This week’s Real Housewives of New York ended on a bad note, to say the least. This is the first time ever – a show based in NYC – is featuring a Black cast member. Eboni K. Williams is doing a nice job of treading water in scenes where the drama isn’t on her, and then making a splash on OGs, Ramona Singer and LuAnn De Lesseps, when they speak out of turn.
Eboni – like the OGs – is not one to sit back and let things that are bothersome go in silence. Early on this season, Eboni called out Ramona for referring to people as “the help.” She was able to graciously eat her dinner while Sonja Morgan slurred through a speech about diversity and JP Morgan Chase Bank interest rates. Now this week, she tried to show LuAnn why it’s problematic to refer to people of color – on television nonetheless – as angry. It did not go well. We’ll have to wait until next week to see how this implodes, but it looks like it did not conclude well.
After the episode aired, Eboni did an Instagram live video, telling people, “after tonight’s episode, I’m not gonna be saying ‘goodbye,’ but I’m gonna be saying ‘see you later,’ by way of social media, for about two weeks.” In her Instagram post sharing the video she wrote “Love ya’ll but imma see y’all in a minute” in the caption, with the hashtag #MentalHealth.
In the video, Eboni shares that “tonight’s episode and next week’s episode are really intense and really important … and I want you to lean into them and I want you to watch them.” It’s clear why she’s taking a step back, especially because these episodes are contextualized by a time of “dynamic call to action around racial reconciliation.”
RELATED: Real Housewives Fans Slam Luann de Lesseps For Calling Eboni K. Williams “Angry”
Eboni says, “I wanna leave y’all to yourselves to have discussion and debate and conversation around what you’re gonna see tonight, what you’re gonna see next week… I know a lot of that conversation and discussion is gonna be rich and dynamic and important and productive … and a lot of it is gonna be some bulls–t.” I agree on the latter – which is sad. Eboni doubled down, saying, “I’m not here for it and I won’t be a part of [the latter], “so I’m gonna take a little break.”
She also pleaded with RHONY fans, saying, “I want y’all to reject the knee-jerk reaction you might have around that [conversation]…This is about leaning in, listening, making space for the ability to sit with someone else’s pain, even when you don’t understand it.”
RELATED: Eboni K. Williams Says “There Should Be More Empathy” Sonja Morgan And They Have A “Very Deep And Powerful Connection”
Leah McSweeney posted a picture of the two of them to her Instagram. In the caption, Leah expressed support for Eboni, saying, “thank you for holding me, standing up for me and being there for me in every way. You are a gem. ILSYM. No one could ever! @ebonikwilliams is taking some tome [sic] off from social cus the next couple episodes are heavy (and let’s be real this platform can be toxic af) but as she said in her live she will be back. #ProtectYourPeace#RHONY.”
Social media and commentary can definitely be toxic. Here’s hoping people actually listen to the nuance in this dialogue without automatically choosing the side they feel more comfortable with.
RELATED: Leah McSweeney Thinks Ramona Singer’s Intentions Getting To Know Eboni K. Williams Were Not Genuine; Doesn’t Know How Capable Ramona Is Of Being Genuine
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK EBONI’S MENTAL HEALTH BREAK? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS WEEK’S EPISODE? HOW DO YOU THINK THIS FIASCO WILL PLAY OUT?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]