Simon van Kempen

Alex McCord & Simon Van Kempen Kicked Off Real Housewives of NYC?

by Reality Tea on February 5th, 2010

The New York Post is reporting that the biggest posers to ever hit reality television, Alex McCord and hubby Simon Van Kempen, might be getting the boot from their Bravo show – The Real Housewives of New York City.

According to the Post, the wife & hubby duo are not going to be asked back for a season four. Season Three, which is set to premier March 4, just wrapped up filming. They will be appearing on the 3rd season.

So why are Simon & Alex not being asked back? According to a source, “There are a ton of reasons they aren’t being asked back.”

The first being, “Viewers don’t have a positive reaction to them, so they’re easily replaceable at this point,” says the source. However, a Bravo rep insists that “no details have been released about next season” and Simon himself insists, “We have not had any discussions regarding a fourth season.”

“Also, they don’t really fit in with the other wives,” continues the source. “All of the other women’s story lines have interwoven, yet Alex and Simon have kept theirs separate. It isn’t nearly as interesting as the other Housewives’.”

And it doesn’t end there. According to the insider, there are even more reasons. Apparently Simon threw a “hissy fit” because he’s not being paid as much as the other cast members. “Simon wants to be an equal on the show, but that doesn’t really make any sense to Bravo,” the source says. “After all, he’s not a ‘Real Housewife,’ now is he?”

The Post also says the other ladies on the show including Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin, Ramona Singer, and Kelly Bensimon would like to see them go. “In the upcoming season, Alex picks a lot of fights, and it looks like it’s an attempt to keep her story line relevant,” the insider says. “But it ended up seeming inauthentic.”

So far no word yet on who will replace Alex & Simon, if they do end up leaving the show.

TELL US – DO YOU WANT TO SEE ALEX & SIMON LEAVE THE SHOW?

New Yorkers may finally get a break from the city’s most overexposed “House” husband: We hear that Simon van Kempen and his missus, Alex McCord, aren’t being asked back for Season Four of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

Rumors of an impending exit for the Brooklynites began swirling just as filming wrapped on Season Three, which begins March 4. Says an insider, “There are a ton of reasons they aren’t being asked back.”

So where do we begin?

“Viewers don’t have a positive reaction to them, so they’re easily replaceable at this point,” the source dishes, although a rep for Bravo insists that “no details have been released about next season” and van Kempen himself says, “We have not had any discussions regarding a fourth season.”

“Also, they don’t really fit in with the other wives,” continues the insider. “All of the other women’s story lines have interwoven, yet Alex and Simon have kept theirs separate. It isn’t nearly as interesting as the other Housewives’.”

Our well-placed snitch says that’s not all: Simon apparently threw a “hissy fit” when he wasn’t paid as well as the other cast members.

“Simon wants to be an equal on the show, but that doesn’t really make any sense to Bravo,” the source says. “After all, he’s not a ‘Real Housewife,’ now is he?”

He’s most certainly not, but his better half is – even though she’s not exactly a popular presence. In fact, our source says the other ladies on the show – Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin, LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Kelly Bensimon – would be more than happy to see Alex go.

“In the upcoming season, Alex picks a lot of fights, and it looks like it’s an attempt to keep her story line relevant,” the insider says. “But it ended up seeming inauthentic.”

So who could replace the husband-and-wife duo? Event planner Jennifer Gilbert and ex-wife of a JP Morgan heir Sonja Morgan, who were announced last fall as the newest Housewives.

“It’s been known that one was meant to replace Bethenny, who’s getting her own show, but until now no one knew who the other housewife to go would be,” says our insider. “Now it looks like it’s Alex.”

Real Housewives of New York

Real Housewives Star, Alex McCord’s Advice To The Gosselins

by Reality Tea on June 27th, 2009

The Real Housewives of New York star, Alex McCord has decided to weigh in and advice Jon and Kate Gosselin after a recently publicized divorce filing.

Alex McCord, 35, and husband of nearly 10 years, Simon van Kempen, say that the key to staying together as a family while starring on TV show is to ensure your relationship is top priority.

“Remember that you [and your husband] were there first,” McCord told PEOPLE at the I Heart Gen Art 15th Anniversary benefit in New York City on Wednesday. “Remember that part of what makes raising your children a successful operation is having a successful relationship. And if you are not happy, I … guarantee you will foist that off on your kids and they will pick up on it.”

McCord and van Kempen, who have two young boys Johan and Francois, aged 5 and 3 respectively also offered some words of advice for other reality TV couples.

“Obsessively communicate,” McCord says. “Tell each other everything — the good, the bad and the ugly. Today, even I [thought to myself], ‘You can either just tell him, or you can sit and let it fester’ — and that’s when you get into trouble. So just come out with it, whatever it is.”

In a final advice, “Look out for your marriage as much as you look out for your kids,” adds van Kempen.

Jon & Kate Plus 8,Real Housewives of New York

New York Housewives’ Speak Out On Danielle’s Criminal Past

by Reality Tea on June 5th, 2009

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, Danielle Staub, seems to be the talk of the town. The New York housewives have all come out to give their opinions on her sordid past. Danielle, surprisingly gets sympathy from most of the housewives with the exception of LuAnn.

Here’s what some of the other Bravo housewives had to say regarding Danielle’s past -

Kelly Bensimon – “Everybody deserves a second chance,” Kelly told PEOPLE. “If you’ve made a mistake in life, you have two choices, you can either sit in the Lazy-Boy and eat popcorn and talk about it, or you can get out and do something fun. And I think that’s what she’s doing. I like her courage.”

Bethenny Frankel – “It isn’t pretty, but it was 24 years ago. I can’t even tell you all of the things I was doing 24 years ago that I shouldn’t have. Judging by her girls, I’d sooner have her babysit my kid then some of these other women. Granted, she was a moron for not outing herself. She is in fact on a reality show, but otherwise, everyone has a past and she isn’t exactly proud of hers. It isn’t anyone’s business.”

Jill Zarin – “This is something that happened a long time ago. It’s dead and buried in her real life, and it should never have been brought up,” Jill said. “But because she’s on a reality show, if you’ve been arrested and have a record, it’s going to come out. If you’re divorced, it’s going to come out. If you’ve lied about things, it’s going to come out. I think she should have known that.”

Alex McCord - Alex who is no stranger to past skeletons (she had some nude photos of her leaked last year) had this to say - “I hope she knew that when you go on a reality show, everything that ever happened in your past is going to come straight up.”

Simon Van Kempen – Honorable housewife Simon had this to say, “She made some mistakes, but she was very young. It was the innocence of youth,” he said. “Franklin Lakes, N.J., is thirty miles from where we’re standing. But it could be 300 — 3,000 miles. It’s such a different show than New York.”

LuAnn de Lesseps – The Cuntess Countess however had some not so nice words to say, “She walked up to me at a Reality Cares party and said, ‘Countess, we have to talk.’ And I looked at her and said, ‘About what? What could we possibly have to talk about?’ But maybe she wanted my advice,” said LuAnn, who is splitting from her husband. “In retrospect, I think maybe she really needed to talk to me. Maybe she was going to ask me who my lawyer is. I think if I had that kind of a past, an arrest, if I had any skeletons in my closet, I don’t think I’d be on a reality show.”

According to several reports, Danielle was in her early twenties when she committed these “atrocities,” so does she deserve a second chance? Would you go on a reality show if you had these type of skeletons in your past?

Real Housewives of New Jersey,Real Housewives of New York

Real NY Housewives’ Simon: I’m Not Gay!

by Reality Tea on June 4th, 2009

In what is a slow news day, The Real Housewives of New York’s Simon van Kempen is once again denying that he is gay.

Simon spoke to USMagazine at an event yesterday saying, “If I was gay, I would be gay, but I’m not!” he said. “I don’t want to have sex with men!” Well alrighty then Simon, thanks for sharing that with us.

This sudden declaration might have come from the fact that he has been accused of being “gay” due to the way he dresses by other cast mates of the show. During the recent reunion show, Jill Zarin even told Simon’s wife Alex McCord that Simon is gay – but just doesn’t know it yet. Not quite sure who made Jill authority over who is gay and who isn’t.

Simon continued, “If other manifestations of gay means that I like to wear nice clothes and go shopping, then I guess that’s fine!” he told Us. “I love fashion, but I love my beautiful wife. That makes me gay?”

Real Housewives of New York