A year ago, Bravo fired some of the cast of The Real Housewives Of New York City . Jill Zarin was most famously canned, and the cast member confessed that the executive meeting that resulted in her dismissal felt like her own funeral.
Zarin confronted Real Housewives of New York City executive producer Andy Cohen about his decision to fire her. Appearing on Cohen’s own Watch What Happens Live on Monday, Zarin blatantly asked the Bravo executive “Why was I fired?”
Cohen’s response:
“We discussed it many times that we were looking to shake the show up. The viewers were the ones that dictated they wanted something to change. The last reunion, I think you would agree, was incredibly toxic for everyone involved. When it was over, I think the viewers, producers, and Bravo said, ‘What can we do to change it — because if we bring it back as it is, we know that the relationships were probably not going to change’ (sic).”
Zarin accepted Cohen’s rationale but expressed her deep, personal disappointment in being fired from the show. “It felt like a death,” said Zarin of the firing. “It felt like my funeral. I was heartbroken.”
Zarin also talked about her lack of closure with Housewives , confessing:
“I think that the hardest thing was that when you fired me, you didn’t let me say goodbye. I wanted to come on the show, and I wanted to talk to everyone (the fans). So I’m glad I’m here. And you know what, a year later, I’m better, I’m stronger.”
After the show aired, Cohen took to Twitter to talk about the confrontation with Zarin:
I can’t think of another instance of a fired employee confronting the network abt her dismissal. On camera. #MetaByBravo #WWHL
— Andy Cohen (@BravoAndy) October 16, 2012
Do you think it was a right decision to fire Jill?
