The cast of The Real Housewives of New York City has not been in contact with Brynn Whitfield since the Season 15 reunion, according to star Jenna Lyons. The revelation comes after a particularly emotional and intense confrontation between Whitfield and co-star Ubah Hassan in the season finale, which aired on January 21.
Tensions reached a boiling point between the two women when Hassan implied that Whitfield might have slept with someone to secure her place on the show. In a deeply emotional moment, Whitfield revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and claimed Hassan was aware of the traumatic event when making the insinuation.
When Hassan learned of the allegation, she vehemently denied knowing about Whitfield’s past, causing a dramatic fallout between the two. Eventually, Whitfield clarified that she might not have communicated the details of her assault clearly to Hassan before BravoCon 2023, leading viewers to question whether Whitfield had manipulated the truth to win the argument.
During a January 21 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen asked Jenna Lyons whether any of the ladies had remained in contact with Brynn, or if Whitfield and Hassan had spoken since the reunion. Jenna Lyons responded, “I think that’s a no and no,” while her co-stars Jessel Taank and Racquel Chevremont remained silent in the audience.
Reflecting on the “devastating” reunion night, Jenna Lyons shared how she came to believe that Hassan was telling the truth about not knowing Whitfield’s past. “I could see the emotion in her face and I realized in that moment, there’s no way she knew. There’s no way she could’ve known,” Lyons explained. “The level of complete distraught — she was just completely taken out. I believed her in that moment.”
Although Jenna Lyons acknowledged that Whitfield has a tendency to embellish her stories, she felt that the situation had gone too far this time. “There had been things along the way with Brynn that have made me unclear about her intentions and some of the things that have been said,” Lyons admitted. “But I also know that she’s someone who embellishes and so I have chalked it up that many times. And I have tenderness around that.”
Lyons added, “I have said this before, I was one of those kids who lied to get what I wanted because I felt unseen and I didn’t feel loved and so I have compassion for that. But I think at some point it kind of went too far. It’s one thing to talk about yourself and embellish, it’s another thing to embellish stories that then hurt other people.”
Looking back on the reunion, Lyons said the cast felt “really frustrated” and “a little duped.” “When someone’s stories turn into putting someone else in a dangerous position or an unhappy position, that changes the game,” Lyons said. “That’s not what we’re here to do. That’s not what this show is about. It’s not what we’re about. And I think we were all feeling a little protective and scared.”
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