A sketchy gossip item surfaced earlier this week claiming that Dancing with the Stars host and executive producer Tyra Banks banned stars of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise from appearing on the show.
Housewife Bethenny Frankel hits back
The item gained enough traction, that one of the housewives hit back. Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel wrote, in a since-deleted Tweet: “Good to know @tyrabanks has clumped me in her no more housewives mandate on @DancingABC. Also good to know-their casting director Deena, who has asked me to be on that show multiple x in the last decade. I’m also no longer a housewife, but nobody is bigger than the game Tyra.”
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Frankel, perhaps realizing that burning her bridges with the show and ABC might be a bad idea, quickly backtracked: “I deleted that last post Bc I really like & have a great relationship with Deena Katz from #DWTS. If @tyrabanks wants to come on my podcast, she is welcome anytime as she has built a successful brand on her own in her own way. #justbwithbethenny.”
Gossip Item Claimed Tyra said Housewives don’t make headlines anymore
The original item from OK magazine, singled out Frankel, among others, which may explain the hair trigger reaction. But then again, you’d think by now she understood that OK magazine is mostly trash.
The piece claims that Tyra “has never been a fan of the ‘Housewives,’” and that “the real reason she doesn’t want them on her show is that Bethenny Frankel, NeNe Leakes and Teresa Giudice do not make headlines anymore.”
The story also said that Tyra, “made it clear that she didn’t want any more ‘Housewives’ in her ballroom.”
Tyra Banks denies item in a statement
The brouhaha forced Tyra’s publicist to release a statement: “This is 100% untrue. She’s a huge fan of the ‘Housewives’ and everyone knows Tyra is a businesswoman first. As a businesswoman, why would she say anything against the ‘Housewives’? She has nothing to do with casting. She loves Andy [Cohen]She’s been on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ several times. She’s a huge fan of the Clubhouse.”
Dancing with the Stars specializes in casting C list celebrities. That Tyra would be suddenly snooty about that now is silly. Besides, I believe she probably does make suggestions to her bosses, but has no power whatsoever to “ban” people from the show.
DWTS has history of casting Housewives
Besides, DWTS has welcomed a slew of Housewives to the ballroom, including Lisa Vanderpump, Lisa Rinna and Erika Girardi of Beverly Hills, as well as NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Kim Fields from Atlanta.
Dancing with the Stars big Halloween show airs on ABC Monday October 26. I’m sure you’re all on pins and needles waiting to see Tyra’s outfit. /s.
