s there and that’s great. To imply that I can’t take care of myself without a man or my family is insulting. It’s disrespectful to my relationship and at the time when she was even saying this, Scott and I were broken up, so I …I don’t know.”
She adds, “I was fired up because Scott and I weren’t together at the time and it was hurtful. I was going through my break up and the last thing I wanted to hear was ‘oh we’re broken up but he’s still paying for me’ – like, no, that is not the case. We were broken up, he’s never paid for me. Yes, he’s bought me nice presents and I gratefully accept a Chanel bag, that’s awesome. She didn’t realize, she acts like she knows me so well and she really doesn’t. I haven’t opened up to her as much because I felt that she’s not had my back, particularly when we were living together. So, for her to say that he’s paying for me when we’re not even together was hurtful.”
Tinsley is then asked to weigh in on Bethenny Frankel and Carole Radziwill‘s friendship going to hell in a handbasket. “I adore Carole and she’s been nothing but an amazing friend to me and I’d love to get to know her better and it was just a great surprise, joining the show not having ever met her. She introduced me to Scott, which was so sweet of her and she’s like my wing-woman. And she took me under her wing, actually, too. She is really supportive and great. It’s sad to see her friendship get messed up for whatever reasons and deteriorate and I’ve only known Bethenny and Carole as close, close friends so it’s weird for me to see them not being as close. My relationship with Carole has zero to do with anything to do with her and Bethenny. I just hope they can work things out and come back to better terms.”
When asked if it’s a similar competitive friendship thing like we often see on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (with Kyle and LVP), Tinsley disagrees. “I don’t think there’s anything competitive. I think that perhaps, Bethenny was close with Carole before I joined the show and I think Bethenny may have been surprised a little by Carole and I being close” – due to Carole making the comments about having reservations about Tinsley joining the show. “So I think maybe it was strange to Bethenny that Carole and I grew close. Look, she introduced me to Scott. It’s not that hard to figure out how that started and then we spent time together. Scott also knows Adam well, he knows Tripp, who is in Carole’s building. That’s how Carole and Scott know each other, through Tripp, so it’s back history there and obviously, once we started to hang out off the show, we became close. So, maybe that was it, maybe there was a little bit of confusion, like ‘wait, how did you guys become so close?’, but I don’t think it’s anything to do with competition I think it was just a little bit of, perhaps, confusion. Look, Carole isn’t a one-girl galpal type of girl. She is a solid friend. She’s friends with everybody. She gives her heart and soul to her friendships and I think you can be friends with a lot of people at the same time.”
On the boat trip from hell, Tinsley doesn’t see it as the crazy near-Titanic disaster that others are making it out to be. “I’m a terrible flyer. If I’m flying and the plane is shaking – any sort of mild turbulence, I think we’re going down. But on a boat, I’m a little more comfortable, for whatever reason, because we are literally on the water, and worst case I’m gonna dive over – I can swim, I can’t fly. So, I didn’t feel like it was as bad everybody thought it was but I also was in front of the boat and the back of the boat had a lot more turbulence and there was furniture moving around and people got sick and people were afraid.”
She ends the interview gushing over Luann de Lesseps‘ cabaret performance, “I loved Luann’s cabaret! I am super proud of her. She rocked it. I was dancing, y hands were flailing. I was singing Money Can’t Buy You Class. I thought she did a great job, I’m really proud of her. I think she’s made for that, I think it’s perfect for her.”
She’s glad that Luann was able to poke fun at herself over the arrest and Tinsley jokes about them being soul sisters with their Palm Beach mugshots.
You can check out her full interview on the podcast.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SONJA MORGAN WANTS TO TAKE DOWN TINSLEY MORTIMER? DO YOU THINK BETHENNY IS JEALOUS OF TINSLEY AND CAROLE’S FRIENDSHIP?
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
