Jill Zarin Fired From New 'RHONY' Show Following Super Bowl Halftime Comments

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime performance sparked intense backlash both leading up to and following his performance. One of the harshest critiques came from former "Real Housewives of New York City" starJill Zarin. Now, she's reportedly been fired from the upcoming E! show, "The Golden Life."

It seems Zarin's tenure with "The Golden Life" is ending before it began, as Variety reports she has been fired from the show. They received a statement from the production company behind the show, Blink49 Studios, confirming the news. The statement began, "In light of recent public comments made by Jill Zarin, Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in 'The Golden Life.’"

They added, "We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values."

Like many people all over the world, Zarin was tuned in for the Super Bowl Halftime Show. However, the former "Real Housewives of New York City" star didn't love what she saw on the stage, which also featured Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. She started in the clip, "So we all agree, I said it before, that it was the worst halftime show ever, and it's 250 years that we're celebrating right now in the United States, and I just don't think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish."

Zarin then said, "And quite frankly, I didn't want to see him grabbing his G-area. I think it was totally inappropriate. You've got all these kids, young kids, watching the Super Bowl, and he doesn't have to be grabbing himself every five seconds. Is he so insecure? Seriously."

She added, "For me, it looked like a political statement because there were literally no white people in the entire thing. I think it was a political statement, and I'm not taking a side one way or another. I just do. I think it was an ICE thing. I just think the NFL sold out, and it's very sad because this is 75 years, and you know, shame. Shame."

The former "RHONY" star also accused Gaga of having had plastic surgery ahead of the performance, saying she didn't recognize the singer. According to her, "And Lady Gaga got a facelift. I didn't recognize her. I literally had to Google her face to see who it was. We all couldn't agree who it was, so that was kind of fun in the middle of halftime. At least it gave me something to do because it was so hard to watch."

Upon hearing the news of Zarin’s firing, fans of “The Real Housewives of New York City” took to social media to react. One person wrote on X, “Jill Zarin getting fired has been long overdue. She is a raging zionist and her behavior in the early seasons of RHONY was despicable, and the things she said were completely racist and Islamophobic. Ramona next, please.”

Someone else said, “Jill Zarin getting herself fired AGAIN is chef’s kiss….” A different X user wrote, “Jill Zarin finally got back on TV after so many years of begging, only to get fired a few days later for being a racist cunt! Lmao.” 

More users chimed in, with one saying, “Jill Zarin getting fired from that show before it even starts is so funny cause all she had to do was shut up, nobody even asked for her opinion.” Naturally, there was also support from the reality star, with at least one person saying firing her was the wrong move. They said, “Haven't they learned from being woke with RHONY?  Jill's opinions are widely held!!”

Andy Cohen, Zarin's former Bravo boss, has weighed in on Zarin twice in recent weeks. First, according to Deadline, he reacted to the news of "The Golden Life." He said, "I’m so excited for them. I texted the ladies yesterday. I think it’s gonna be a great show. I could never root against these women. I absolutely love them. I love them together. So does America. I’m gonna speak for America, and I think it’s gonna be great, and I can’t wait to watch, and I’m happy for them."

Regarding the second time, he weighed in on what she said about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime performance. The Bravo bigwig said in a clip from SiriusXM's "Radio Andy," "And in terms of Jill, just... I don't know. You know, call E!," referring to the new show.

His cohost then noted that former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Taylor Armstrong also shared hateful comments. Cohen then said, "Two people who are not employed by Bravo anymore, so just..."

The E! network announced "The Golden Life" on February 3, with the cast set to feature Zarin, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, and Kelly Bensimon. The show will take place in Palm Beach. Now, following Zarin's reported exit, it's unclear which of the former "Real Housewives of New York City" ladies the network and production company will cast.

Based on reports, the cast will film the new series in the spring, with hopes of it airing before the end of 2026.