The Housewives brought the glam to New York City as the stars of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th celebrated the upcoming series with a glamorous premiere party.
Taking place at NYC’s chic Japanese hotspot, The Lobster Club, the star-studded event kicked off the countdown to the highly anticipated premiere on Aug. 9. It reunited Bravo baddies from The Real Housewives of Potomac, Atlanta, New York, Beverly Hills and beyond.
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
Leading the celebration were The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th stars Porsha Williams (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Vicki Gunvalson (The Real Housewives of Orange County), Luann de Lesseps (The Real Housewives of New York City), Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Gizelle Bryant (The Real Housewives of Potomac), and Lisa Barlow (The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City).
Also joining the festivities were several Bravolebrities, including Next Gen NYC stars Georgia McCann, Brooks Marks, Ariana Biermann, Emira D’Spain, Shai Fruchter, Gia Giudice, and Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen.
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
The guest list didn’t stop there, as Bravo baddies from Potomac and Atlanta, including Ashley Darby, Gizelle Bryant, Dr. Wendy Osefo, Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, Karen Huger, Stacey Rusch, Shamea Morton, and Kelli Potter posed for pics and celebrated the network’s biggest crossover yet.
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
And judging by the photos, the premiere celebration was one for the books. The cast spent the evening dancing, sipping cocktails, posing for plenty of glamorous photos, and catching up with fellow Bravolebrities as they celebrated the upcoming series.
Source: Bryan Bedder / Bravo
From laughter-filled conversations to lively moments on the dance floor, the energy was high.
The nine-episode series premieres will feature an incredible 82 Housewives throughout the journey. One of the biggest surprises? NeNe Leakes will make her long-awaited return to Bravo when the group stops in Atlanta, marking her first appearance with the network in six years, following her departure from The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2020.
Sounds exciting, right?
Source: Charles Sykes / Bravo
Ahead of the premiere party, the RHUGT cast sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect on their wild ride with the franchise. Hit the flip to see a few highlights.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th cast talk sisterhood and the ups & downs of reality TV with The Hollywood Reporter.
Ahead of the premiere party, the cast sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect on two decades of Housewives history, opening up about why they continue to return to the franchise despite public feuds, painful divorces, and sharing some of the most personal moments of their lives on camera.
Williams, who joined The Real Housewives of Atlanta in season 5, reflected on how differently she viewed the show before becoming a Housewife herself.
“Speaking as the only one who wasn’t tricked, I probably fooled myself. I was a big fan of Atlanta [when I came on the show]—I did not work. I was literally the quintessential housewife,” she shared. “I thought, ‘I’m going to be different. They’re so messy. I don’t live like that.’ I genuinely thought when I came in that I could lift the veil and show a young Black family and I could make it look perfect. I thought the show was more produced. Then once you get behind the camera, you realize, ‘Oh no, this is just me.’ And then things got real! We are supposed to show how fabulous our lives and our marriages and friendships are. In reality that’s not always true.”
When asked why it’s so difficult to walk away from the franchise, Bryant admitted the connection runs deep.
“When you start with a franchise, it’s personal. Potomac is my baby. I don’t want to leave my baby—then filming starts and I’m like, ‘When can I leave my baby,’” she chuckled.
Barlow echoed that sentiment, revealing that she shares a “bond” with her castmates no matter if she’s “getting along with someone or can’t stand them.” She added:
“It’s a sisterhood…Or like being part of an NBA team. You go through all these crazy, traumatic, thrilling things together.”
The Housewives also reflected on the highs and lows of fame. Asked about the best and worst parts of being a Housewife, de Lesseps shared:
“I’m living my best life. I’m 60 years old now. I stand in my house and I go, ‘This is my house. These are my cars. This is my boat. Look at my beautiful children. Look at what I built.’ I built my life. I’m free.”
For Barlow, the opportunity to constantly evolve has been one of the biggest perks.
“You get to reinvent yourself all the time. I have a new song out [“Baby Gorgeous.”] Jack, my oldest, just heard my song and he’s like, ‘My mom is going to be a pop star.’ Who does that?”
But Gunvalson admitted that while her Real Housewives journey has been both wild and rewarding, there is one thing she wishes she could change. Looking back, the RHOC OG said she would have prioritized protecting her marriage over the cameras, revealing that reality TV ultimately put a strain on her relationship with then-husband Donn Gunvalson before the pair divorced in 2014. The RHOA vet said her husband asked her to get “off the show” before their marriage took a hard turn.
“It killed mine. When Scott approached me and Donn [Gunvalson, Vicki’s then-husband] at the time about doing this pilot, Donn’s like, ‘There’s no way we’re doing this in our family.’ He was like, ‘Anybody that goes on TV is going to get divorced.’ I’m like, ‘We’re not going to get divorced. We’re fine.’ And obviously, fast-forward, we got divorced.”
When asked if she regretted joining the show, Gunvalson didn’t hesitate.
“I do.” She continued, “My family was more important than the show, and it broke apart.”
Could the Housewives still be going strong another 20 years from now despite some of their rocky journeys? Well, when asked whether a Golden Girls-style edition could be in their future, Barlow didn’t hesitate.
“I’d love it, personally.”
Williams laughed, adding:
“I always say I want to hold onto my check as long as the Beverly Hills girls. Y’all don’t let it go!”
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th premieres Sunday, Aug. 9, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes will air weekly on Sundays before streaming the following day on Peacock.
