Hot mic moments are the gift that keeps on giving. One might think if you are followed around by a team of cameras and have an unusual bulge in your clothing that transmits the words coming out of your mouth, you might be careful about what you say. Unfortunately sometimes reality television people get a bit too comfortable with their surroundings and completely forget to maintain proper etiquette and suitable manners.
Bravo is not without these little gems – where a cast member either reveals a well-kept secret or completely trashes a member of the cast without realizing production now has every intention of blasting it during air time. And I for one am eternally grateful. Let’s look back on some of Bravo’s most shocking hot mic incidents.
5. Real Housewives of New Jersey / Joe Giudice
Season 4 of Real Housewives of New Jersey was a true spectacle. Welcome to the horrifying revelation that Teresa Giudice’s ex-husband Joe Giudice is a cheater cheater pumpkin eater and verbally abusive partner in the same moment. Grab an adult beverage because your significant other is about to look much better. On a cast trip, during a scenic dinner overlooking a gorgeous sunset and vineyards, Juicy Joe received an alert on his phone. As we hear the dulcet tones of Joe’s sexy-time voice uttering sweet nothings to his… co-worker, Tre becomes suspicious and takes off towards her spouse. Joe, who is off-camera, mutters, “Hold on. Here comes my bitch wife. She’s such a c*nt. I gotta hang up.” When Teresa inquires about the conversation, he says he was just “talking to a worker. What the f*ck do you want? What am I gonna do, talk to him over there?” Then Joe proceeds to insult her intelligence and returns to his phone conversation speaking Italian because his “co-worker” doesn’t speak English. Sure, Jan. Moments later, Teresa forces Joe to show his loyalty to her by having sex near a row of grapes that surely died from the trauma.
4. Real Housewives of Atlanta / Cynthia Bailey
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey hasn’t had a great 2022. But another divorce might seem less difficult to deal with than a scorned NeNe Leakes. Back in Season 11, Cynthia had launched a signature Bellini drink by Seagram, because are you really a Housewife if you don’t release a brand of alcohol? Naturally a huge soirée was planned to celebrate the big event, but the guest list had a mystery addition who happened to be NeNe’s biggest rival of the moment. Kenya Moore had taken a pause from filming RHOA but that didn’t stop her from being invited to Cynthia’s party without NeNe’s written permission. Cynthia was overheard saying, “I’m supposed to act like I didn’t know Kenya was coming,” to her now defunct husband. To add another nail to the coffin, Kandi Burruss said to Cynthia, “Now Cynthia, you said you wanted Kenya here and here she is.” Now I’m not saying NeNe was correct when she clocked Cynthia as being sneaky, but the footage speaks for itself. While Cynthia acted shocked to see Kenya there, she was busted a second time talking to Kandi off-camera after the party ended. “I just want to make sure we was on the same page, setting up how Kenya got here,” Cynthia told Kandi, who repeatedly warned her, “I’m mic’d, I’m mic’d , I’m mic’d , I’m mic’d.” It’s safe to say Cynthia learned a valuable lesson on that day.
3. Real Housewives of New York / Barbara Kavovit
Viewers didn’t get a lot of time with Real Housewives of New York alum, Barbara Kavovit, and that might be for the best. When she was made a Friend of the cast, she was basically treated like shit for several episodes and then we never saw her again. We first saw Babs all the way back in Season 9, or what I like to call, the “How Could You Do This To Me Question Mark” time because, it was all about Tom. Luann de Lesseps and Tom D’Agostino were not a match made in Heaven, it was more like a… match of temporary convenience. Barbara questioned the quality of Tom and Luann’s relationship during a talk with then-Housewife Carole Radziwill at an event. Barbara’s hot mic moment was not exactly friendly, but it was 100% on the money. Barbara told Carole, “I think she (Luann) has something to prove. She’d rather go through with it and get divorced than call it off.” This moment was not captured by cameras, but Carole was still hot and hadn’t removed her mic so the audio was included in the episode. In an effort to prevent the conversation from being broadcast, Barbara went to court to try and stop it from being aired; nevertheless, her case was dismissed. Sorry, Babs.
2. Real Housewives of Dallas / LeeAnne Locken
Real Housewives of Dallas might be gone, but it certainly isn’t forgotten. The memory of LeeAnne Locken lives on free of charge in many minds. LeeAnne was… kind of unstable at times, but she would be happy to tell you of her troubled childhood that allegedly lead her to having a big mouth and no filter. In Season 2 of the now cancelled franchise, LeeAnne underwent some plastic surgery and brought Brandi Redmond with her. When behind closed doors with no camera in the room, LeeAnne got herself on the hot mic list. LeeAnne did not like co-star Cary Deuber and was incensed after Cary made a comment about her plastic surgeon. While Brandi and LeeAnne were waiting for the physician, LeeAnne must have thought they had the gift of privacy – but viewers were given the real present that day. LeeAnne popped off and began a rant involving Cary saying she was about to get “in big trouble” – and it didn’t end there. LeeAnne advised Brandi that Cary was going to be on a literal chopping block if she didn’t immediately repent her sins. “I grew up with a lot of things in my hands, and they’re not knives, they’re just hands. But they work quite well.” The last sentence was read like LeeAnne was onstage at Shakespeare in the Park, in a sinister whisper that may or may not manifest into a sleep paralysis demon. Strangling Cary wasn’t the only thing on LeeAnne’s mind, so was Dr. Mark Deuber, Cary’s husband. “Her husband gets his dick sucked at The Round-Up, and I know the boys who did it.” Oh LeeAnne, even if the mic didn’t rat you out, Brandi would have.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City / Lisa Barlow
You knew it had to be this one, didn’t you? The most impressive hot mic moment with a good amount of fallout came courtesy of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s second season. Fans of Lisa Barlow were reeling after her spectacular meltdown that occurred whilst she was fully pissed off and crouched in a closet. During a cast trip to Zion (located in the United States of America, the only region in which Jen Shah is allowed to travel) the group were involved in a heated argument over dinner. Lisa stormed off to the bathroom, probably to call her husband and wave her overly-tanned hands around in a fit of anger. But that isn’t exactly what transpired. In a hot mic moment that now lives in infamy, Lisa lost it on her now former BFF, Meredith Marks. “Meredith can go f*ck herself, I’m done with her. Cause I’m not a f*cking whore and I don’t cheat on my husband. Her and her dumb f*cking family that poses. Why don’t you own a house? Oh wait you can’t, cause your husband changes jobs every five minutes.” Lisa ranted, “Meredith is a piece of f*cking shit. I had your back and I’m offended by that. F*ck you. That f*cking piece of shit garbage whore. I f*cking hate her. She’s a whore. She f*cked half of New York. She can go f*ck herself.” It was an incredibly vicious moment that Lisa admittedly regrets. What Lisa did realize is, going forward she can’t pop off on a hateful tirade until she bodily checks herself for mic packs. We don’t know what was shared between Meredith and Lisa during their friendship and we don’t exactly know what triggered the outburst. Lisa apparently thought she wasn’t being recorded. She also incorrectly assumed what she said would not be included in the episode. Welcome to reality television, Baby Gorgeous!
TELL US- WHAT HOT MIC MOMENT WOULD YOU INCLUDE? DID YOUR FAVORITE MAKE THE LIST? DO YOU THINK IT’S FAIR WHEN SUPPOSEDLY PRIVATE MOMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN A SHOW?
[Photo by: Nicole Weinagart/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images]