Cat

I believe the funeral may have taken place today. And the Daily Mail will likely be reporting on it. Very sad and a shocking loss. Seems like she'd been friends with a lot of the LOL ladies for many years. I don't have a problem with Ashley pot-stirring per se. We need pot stirrers on these shows! What irks me is Ashley being the light eyed losers' handmaiden. She is doing their bidding by going after Karen and Ashley constantly, but she never takes them to task for their skeletons -- in fact, nobody is seemingly allowed to call out Robyn or Gizelle on their mess. It's a lopsided battle.

@DaytimeFan @Taoboi @Faulkner @alwaysAMC More info about Annabelle's passing (it was determined to have been a heart attack, out of the blue), and the tributes paid to her by her Ladies of London friends: http://www.realitytea.com/2018/07/18/ladies-of-london-stars-speak-out-after-annabelle-neilsons-passing/#/slide/1

Savage! Candy-ass is a step above that boring drip Shamea at least! I'd put her on a par with Eva Marcille who -- surprise, surprise -- is also planning a wedding this season on ATL. I find wedding planning such a snooze on all these shows. Candy-ass FWIW has no business getting married -- she is all about planning the wedding but is doing nothing to plan the marriage that follows. I'd be interested to see how she does a second season once she realises this is all a big mistake.

Yeah, Eddie's story is sad and it's not clear whether they've been able to fully rectify his heartbeat. I hope they do. I like Eddie. The interaction with the kids adds another dimension to the show for sure. I guess David Beador doesn't GAF about the Ladies of Rock now that he has a young, bikini-ready girlfriend. I was surprised Michael Dodd allowed it, but Jolie looks like a strong personality and seems more than ok with appearing on the show. Tamra's other son, who just turned 18, will also be appearing this season, apparently. Speaking of Tamra's crotchfruit, I didn't recognise Ryan now that he's shaved that mountain-man beard. He looks better, younger -- but still shifty.

OC returned for season 13 last night. It was an ok opener, I was not concentrating on it fully given yesterday's news, but hopefully this will be a complete re-set on last season. Vicki and Shannon's interactions feel a little awkward, Shannon especially didn't seem to be feeling it 100%. They really are the exact same person, though. The rope course was amateur dramatics hour with both Vicki and Shannon trying to out-screech each other. Lots of interactions with the kiddies. Shannon's daughter acts like she despises her. Kelly's daughter is 13 and basically her confidante with regards to all the men Kelly is dating. Uh oh. New girl Emily seems a good fit (she reminds me physically of a youngish Jeana Keough) and her kids are very cute. She already has a frenemyship going on with Tamra, so that bodes well. Steve Lodge is such a bore. I know Brooks was awful for Vicki and the show but, damn, he was entertaining. Next week we meet the Joisey-accented one. I am already done hearing about it.

As a Ladies of London fan, and on a day when we are all less sad, I need you to talk about your LOL-adjacent experience! It is heartwarming to know that Annabelle was nice and the most easygoing. She truly showed herself as she was on the show and didn't try to carve a 'perefct' image for the cameras.

I know, this is very shocking news. I keep checking the internet to see of this has been confirmed, and hoping against hope that this is some kind of mistake. Annabelle was a strong personality on Ladies of London, but she was very sensitive too.... This has been a very sad news day, gosh.

Holy sh*t. What is going on in the reality world?? First Luann relapsing, and now Annabelle passing at so young an age? I am sorry to hear the news of both, but Annabelle in particular, who seemed like a sad soul sometimes. I had hoped she would overcome some of her demons. I hope Luann does too, and that she and her kids find a solution to this stressful financial issue. Obviously the accusation that the lawsuit implies must have pushed Lu to the brink.

*gasp* How dare you! Vicki is the OG of the OC. I don't watch for her grandparenting tips. I watch for her intense FOMO, her primal screaming matches, and her deep, latent need to be Tamra's one true soulmate. Her story this year is going to be how her boring boyfriend set up Kelly's ex-husband with his new girlfriend, and now Kelly can't forgive her. But, really, her story should be how she, Tamra and Shannon make their way back to each other.

I believe they moved to North Carolina where Ryan is from. So they may not have filmed on OC this season. Moreover, given Vicki and Ryan's little spat on Instagram on July 4, doesn't seem like they are in a good place at the moment. No clue where Briana stands in all this but probably on her husband's side. FYI, this is the post that triggered it. Vicki saw this post with Donn and drunk-tweeted back at Ryan and it became a thing.

@DynamiteKiddo IA, the Luann news is disheartening. I hope the lawsuit is merely a case of legally defining what is Luann's and what is her children's, for the sake of both parties (and not a case of the family cracking apart). Ramona and Carole always come for Luann via her kids, so I thought it was brave (or foolhardy) of Lu to admit to Victoria that she was All About Tom and saw her kids less as a result. It did show self-awareness on Luann's part. However, in light of what just happened, it now makes her look like worse. FYI: Luann is slated to be on WWHL (with Kristin Chenoweth) on Wednesday evening. Carole has never forgiven Luann for making a big deal out of Adam & Carole... the deepest cut was when Luann called Adam 'Sonja-young.' Carole has always thought of herself as above the other HWs. Even when she is caught doing the same sh*t they all do. Only now that Luann is at a chastened, humbled point in her life can Carole reach out and 'forgive.' But Carole is STILL all about the Mouth-Breather as #1 Priority. B vs C were a real friendship, which is rare because Bethenny does not play well with other girls. However, Carole fell out of love with being ordered around, and now seems totally over Bethenny. B is trying to paint Carole as inexplicably turning on her à la Jill Zarin, but it is definitely not as b&w as that. (And in hindsight, I sometimes wonder just how b&w the Bethenny/Jill breakup actually was).

Potomac God, I hate Gizelle. When she told Robyn that everybody wanted to leave without her (when in fact they wanted to wait!), that was straight from the Controlling Husband Handbook. Isolate your prey, make them think nobody cares about them but you. This is how Gizelle makes sure Robyn stays her loyal little attack dog. Speaking of Giz's attack dogs, I LOLed when the women asked Ashley if she was going to report back to the light-eyed losers. Sure enough, at dinner, the three of them tag-teamed Karen and Monique. I dislike Ashley as much as Gizelle. This shark-eyed alley cat would sell out her nearest and dearest for a quick buck. And this is why Michael extended the pre-nup -- because he does not trust her as far as he can throw her. I love Karen. Karen who lies about her houses/finances/marriage/blah blah -- I don't care! We know she's lying. She knows she's lying. Karen is super-meta and plays for entertainment. Gizelle tries so hard but cannot break her, and that makes me love Karen all the more. Those three b*tches are coming at her with knives! Unpopular opinion, but I like the Karen/Candy-ass friendship. Candy-ass teases Karen with her singing, and Karen gives her honest advice that C needs to hear, even if she doesn't want to. Monique needs to stop hanging with Gizelle one-on-one. Monique always spills too much personal detail, and Gizelle is going to twist that and won't rest until Monique's marriage/friendships are lying in ruins. ETA: Did anyone catch Ashley pulling a Rinna and demo-shaming Bravo? 'Karen and I are from different generations! I'm a millennial who puts everything out there on social media! Karen is a closed book!' Are we punishing HWs older than 45 now? I like that the RH shows are multi-gen. They need women of a certain age who live dramatically. Where would OC be without Vicki and Shannon, NYC without Ramona, Sonja, Luann? Can you imagine if Potomac went millennial-only? It would be Ashley, Candy-Ass, maybe Monique and Robyn. Ugh, Ashley is working my last nerve atm.

Damn those taglines are.... not great. Kelly's is the best, and that's saying something because it is corny AF! That's the best they could do with Vicki and Shannon's? Vicki's sounds like a rip off of her "My love tank is full and I'm driving into my future!" tag. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to this season. I've even been missing Tamra lately, and I am more than ready for Tamra, Vicki, Shannon to get back together.

@DaytimeFan ok so now I am hearing a different slant on the de Lesepps lawsuit. The slant is that Luann just started dating her new agent, Rich Super, who is booking all these cabaret gigs for her. Things have gotten sufficiently serious where she wants to sell the Sag Harbor house and find a place in the Catskills, perhaps with him. Victoria and Noel have been blindsided by the news that she may be selling, so they have put an injunction on the sale as they have a stake in that house as per the divorce decree. If this ^^ is true, then the children may be worried that Luann is rushing into a new relationship and house sale so soon after rehab. The lawsuit I guess would be to protect their assets going forward in case Luann gets screwed over by an unscrupulous golddigger. I mean, I love me some Lu, but she really has poor taste in men.

FOR SURE using this on my next date!

@DaytimeFan This is astounding news. I hope this is just a case of the money from the Bridgehampton sale having been put it into two accounts which still bear interest but which might not be legally defined as 'trusts,' and consequently this lawsuit seeks to rectify that. I *REALLY* hope this is not a case of Luann forgetting to put the money in trust all these years... or worse, the money is all gone. I don't understand this sudden turn given that the Count, Noel and Victoria spent Independence Day with Luann and everybody seemed on great terms. The ever-wise Judge Judy usually recommends that close family members reflect before suing one another, because the relationship thereafter will be irrevocably affected. I hope they sort it out amicably and transparently. This has the potential to implode their family relationship. @Antoyne Luann talk-growling her way through Money Can't Buy You Class (with Billy Strich -- son of Elaine Strich, piano-player to Liza Minnelli -- accompanying) gave me all kinds of Classic NY vibes. It reminded me of when Luann first recorded MCBYC in the studio, and tried to reach that high note ("Elegance is lear -- err -- err -- errrrrnedddddd") -- and couldn't. Carole says Mouth-Breather wants to get back with her but she's too busy to give a sh!t? Oh Carole, please. You're so dickmatized by that patchouli-scented Man-Bun. I wish Carole would realise she can do better, but her "I have 5 good summers left" comment 5 years' ago is definitely weighing on her this season. Tinsley moving -- I no curr. Dorinda and Luann lighting a candle at church -- I loved it because this is what family members would do if I was going through a rough patch. It's why I cannot hate Dorinda. Sonja is the gift that keeps on giving! After last season's bad-tempered pettiness, she seems a lot happier with herself -- even if she is trawling the back of her sofa for pennies. Her lines may be corny, but they come from a real place. Contrast that with Bethenny barking at the poor red-scarved dude "WHAT YOU WANNA BLOW JOB OR SOMETHING TELL ME AND I'LL DO IT." Bethenny tries super hard to be funny, but sometimes it misses. And sometimes it hits the mark! I had to rewind her Ramona impress three times! I wish I could find a gif of it. The dude who whispered to Sonja about leaving marks on her ass, yikes. Serial killah vibes!

I don't think you can ever go wrong with Antibes, Cap d'Antibes or Juan les Pins! (They are all in the commune of Antibes). And you are right to be near Nice which is truly a lovely city with lots going on. I dont think you will regret your choice, though I have never stayed in Antibes myself. The bay is gorgeous though! I hope the trip meets you and your hubby's expectations, and then some. I am totally shocked. Given all that Kenya is currently giving us on social media, this is a boneheaded move by Bravo.

Gizelle is just so evil and nasty that I couldn't even bring myself to link her awful blog covering this week's episode here. She is labouring under the heavy delusion that the audience is on her side when it comes to both Karen and Monique. @DaytimeFan I'm so glad you posted your thoughts! I kept wondering what you would make of the Cannes footage. Le Martinez (where To Catch a Thief was partly filmed), along with the Negresco in Nice and l'Hotel de Paris in Monaco are considered the three most prestigious hotels in the SofF. And next week's location footage looks especially gorgeous! I can't wait to see everybody have fun amid the glorious scenery while the two losers go sulk on their own.

Gizelle almost fooled me into believing she was a functioning human being when she trotted out her mom + daughters. Then she showed her ass in Cannes, and it was back to regularly scheduled programming. Gizelle is dead-set on ruining this vacation for Monique and Karen, and if I was Monique, I would send her back to DC on the next flight. Robyn's sly, mean smiles every time Monique makes an overture to her -- what does she have to be smug about? Monique should send her ass back to DC, too. In coach. Ashley "I heard from an impeccable source...." Camera cuts to shifty Charrisse. I don't doubt that Karen is living in a townhouse and using the Great Falls place for filming purposes. However, I also don't care. Karen is the best HW on this franchise and gives me life on a weekly basis the way she schools those jealous stank-faces. Hush, Candiass. No-one cares. Best fashion on this trip: Ashley. Worst fashion: K Mart Robyn.

Oh, f*ck off, Gizelle. What a stank attitude this witch has. And she can only get her potshots in on the VTs because Karen shuts her down so quickly IRL.

Not just a miserable bitch, but a dumb one. If this purported 'cosmetics mogul' thinks visiting Grasse (the epicentre of France's perfume/beauty empire and a stunning vista of flower fields) is boring, then she is in the wrong damn business! As usual, Karen hands Gizelle her ass because Karen remains the queen of this franchise and Gizelle a foolish wannabe. Somebody recently compared Karen to Vicki and Gizelle to Tamra, and wow, if I was Evil Genius Tamra, I would be so mad at being aligned in any way to G.

I thank God everyday for how good NY is right now. It is giving me life! Because despite one woman wielding all the power over them, the other women are not willing to put up with it anymore. And they aren't obsessed with appearing the good guy or the victim to do it. They put their messy asses out there, flaws and all. Sonja has made it her bread and butter! Dorinda has taken a hit this season, but she's still sloppily going for it. And Carole of all people leading the charge? Carole is not beloved by the fandom and had the most to lose. She is still a mean bitch but she's not pretending Bethenny stole her child or anything. She simply doesn't care about being Bethenny's beck and call girl anymore. It's real and harsh but weirdly relatable and thank goodness it is authentic. Thank goodness too that Luann's cop car had a camera with audio. The mess is here for all of us to see and frankly I like these women all the more for it. What a difference from BH, where everybody is strategizing like crazy and playing a role and desperate to be the good guy. They are literally petrified of showing their real selves.

TBH I kind of loved Heather and Ramona.

This site is talking my language because the bloggers feel the same aversion to Bethenny as I do! So I have literally fallen into a hole over there. Their love for Potomac Karen is also fab. Thanks for the link, I will read this asap. To clarify: do I think Bethenny called up Bravo and shrieked "It's either me or Heather!" ? No. But I do think she has pull, and Bravo made things difficult for Heather, pressing her on showing her marriage problems, knowing Heather would say no. In any case, I am just speculating about Bethenny's involvement (or lack thereof). I do think B had a hand in Jules firing because she practically bragged about it on her radio show at the time. IA, I would really enjoy having Heather back and Jill, too. However, I don't think Heather trusts Bravo all that much and the question is: who besides Carole would Heather become close with? She doesn't have many allies in this group.

That recap was great! Tamra revolutionised the RH franchises with those Survivor tactics. Make alliances, target the weakest link, vote them off the island, etc.