D’Andra Simmons is proud of the way Bravo chose to address a series of racism scandals on “The Real Housewives of Dallas” season five. 

During an interview with the Daily Star on January 27, weeks after the season five premiere, D’Andra mentioned the way in which the network used an insensitive video Brandi Redmond made of herself mocking Asians to educate viewers.

“It was the first thing we did, we talked about it,” D’Andra recalled, speaking of the footage she and her cast mates shot in 2020, months after Brandi’s video surfaced on social media.

According to D’Andra, Dr. Tiffany Moon‘s addition to the “Real Housewives of Dallas” cast came at the perfect time and allowed for viewers to gain a better understanding about why Brandi’s video was so upsetting. 

“My friend, Tiffany Moon who is Chinese, was the perfect person to explain how growing up in America as an immigrant, how she felt and how it affected her, and why that video was hurtful,” D’Andra noted. “Coming from me or somebody else, it wouldn’t land the same.”

In addition to addressing Brandi’s racism scandal of 2020, D’Andra and her cast mates also addressed the many other important issues of the time, including the fight for racial equality.

“We are not putting our heads in the sand. We are all living in this radical time in our country, people are very upset and we’re having those conversations,” she explained. 

“I for one did some things on my Instagram, I had some conversations with some of my friends and said, ‘Look, let’s talk about systemic racism, explain that to me,’ because we weren’t talking about those things when I was growing up in the 80s, and I’m glad that we’re talking about it now,” she continued.

D’Andra then noted that while she, as a Southern woman, wouldn’t typically get so involved in such touchy subjects, she felt it was necessary to do so at the time. 

“I think it’s late, but we’re the South – we don’t talk about religion, sex, politics out loud with people, because that’s just not what Southern ladies do. But now we’re doing it and I’m very proud of us and I’m thrilled that we are hitting those topics head on, discussing them and understanding that there are conversations that need to be had and I hope we continue to have those conversations, I think it’s great,” she shared.

D’Andra then opened up about how “The Real Housewives of Dallas” changed after LeeAnne Locken‘s exit last February. 

“This year I think that it is very light, it is very refreshing,” she described. “You’re seeing more of every single person’s personality because LeeAnne is not here – because she was such a huge presence on the show, the other people felt dwarfed by her. Now you’re gonna see more Stephanie [Hollman], more Kameron [Westcott] – and Kameron doesn’t have her sidekick now, so she’s had to develop other friendships.

To see more of D’Andra and her cast mates, don’t miss new episodes of “The Real Housewives of Dallas” season five, which air on Tuesday nights at 9/8c on Bravo.