Jill Zarin is reacting to her firing from E!’s upcoming “RHONY” reunion show, “The Golden Life,” after she went on a rant about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
“They didn’t even give me a chance,” the “Real Housewives of New York City” alum, 62, told In Touch on Tuesday.
“I deleted it right away. People make mistakes. I’m human too,” she said, referring to the now-deleted Instagram video.
Zarin was originally scheduled to appear on E!’s new series, but the show’s producers, Blink 49 Studios, later announced that they had ended their relationship with her.
“In light of recent public comments by Jill Zarin, Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in ‘The Golden Life.’ We remain committed to delivering the series in accordance with our company’s standards and values,” producers said in a statement to Variety on Tuesday.
Zarin drew criticism on Sunday in a since-deleted Instagram video in which she slammed Bad Bunny’s performance, calling it “the worst halftime show ever.”
“What we’re celebrating right now is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to say that in Spanish and, frankly, to grab his ‘G’ territory,” she said. “I think it was totally inappropriate.”
“There’s a lot of young kids watching the Super Bowl and he’s so anxious that he doesn’t have to grab himself every five seconds. Seriously.”
She continued, “It seemed like a political statement because there were literally no white people in the whole thing. I think it was a political statement, and I’m not going to take sides. I just do it. I think it was an ICE thing.”
“The NFL was packed,” Zarin said, and the halftime show was “hard to watch.”
“It’s very sad. I’ve lived to be 75 years old and you know, it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing,” she said.
Many brave celebrities responded to Zarin’s video. “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Bozoma St. John said, “‘I’m not taking sides,’ but I’m very clearly taking sides. Please. On the other hand, I loved Benito Bowl… its beauty, its culture, its history, its message.”
“The Valley” star Janet Caperna commented, “Don’t call me racist, say I’m racist…wow!!!”
Page Six broke the news that Zarin and fellow RHONY alums Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon, and Sonya Morgan will appear on the new show together. It was later revealed that the show would be titled “The Golden Life” and that filming would begin in the spring. The series features women reuniting in Palm Beach, Florida.
