Rihanna has single handedly ripped apart the fabric of the Bravo Cinematic Universe (BCU). In her quarantine, Ms. Fenty has been active on the Instagrams of a few select “Bravolebrities,” thus creating a power dynamic between those who have been acknowledged by Rihanna and those who have not. Most recently, it was revealed that she watches The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City as she DM’d fan favorite Heather Gay on December 21st saying “I’m obsessed with you!”
Heather was not the only one to receive this A-list acknowledgement. Rihanna slipped into the comments of legendary firecracker Dorinda Medley of The Real Housewives of New York City-fame back in August 2020, commenting “I wanna come over” on a video of deer hanging in the backyard of the reality star’s much loved Berkshires manse. Karen Huger, the Grand Dame of The Real Housewives of Potomac, also received one such blessing on her Instagram Live when Rihanna commented that she was “proud of her.” Who’s the most anointed one talking now, Gizelle?
The pop star's open interest in The Real Housewives franchise has left both the Bravo stars she’s contacted and fans delighted. However, does Rihanna’s praise create a sense of grandiosity amongst the Bravo circuit? What are the ramifications of a celebrity of her magnitude acknowledging these women outside reality TV?
The delusion of a Bravolebrity is comparable to a cult leader with an inexhaustible supply of converts. Thousands of Instagram accounts are devoted to documenting the antics of these D-list stars. Merchandise abounds, both of the ‘Wives’ devising and from crafty super fans in Etsy stores. BravoCon - like Comic Con, but for all things Bravo - is now a multi-day event. Nowhere is the delusion of a Bravoleb fed more, however, than on Andy Cohen’s late night show, Watch What Happens Live. The show is the definitive interactive platform of worship - Bravo stars go on WWHL to take questions from fans and spar with Cohen’s wit. They receive a level of treatment and respect not seen elsewhere, and their egos grow within the confines of the BCU.
Bravo personalities are put on such a pedestal during WWHL that even actual celebrities with much more fame and fortune will treat them with far greater reverence. Daniel Radcliffe admitted he enjoyed Millionaire Matchmaker and questioned Andy Cohen about the matchmaker herself, Patti Stanger. Eddie Redmayne told Cohen that he and Jennifer Lawrence bonded over their love of Bravo.
When Lawrence subsequently appeared on WWHL, Cohen surprised her with appearances from her two favorite housewives, Luann de Lesseps and Bethenny Frankel, which caused the Oscar-winner to hyperventilate and cry tears of joy. Yet an A-lister expressing their love for D-listers on WWHL is still within the D-list territory, and the loop stays closed.
What makes Rihanna’s interactions with Bravo stars so interesting is that she recognizes them outside Bravo environs and in the highly visible online world. A shoutout from Rihanna on Instagram is sure to get coverage not only from those who follow the network’s programming but also Rihanna’s fan base and other celebrity gossip sites. As one of the biggest celebrities in the world (and a one-named celeb to boot), Rihanna boasts 89.4 million followers on Instagram alone. For the chosen Bravo stars, this presents an issue: fan favorites are big fish in a small pond, yet Rihanna’s acknowledgement could lead them to conclude that they’ve outgrown their surroundings. A subsequent decision to leave the network presents a danger to their careers: flying too close to Ms. Fenty’s Killawatt glow may surely lead to a downfall of Greek proportions.
Few who attempt to leave the Bravo Cinematic Universe are successful. Linnethia “NeNe” Leakes - a legendary Real Housewife of Atlanta - began an acting career, working with Ryan Murphy on both Glee and The New Normal. After this taste of fame apart from Bravo, she attempted to return to RHOA only to not participate in normal group activities required of a cast member and has since left the show (no further acting roles have been announced). Erika Jayne Girardi of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills used the series to attract attention to her pop career, and she even modeled for Rihanna’s brand Savage X Fenty. Her husband, attorney Tom Girardi, is now being sued for embezzling money from plane crash victims, and her funds have since been frozen. Oh, how the mighty fall. And where is the OG of the OC, Vicky Gunvalson? Still selling insurance and flat tummy gummies on Instagram in an attempt to siphon a molecule of the attention she received while on the show. It is true that these women have a modicum of celebrity, yet they are not securely stars.
Bethenny Frankel remains the ultimate Bravo success story. A much beloved cast member on The Real Housewives of New York City, her situational awareness and witticism made her the perfect reality TV Greek chorus in her confessionals. She felt like an underdog, an everywoman hustling compared to the other more established wives. This combination rocketed Frankel all the way to the bank: with a SkinnyGirl empire, a philanthropic organization, and now a podcast, Frankel has soared to an estimated net worth of $70 million, and she’s still going strong.
Will any other Bravo star make that leap from Bravoleb to Celeb? I guess we'll just have to see who Rihanna reaches out to next.
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