This Is How Jill Zarin Met Luann de Lesseps and It Involves a Hot Pink Business Card
The Real Housewives of New York City ladies recall that chance meeting *slightly* differently.
Jill Zarin is a self-professed "connector." If you live in New York City, chances are you know someone who knows Jill. These carefully cultivated relationships are part of the reason some of the 'Wives joined The Real Housewives of New York City.
The Daily Dish podcast hosts Rachael Roberts and Megan Segura spoke to Jill about her role in signing some of the O.G.s up for the debut season. Rachael, who attended Luann de Lesseps' #CountessandFriends cabaret show, recalled that during her performance the Countess explained how she came to join RHONY, saying that she was charmed by Jill upon meeting her and that Jill pushed her to do the show. Jill told The Daily Dish podcast that she remembered a slightly different version of events.
"Bobby met [Luann] at the bar [at a movie premiere after party], because he was hanging out with her niece," says Jill. "And then Luann says she saw Bobby and said, ‘Who’s that nice looking man?’ And she went over to talk to Bobby, and Bobby bought her a tequila and then said, ‘You have to meet my wife.’ And he brings me over, and we all start partying together. And she gave me her pink business card. A pink business card! I still have it. A hot pink business card."
Months later, after getting cast on the then-titled Manhattan Moms, producers told Jill they needed more ladies for the show.
"I’m in my closet getting dressed, and I see the pink card. And I grab it and I give it to the producer, Kira," the RHONY alum recalled. And the rest is history.
But as someone who helped bring both Bethenny Frankel and Luann onto the show, does Jill feel like she's gotten the credit she deserves?
"No, definitely not, but I didn’t do it for that reason. But I do remember something," Jill shared. "I don’t know if Bethenny would remember this, and I don’t know if I should say it … I remember saying to Bethenny when we were good friends and she was starting Skinnygirl, and she said to me, 'If I make over two million dollars, I’m going to take you on a private plane wherever you want to go.' I think she made two million. I think she owes me a plane ride."
Season 2 of Bravo's The Daily Dish podcast premieres on May 31! In the meantime, listen, like, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play, and make yourself part of the conversation by tweeting us @Bravotv with the hashtag #BravoDailyDish.
