This was a wild week. We started off with news that Jax Taylor is seeking in-patient treatment for mental health struggles amid his split from Brittany Cartwright. Over the last few months on his podcast, he’s been pretty candid about his experiences. Not entirely sure what this means for his bar, but sounds like he’s got bigger issues. Monica Garcia read Heather Gay for filth during an interview. And Gina Kirschenheiter says she does not trust Katie!
Vicki Gunvalson denies claims of elder abuse
Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson is vehemently denying claims of financial and elder abuse. The allegations were made in a lawsuit filed against her by a woman named Diane Field. In a statement filed by her attorney, Vicki said she is “outraged” and is adamant that she followed her client’s instructions in how she allocated her money.
The long and short of it is this: in 2016, Vicki’s insurance company, Coto Insurance, hosted a dinner, and that’s where Vicki and Diane met. Vicki took an interest in Diane’s wealth, with her net worth estimated to be about $6 million, which she acquired after investing in a series of stocks and funds she inherited when her mom died in 2002.
When Vicki discovered Diane’s wealth and current investment plan, she promised her a safer diversified plan that could decrease the taxes she was paying and boost the money her kids would be able to access in the future. Diane says Vicki and her business partner Ali Hashemian suggested she invest in a life insurance policy. And while Diane was under the impression that was a one-time, $300,000 deal to cover the payout her kids would receive upon her death, it ended up being an annual fee, leading her to levy claims of “intentional, misleading, and false representation” against Vicki.
There’s something that’s not boding well for Vicki – and it’s the fact that this is not the first time she’s been accused of elder abuse. Back in 2019, she was sued by 82-year-old Joan Lile, who claimed she paid Vicki and her company rising premiums, but when her husband died, she was then told she didn’t qualify to receive the benefits she was promised by Coto Insurance. The case was dismissed a year later without prejudice, but after the downfall of Jen Shah, who is currently serving jail time for wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme that mostly targeted elders, this is really not the kind of thing you want associated with your name.
In addition to that, though, back in 2019, Vicki and Kelly Dodd, her former castmate, were in a nasty dispute and Vicki sued Kelly over claims she made. Kelly accused Vicki of being a con woman. In her lawsuit, Vicki even tried to block Bravo from airing the footage of Kelly saying that Vicki preyed on the elderly and engaged in fraud. But of course, the story went way beyond the show, making the more recent claims made by Diane in her lawsuit just a wee bit more concerning.
Phaedra Parks announces return to RHOA
Phaedra Parks made an epic announcement this week that she was making her triumphant return to Real Housewives of Atlanta, and saying fans are excited is an understatement. She appeared on the show for six seasons, 3 through 9, before leaving and heading over to Married to Medicine, even though she’s not a doctor, or married to one. She claims she is a “holistic healer”, though, and that’s neither here nor there.
Her casting coming just weeks after it was confirmed that Kenya Moore would no longer be filming the rest of her season is an interesting coincidence, if you can call it that. But it makes complete sense that Phaedra return now that the coast is clear. Plus, rumour on the street is that she’s leaving Married to Medicine because her castmate Dr. Heavenly went and invited Phaedra’s ex, Apollo Nida (who just got arrested this week over claims of domestic violence, by the way) and his wife to a cast trip.
To jog your memory of why she left Real Housewives of Atlanta in the first place, it was revealed during a chaotic season 9 reunion that the long-standing rumour that had plagued the group the entire season was started by Phaedra. The rumour, which had been circulating all season long, centred around gossip that Kandi Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker planned to drug and date rape Kandi’s co-star Porsha Williams. And it was during that reunion that it was revealed that none other than Phaedra was the source of the rumour.
It must be noted that Phaedra worked overtime not only to stay on TV, landing spots on Married to Medicine, Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip and The Traitors, but also to re-establish her image. A lot of people agree she’s become a fan favourite again. So with Kenya and Kandi gone, not only is it safe for her to return, but perhaps the most exciting news we’ve had out of the Atlanta series in ages.
Carl Radke launches Instagram account for non-alcoholic café in NYC
During the Summer House reunion, Carl announced that he was planning on opening a non-alcoholic bar and café that served strictly non-alcoholic drinks. And this week, he announced the business venture was officially moving forward.
In stories shared to his personal Instagram from an account called @softbarcafe, he encouraged his followers to stay tuned for updates, while the bio for the account hinted at pop ups throughout New York this summer and proudly boasts being “Brooklyn’s first non-alcoholic bar and café for mindful consumption.”
I think Carl is really on to something here. I hate to say this – but non-alcoholic beverages are super trendy right now. They’re totally having a moment. And Carl is doing something to help ensure it’s more than just a moment.
Personally, I decided to take a break from alcohol for the second half of the year. And while it hasn’t been nearly as hard as I assumed it would be, one of the difficulties I find myself running into is still wanting a drink that looks and tastes nice and just doesn’t contain alcohol. So going to a place that specializes in handcrafted beverages that don’t include alcohol and aren’t just water, coffee or tea is hugely attractive.
I am just so proud of Carl, truly. Watching him go from douchebag with Peter Pan syndrome to sober (even if it’s just California sober) and now entrepreneur has truly been so enjoyable. He and Lindsay both got their happy endings, or should we say beginnings?
