The Real Housewives of D.C.

The Real Housewives of D.C.
Format	Reality television
Starring	Mary Schmidt Amons Lynda Erkiletian Stacie Turner Catherine Ommanney Michaele Salahi
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	11
Production
Executive producer(s)	Abby Greensfelder[1][2] Sean Gallagher[1] Rich Calderone[1]
Location(s)	Washington, D.C. area, United States
Running time	44 minutes (excluding commercials)
Production company(s)	Half Yard Productions LLC[2]
Broadcast
Original channel	Bravo
Original run	August 5, 2010 – October 21, 2010
Chronology
Preceded by	The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Followed by	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
External links
Website

The Real Housewives of D.C. is an American reality television program that debuted on the Bravo network Thursday, August 5, 2010. It was the network's fifth installation of The Real Housewives of... series, following The Real Housewives of Orange County, New York City, Atlanta, and New Jersey.^[3][4][5] Bravo announced on April 7, 2011, that The Real Housewives of DC had been cancelled. This is the first time in "Housewives" history that an iteration of the franchise has not been renewed for a second season.

Premise

The Real Housewives of D.C. introduces five women whose relationships with each other, and with the city in which they live, are the venues for exploring the nexus of politics, society, and even race, as well as how the proximity to political power dictates where one fits within Beltway society.

The women are: Mary Schmidt Amons, the true Washingtonian and granddaughter of radio and TV personality, Arthur Godfrey; the mother hen and owner of D.C.’s top talent agency, Lynda Erkiletian; feisty Brit and White House photographer's wife, Catherine Ommanney; model and co-founder of America's Polo Cup, Michaele Salahi (who became the focus of media attention following the 2009 U.S. state dinner security breaches at the White House); and Harvard Business School graduate, top-selling real estate agent, active political fund-raiser, and philanthropist, Stacie Scott Turner.

Housewives

Mary Schmidt Amons

(Season 1)

"I don't make money, I spend money." (Season 1)

Second generation Washington, D.C. native, Schmidt-Amons, is an active member of the Washington, D.C. social scene and the granddaughter of legendary radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey. She has been married to her husband, telecom executive Rich Amons, for over 20 years and resides in McLean, Virginia with their five children: Lolly, Ryan, Alexandra, Meghan and Matt.

On the business front, she is the founder of Labels for Love and co-founder of The District Sample Sale, two D.C.-based charities.

Schmidt Amons is a registered Republican.

Lynda Erkiletian

(Season 1)

"I give people enough rope to hang themselves, and the smart people don't." (Season 1)

Southern born Erkiletian is the owner and founder of T.H.E. Artist Agency, one of the top modeling and talent agencies in Washington, D.C. She is also the mother of four children, ages 17 to 29 - Aaron, Jessica, Mihran and Sam - and during the first season they moved from Georgetown to McLean, Virginia.

She is very involved in numerous charitable organizations, including the Paula Coburn Foundation and Washington Ballet’s Women’s Committee.

Erkiletian was born a Southern Baptist but says she converted to Judaism.

She is a registered Republican, but she did state that she voted for Barack Obama.

Stacie Scott Turner

(Season 1)

"D.C. is my town, and I thrive in it." (Season 1)

Alexandria, Virginia native, Turner, is a successful real estate agent. She is a Howard University graduate with a bachelor's degree in business administration/finance and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She worked in marketing at BET and as a manager at Procter and Gamble (where she met her husband) and other companies before becoming a real estate agent. She is with Long & Foster, but was with Sotheby's International Realty prior to this and during the duration of the filming.

On the philanthropic front, she is the founder of Extra-Ordinary Life, a charitable organization that enables girls, who are in foster care (in the D.C. area), to achieve and be exposed to positive experiences while in foster care.

She resides in the Sixteenth Street Heights district of Washington, D.C. with her husband, Jason (an entrepreneur who once worked in Adrian Fenty's administration) and their two children, Jacob and Catherine.

She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

She has also appeared on an HGTV episode of Get it Sold.^{[citation needed]}

She is a registered Democrat.

Catherine "Cat" Ommanney

(Season 1)

"I'm here for a good time, not a long time." (Season 1)

London, England, native Ommanney is an interior designer.

She relocated to Chevy Chase, Maryland shortly after marrying Charles Ommanney, a prize-winning photojournalist for Newsweek, after a brief courtship. She has two daughters from a previous marriage, Jade and Ruby. Before the series aired, it was reported that the Ommanneys had separated.^[6]

Ommanney is writing a book about her "racy" escapades while living in London, titled Inbox Full.

She is a registered Democrat.

Michaele Salahi

(Season 1)

"People have a hard time saying no to me, and that's just been my blessing." (Season 1)

Michaele Salahi (née Michelle Ann "Missy" Holt) (born October 1, 1965) is an American self-proclaimed model and socialite. The Oakton, Virginia, native is a very active member of the Washington, D.C., social scene. She graduated from Oakton High School in 1983.

She and her estranged husband, Tareq, are founders of America's Polo Cup, which had become one of the largest polo events in the U.S. They have also been the alleged owners and residents of the Oasis Winery near Hume, Virginia.^[7][8] (Both the Oasis Winery and America's Polo Cup, Inc. filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in February 2009^[9] and September 2010,^[10] respectively.) In 2009, she claimed to be a former Washington Redskins cheerleader; however, The Washington Post reported that this was untrue.^[11]

Personal life

Michaele is the daughter of Howard A. Holt Jr. and Rosemary (née O'Malley) of Fairfax, Virginia. She attended, but did not graduate from, King's College.

Michaele was a sales girl and make-up artist at Nordstrom.^{[8][12][13][14]} She met Tareq in 2000 at a party thrown by McLean, Virginia, real estate broker N. Casey Margenau and his wife Molly.

Michaele married Tareq in 2003 in a ceremony at Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. The guest list included 1,836 guests, including Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Margaret Heckler. The wedding, originally scheduled for October 2002, was postponed numerous times, prompting Kennedy to quip that he needed to issue "subpoenas" to the bride and groom.^{[8][12][15][16]}

In September 2010, it was claimed in an interview with Fox News Channel that Michaele was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 17 years ago. According to interview transcripts, this statement was made by Diane Diamond, the tabloid journalist who authored the couple's 2010 book, rather than Michaele herself, who seemed too distraught to speak.^[17] On the reunion episode of the Real Housewives, Salahi's castmates expressed doubt about her claims of suffering from MS, as well as her claims of having been a Redskins cheerleader and having been invited to the White House for President Obama's first State Dinner.

In September 2011, Michaele's husband Tareq reported her missing and kidnapped after she disappeared and was not at her mother's home as she claimed to be. However, Michaele was located within days and admitted she had run off with Neal Schon, guitarist for Journey, and intended to leave Tareq for good. Michaele had had a prior relationship with Schon, who at this point was two months into a new marriage which he stated he was leaving to be with Michaele. Tareq responded by filing for divorce from Michaele on September 16th.^[18][19][20]

White House Gate Crasher

Main article: 2009 U.S. state dinner security breaches

Michaele is also known as one of the "White House Gate Crashers" as she and her husband showed up at the White House without invitations and greeted President Barack Obama on November 24, 2009, in the receiving line for 400 invited guests. Three days later, the United States Secret Service publicly stated the Salahi couple had not been invited to the event and, although they went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, should have been prohibited from the event altogether. Bravo producers said they had been filming the Salahis before the dinner, but were told by the couple that they were invited. Both Salahis claim no wrongdoing but pleaded the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify to their story during the subsequent investigation.^[21][22]

Housewife history

Housewives	Season 1
Mary Schmidt Amons	Y
Lynda Erkiletian	Y
Stacie Scott Turner	Y
Catherine Ommanney	Y
Michaele Salahi	Y

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Series Premiere	Series Finale
	1	11	August 5, 2010	October 7, 2010

Episode guide

Season 1: 2010

Ep #	Title	Airdate	US Viewers (million)
1	"Welcome to the District"	August 5, 2010 (2010-08-05)	1.628[23]
Welcome to D.C., the most powerful city in America, where it takes more than money to impress people – it's about political power. With the social season in full swing, Michaele's polo event caters to those who want to be close to it all, with attendees including the Ambassador of India, Michelle Jones and Republican lobbyist, Edwina Rogers. As old rivalries cause Lynda to snub Michaele's polo event, Mary struggles with the guest list for her birthday party. And Cat, the brash Brit and new girl in town, gets a crash course in public relations at Stacie's dinner party prepared by a celebrity chef.
2	"Disloyal to the Party"	August 12, 2010 (2010-08-12)	1.397[24]
Mary quickly realizes that having Lolly, her adult daughter, move back home comes with bigger burdens than she expected. Michaele makes good on her promise to take Cat and Mary horseback riding, but Mary is far from impressed. Stacie’s attempt to show the ladies “where she comes from” takes an unexpected turn when her down-home, soul food dinner is ruined by one of her guests. Lynda is pushed to her limit when a confrontation with Michaele breaks all the D.C. rules.
3	"Don't Go There With Me"	August 19, 2010 (2010-08-19)	1.373[25]
It’s off to Paris! After a spontaneous decision by Michaele and Tareq to join Stacie and her husband in Europe, the couples start to bond. Meanwhile, controversy over D.C. etiquette has the housewives questioning Michaele’s role as a host for high profile events. Cat is hard at work on her book and getting her cover ready, when disappointment strikes. The housewives gather at Mary’s fashion dinner to welcome a celebrity hairstylist, but with previous drama still lingering, things don’t go as planned.
4	"The Grape Stomp of Wrath"	August 26, 2010 (2010-08-26)	1.429[26]
Mary and Cat learn from a mutual friend that Tareq and Michaele crashed the Congressional Black Caucus dinner and were later escorted from the event. Despite her suspicions about Michaele, Cat decides to attend Michaele's wine tasting. Lynda politely declines, although she's less than polite about Michaele in her private interview. Later, Lynda must make a decision about buying a house and moving from her apartment. Mary, Cat and Stacie are surprised to learn that there is a security detail around Tareq's winery, supposedly regarding his mother's unhappiness at losing ownership. The condition of the Salahi's winery is brought into question by the other housewives. Cat and Tareq clash and later Michaele accuses Mary of talking badly about her. The dinner ends with Tareq's making an accusation against one of Mary's children.
5	"Foreign Relations"	September 9, 2010 (2010-09-09)	1.233[27]
A spontaneous decision by Michaele and Tareq to take a trip to Paris, with Stacie and her husband, leaves the couples with one chance to bond. Cat is working diligently on her new book and works to get a good cover shot. The housewives gather at Mary’s fashion dinner to welcome a celebrity hairstylist, whom everyone is excited about. The housewives question Michaele's motives about a prior party she hosted.
6	"Securing Homeland"	September 16, 2010 (2010-09-16)	1.274[28]
Michaele asks for Stacie's help in finding a home in D.C. Stacie is still in search of her birth father, while her mother is of no help. Cat and Mary bond over talks of motherhood. Cat loses a dear friend and is devastated by the loss, feeling alone while her husband is out of town. Tareq has family troubles yet again and Michaele realizes it's taking a toll on her.
7	"Perception Gap"	September 23, 2010 (2010-09-23)	1.315
Cat finally puts the finishing touches on her book before sharing some of the juiciest bits with the rest of the housewives, all of which inspires Michaele and her husband to seek a lucrative Book with author Matt Carson who eventually backs away from the deal. During a fun night with the housewives and their families, an argument between Cat and Stacie's friend Erica breaks out and gets heated, bringing one of them to tears.
8	"Nation Building"	September 30, 2010 (2010-09-30)	1.178
Michaele and Tareq Salahi attend the White House state dinner, which results in controversy for the couple; Stacie continues her search for her biological father; Lynda makes the final necessary preparations for debuting her fashion line.
9	"Breaking News"	October 7, 2010 (2010-10-07)	1.426
Michaele and Tareq attend the State Dinner at the White House, the ladies deal with the aftermath. The Real Housewives of D.C. Series Finale
10	"Reunion Part 1"	October 14, 2010 (2010-10-14)	1.573
The ladies of D.C. reunite and tempers flare. Cat comes clean about her marriage problems. Lynda makes a shocking revelation about her habits. Stacie updates us on her situation with her birth father. The issue of race is discussed. The ladies doubt Michaele's claims that she has multiple sclerosis and that she was a Redskins cheerleader. Part 1 ends when Andy Cohen wants to bring out Tareq Salahi and housewife Lynda speaks up and says she will not allow it unless her boyfriend, Ebong, comes out as well.
11	"Reunion Part 2"	October 21, 2010 (2010-10-21)	1.673
The ladies of D.C. reunite in the second part of the crazy reunion.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Weisman, Joy (2009-10-06). "Bravo's "Housewives" to hit D.C.". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009626.html?categoryid=1071&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Nycz-Conner, Jennifer (2009-10-08). "Possible final cast of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Washington, D.C." coming into focus". Washington Business Journal. http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/working_the_room/2009/10/possible_final_cast_of_bravos_real_housewives_of_washington_dc_coming_into_focus.html. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
3. ^ "The Real Housewives of DC". Pop Tower. http://www.poptower.com/real-housewives-of-dc.htm. 
4. ^ Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger. "'Housewives' Won't Come Clean". The Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/10/rs-housewives5.html. 
5. ^ Helene Cooper, Janie Lorber, and Brian Stelter (2009-11-26). "Network Cameras Followed White House Crashers". http://www.gossiprocks.com/forum/u-s-politics-issues/118212-state-dinner-crashers-sad-lonely-reality-wannabes.html. 
6. ^ Roberts, Roxanne (8 June 2010). "Reliable Source - "Real Housewives of D.C.'s" Catherine Ommanney and husband Charles divorced, even before show airs.". The Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2010/06/rs-_housewives.html. Retrieved 4 September 2010. 
7. ^ See also Oasis Winery for additional information on disputed ownership and place of residence.
8. ^ ^{a b c} Liza Mundy, Amy Argetsinger, and Ian Shapira (2009-12-22). "The Party Crashers: A Look at Tareq and Michaele Salahi Before They Were Famous". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR2009122103611.html. 
9. ^ xx (November 26, 2009). "White House Crashers Named in 16 Civil Suits". CNN Politics. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-26/politics/dinner.whitehouse.crashers_1_salahis-first-state-dinner-secret-service/2?_s=PM:POLITICS. Retrieved 10 October 2010. 
10. ^ Associated Press (October 3, 2010). "Accused White House Crasher Tareq Salahi's America's Polo Cup Inc., Files for Bankruptcy". Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/10/03/2010-10-03_wh_crashers_biz_goes_belly_up.html. Retrieved October 10, 2010. 
11. ^ Cheerleaders Get Fired Up About Salahi. The Washington Post.
12. ^ ^{a b} "HOLT-SALAHI OCTOBER WEDDING". http://www.washingtonlife.com/backissues/archives/02mar/weddings.htm. 
13. ^ "Obituary". Scranton Times-Tribune. 2008-08-17. https://www.legacy.com/thetimes-tribune/obituaries.asppage=obitfinderorder&personid=115781729. 
14. ^ Sheena Delazio. "'Unwanted' White House Guest Has Area Ties". Scranton Times-Leader. http://www.timesleader.com/news/Unwanted_White_House_guest_has_area_ties_120209.html. 
15. ^ Cristina Corbin (2009-11-26). "Who Are the White House Party Crashers?". Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/26/white-house-party-crashers/. 
16. ^ John Arundel (2007-12-05). "Feud Ends: McLean Realtor Buys Oasis Vineyard". Fairfax County Times & WTOP-FM. http://www.wtop.com/?nid=728&pid=0&sid=1304144&page=2. 
17. ^ "Exclusive: Michaele Salahi Says She Has Multiple Sclerosis". Fox News. 2010-09-15. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/09/15/exclusive-michaele-salahi-says-multiple-sclerosis/. 
18. ^ Sara Hammel (September 16, 2011). "Tareq Salahi Files for Divorce from Runaway Wife Michaele". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20529195,00.html. Retrieved September 19, 2011. 
19. ^ Emily Christianson (September 17, 2011). "Tareq Salahi To Divorce Michaele; He's Reportedly Banned Backstage at Journey". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/09/tareq-salahi-divorce-michaele-journey-concerts-.html. Retrieved September 19, 2011. 
20. ^ TJ Winick (September 17, 2011). "Tareq and Michaele Salahi: White House Party Crashers To Divorce". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tareq-michaele-salahi-white-house-party-crashers-divorce/story?id=14542577. Retrieved September 19, 2011. 
21. ^ Stelter, Brian; Cooper, Helene (2009-11-27). "Uninvited Pair Met Obama; Secret Service Offers Apology". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/politics/28crasher.html?hp. Retrieved 2009-11-28. 
22. ^ Horowitz, Jason; Hsu, Spencer; Roberts, Roxanne (2009-12-21). "The Party Crashers: Turmoil in the White House". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122002668.html. 
23. ^ "Thursday Cable: Jersey Shore on Top + Project Runway, Futurama, Stan Lee’s Superhumans & More". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2010-08-06. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/08/06/thursday-cable-jersey-shore-on-top-project-runway-futurama-stan-lees-superhumans-more/59373. Retrieved 2010-08-06. 
24. ^ "Thursday Cable: Jersey Shore Sets New Highs; Burn Notice & Royal Pains Down, But Mostly Steady & More". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2010-08-13. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/08/13/thursday-cable-jersey-shore-sets-new-highs-tops-broadcast-again-burn-notice-royal-pains-down-but-mostly-steady-more/59914. Retrieved 2010-08-13. 
25. ^ "More Thursday Cable: ‘Project Runway‘ Up; Futurama, Real Housewives of DC Fall + More". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2010-08-20. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/08/20/more-thursday-cable-project-runaway-up-futurama-real-housewives-down/60591. Retrieved 2010-08-20. 
26. ^ "More Cable Ratings: Jersey Shore, Burn Notice, Royal Pains Still On Top, Futurama Rises & More". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2010-08-27. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/08/27/more-cable-ratings-jersey-shore-burn-notice-royal-pains-still-on-top-futurama-rises-more/61303. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
27. ^ "Thursday Cable Ratings: ‘Jersey Shore’ Not Slowed by NFL; ‘Project Runway’ Holds Up Well & More". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2010-09-10. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/09/10/thursday-cable-ratings-jersey-shore-not-slowed-by-nfl-project-runway-holds-up-well-more/62914. Retrieved 2010-09-10. 
28. ^ "Thursday Cable Ratings: ‘Jersey Shore’ Repeat Tops; ‘It’s Always Sunny,’ ‘The League’ Premieres Up & More". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2010-09-17. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/09/17/thursday-cable-ratings-%e2%80%98jersey-shore%e2%80%99-repeat-tops-%e2%80%98its-always-sunny%e2%80%99-the-league-premieres-up-more/63977. Retrieved 2010-09-17. 

External links

• Official website from Bravo TV
• Chasing fame: Tareq and Michaele Salahis and the making of "Real Housewives of D.C."
• The Reliable Source: Real Housewives of D.C. story archive