Stephanie Hollman Admits She Was Suprised Brandi Redmond Returned for 'RHOD' Season Five

Twitter | Stephanie Hollman

Stephanie Hollman wasn't sure if Brandi Redmond would return to "The Real Housewives of Dallas" following a video scandal in 2020 in which the longtime reality star was seen seemingly poking fun at Asians.

During an interview withEntertainment Tonight earlier this month, Hollman shared her thoughts on Redmond's status after the scandal, admitting that after watching her friend go through an extremely challenging time, she doubted whether she'd be up for filming on season five so soon after the controversy.

"I was surprised she came back this year at some points, because she struggled with it," Hollman revealed on February 9. "Like, do I come back? Do I walk away? It's a hard thing, I think, for her to put out there, and she knew it would bring up a lot of things and it was a tough decision for her to make to come back."

Following the scandal, Redmond admitted to experiencing suicidal thoughts and checked herself into a wellness center in hopes of getting back to a healthy place mentally.

According to Hollman, she's not sure if Redmond was always happy with her decision to return to "The Real Housewives of Dallas" amid filming last year but believes she was happy to have the opportunity to confront the scandal head on and show viewers she was truly sorry for what happened.

"I don't know if she’s always glad she did, but I think she's glad she stared it in the face and was at least able to apologize to the audience and people she offended," Hollman shared.

"For Brandi, it was something that for some reason I guess she thought she was making a joke," she continued. "It was just a really stupid decision that she did and she has to live with the consequences, and she has to apologize and make things right and learn from it and grow from it. But I think intent matters in the world, I really do, and it wasn’t done with hate in her heart and it wasn’t done to be mean to somebody."

Although Redmond angered many with her Asian video last year, Hollman is confident that Redmond is doing what she can to be better in the future. 

"Brandi went and sought help, and she is trying to be a better person," Hollman revealed. "She is really trying to learn, and I think people will see that throughout the season. It wasn't just her throwing up a blanket apology. She is making choices in her life to really better herself and move forward in a better way."

To see more of Hollman, Redmond, and their cast mates, don't miss new episodes of "The Real Housewives of Dallas" season five on Tuesday nights at 9/8c on Bravo.