Interview: Sonja and Ramona from Real Housewives of New York City

The Real Housewives of New York wrapped up its latest drama-filled season, and if you’re still craving some more RHNY (reruns of the reunions can only give you so much), you’re in luck. Ramona (pictured above) and Sonja were recently in town and invited me to Ramona’s suite at the Peninsula for a quick chat. Of course, she answered the door holding a glass of her Pinot Grigio. She was also wearing a robe and had curlers in her hair. (“I knew you weren’t going to have a photographer, so I figured this would be fine.”) I joined her and Sonja in the bathroom while they got ready for an event and we discussed their products (Ramona’s skin care line (TruRenewal), jewelry (True Faith) and wine; Sonja’s upcoming line of toaster ovens) as well as the drama on the show.
 
Is there pressure to always have products out?
R No. I just do what comes natural. I think I just follow my passion.

You don’t feel a competition with the other ladies?
S No! Ramona is as natural as they come. When you see Ramona, she’s wearing the most beautiful jewelry and she drinks Pinot Grigio and she has fabulous skin. That’s what she knows and loves.
R And that’s a rule I have for women. You can’t look at the competition. You just look straight ahead.
S And Ramona takes care of those who take care of her. She doesn’t worry about what she doesn’t have. Because if you do that, you’ll never be happy enough. I just want her to be happy, me to be happy, our daughters are happy, her husband is happy, my lovers are happy and the production is happy.

Let’s talk about the on-camera drama.
R How about off-camera drama? Wanna talk about that one?

Is there more drama off-camera?
R Oh, please.
S I don’t like the off-camera drama because it takes away from the show.
R Okay, we won’t talk about that. But there’s some people who like to be in the press, I won’t name names. And to be in the press, they make up lies about other cast mates. And that’s ridiculous.
S You’re a businesswoman. You’re on the show for one reason.
R  And to have fun.

But there was that fight in Morocco, right?
R I said, “Jill, I’ve probably enabled you because for years you’ve been saying things behind my back. Let’s try to talk about our friendship.” And basically, I felt that she wasn’t listening to me. And yes, they showed me talking over her, but the discussion was for over an hour. And the part they showed was my talking over her, but I did it because it was getting very vile and I felt it wasn’t positive.

That happened months ago, and then when it airs do you feel like you’re reliving it?
S That’s the one thing I really can’t stand about the show. It’s the most annoying thing. You live through it, and then you have to live through it again. We had this whole scene with Marriage Equality New York…
R Can I just finish this? It’s important. It’s about abuse. Jill said I was fake crying. But I really wasn’t. It was a deep cry, because I went back into my childhood and I would hear and witness my father being verbally abusive to my mother, and that’s how I saw Jill. She was there with such venom toward me, such ill-will, it just brought me right back.
S I think some of my co-stars take the show a little too seriously.

You think they always act like the camera's rolling?
S I’m not obsessing about my fight with Alex! I’ve moved on. I saw what happened with Jill and Bethenny and that was heartbreaking. I just don’t want to see Ramona and Jill… this whole thing take off. Ramona is too sensitive, too special, too loving to have this take over her fabulous life.

What have been some of your favorite moments on the show?
S The hammam. When we went to the hammam. I arranged…
R Wait, I have to interrupt. She was a co-host. That LuAnn kept saying she was the host, meanwhile she didn’t arrange anything. And Sonja researched and arranged every restaurant and every chic event.
S 'Cause I don’t burn bridges. I can actually call someone and say, “Hi, remember me? Didn’t we have a nice time? You trust me and know I’ll behave.”

How long will the show last?
R As long as we’re getting ratings and we’re still having fun. I have fun with Sonja and Alex, and I just don’t let the negative energy get to me. When people aren’t happy, they become nasty and mean. I’m totally happy and so is Sonja and Alex. That’s why the blondes have more fun on our show. Ooh, that’s good! I gotta remember that! It could be a good tagline!