RHONY star Eboni K. Williams called out her co-stars for their white fragility during the latest episode. The race episode aired on June 1 and included a spat between several cast members. Williams is the first Black housewife to star on Bravo’s reality show.
The exchange started when Williams commented on vulgar language not defining one’s classiness or femininity. Luann de Lesseps replied that talking openly about sex and vulgarity has to do with education, not their class. Williams is an author, lawyer, journalist as well as the television host for REVOLT BLACK NEWS. She’s also an executive producer for the show and co-hosts State of the Culture.
After Lesseps said, “it’s was a matter of education,” Williams noted that she had more education than anyone else at the table, yet she was comfortable talking about sex. The comment triggered Lesseps, who said that a degree isn’t the only thing that makes one educated.
“At this point I’m seeing red,” she said in the confessional. “Education to me is somebody to me that is well-rounded in so many ways. Well-traveled, speaks languages. Is she trying to make us feel like we’re idiots?”
She argued her point before saying, “Don’t come into my house and tell me I don’t have an education!”
Williams told her to clean out her ears because she didn’t say Lesseps wasn’t educated. She merely stated a fact. Lesseps asked her why she was so angry, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she herself was “seeing red.”
At some point, Ramona Singer interjected to tell Williams she was too loud.
“My ears are hurting. Bring it down,” Singer said.
“Your white fragility is killing me right now,” replied Williams.
“Don’t go after her race,” said Lesseps. “We didn’t go after your race.”
“Oh, so now Im the angry Black woman?” Williams calmly replied.
“I’m not going there,” replied Lesseps. “You’re an angry woman right now. I never referred to your color, nor would I.”
“What does my race have to do with anything? It’s my ears,” added Ramona.
Williams then calmly tried to explain white fragility to the women, but she wasn’t heard as Lesseps kept asking her why she was so upset.
The former Countess doubled-down on the micro-aggressions when she ordered Williams to calm down and think about what she’d said to offend them with no regard to how she offended Williams.
“If you don’t want me here because I’m not free to express how I feel about things, I will leave your property,” Williams said.
“I think you should go. You need to calm down and think about what you just said was very offensive to us,” Lesseps blundered.
With that, Williams got up and left, calling Lesseps’ comments trash on her way out.
Twitter was definitely behind Williams about the RHONY ladies’ white fragility. They also brought receipts of the Countess and her blackface past.
No one called Leah “angry”, yet Eboni was immediately called “angry” when she expressed how she felt. This was exactly what I expected to happen as soon as she joined, but she holds her own unlike any other! 👏🏽🍎 #RHONY
— The Peach Report Daily™ (@ThePeachReport) June 2, 2021
I love how Ramona and Luann scream and then when Eboni responds, she’s yelling and angry?! #RHONY pic.twitter.com/SF6wQfTiBC
— bravo babe (@bravo_babe) June 2, 2021
Leah went down the line and called every last one of these women a “hoe.” No one bat an eye. Luann and Ramona somehow drew the line at Eboni calling herself the most educated at the table. Hmmm…#RHONY pic.twitter.com/z8FtSkdlRU
— Plaine Blaine (@PlaineBlaine) June 2, 2021
Queen Eboni a Doctor of Law telling Luann & the girls she has more education then them is giving me life 👏🏽#RHONY
— Bravo Bitchxs (@bravobitchxs) June 2, 2021
I’m also REALLY bothered that LuAnn told Eboni to leave her house. How disgusting is that? She can’t have a civil conversation with another person bc she felt like Eboni was yelling? Eboni was getting frustrated. It was so clear. #RHONY
— Stephen (@SGavis) June 2, 2021
I’m shocked that LuAnn isn’t more racially sensitive. Shocked! #RHONY pic.twitter.com/sTO3WGq0jM
— Mikos (@iMikos_) June 2, 2021
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Williams posted a video to Instagram before the episode aired to say she would be taking a break from social media to work on her peace and spirituality.
“Some of the people that live on social media and live to make people’s life a terror and a horror and they just like to show up as a******* and trolls, I’m not here for it. I’m not here for it,” she said.
“I won’t be a part of it and I won’t unveil myself to it. So I’m going to take a little break, a little beat, work on my prayer, work on my situation spiritually and I will be back.”
Williams added that she was looking forward to returning after the next episode airs to discuss or debate the race element. She also referenced the race episodes in her Instagram post on May 18.
“These next couple of episodes will have moments that are hilarious, uncomfortable, and shocking,” she wrote. “I implore you to stay the course. Stay engaged. Please go on this journey with us. I promise you it will be unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. And you might even experience a little RHONY magic yourself 🍎.”
#RHONY #IsaidWhatIsaid#NeneLeakes #Fab5
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The Real Housewives of New York airs Tuesdays on Bravo.
