Jill Zarin Gets Another 'Real Housewives' Support Amid Super Bowl Comment Fallout
By Afouda Bamidele on February 16, 2026 at 8:45 PM EST
Jill Zarin is not facing these trying times alone, as her pals are rallying behind her.
The "Real Housewives" alum has some of her former fellow on-screen stars rising to her defense publicly after she was kicked off the "Real Housewives of New York" reboot show, before the cameras started rolling.
Jill Zarin ignited the controversy when she made a social media statement lauding her opinions about Bad Bunny's performance at the Super Bowl Halftime show.
Aviva Drescher Does Not Think Jill Zarin Is Racist
Zarin's former castmate, Aviva Drescher, is addressing the comments made about her following the release of her now-deleted Instagram video about Bad Bunny's performance.
Backlash downpoured as fans reacted, calling Zarin a racist. Drescher's statement is in response to this claim, and she insists her former castmate is not racist even though her commentary came off that way.
Drescher addressed the media sensation's ordeal on "Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel" podcast, giving a little background view into her relationship with Zarin.
"I've known Jill since 2011, since I joined 'Housewives', even though we didn't work together, we became friendly. I've never thought of Jill to be racist, and that was really the thing that stung. That was just the most awful about her tirade," she stated.
The reality TV star added that she would not have done the show with Zarin if she felt any nuance of racism, as she draws a hard line on the topic.
Still addressing the matter, Drescher clarified that she was not defending the remarks her fellow Real Housewife made, but stated that she does not think they came from a place of hate. However, she did not hold back in her thoughts about Zarin's commentary, saying:
"It came off as completely racist, but I don't think she's racist. I don't think it came from a hateful place. It was completely stupid."
Why Was The Reality TV Star Labeled A Racist?
In case you missed it, Zarin posted a video analyzing the rapper's performance where she did not hold back with the criticism. Her words in turn created a firestorm online, which then led to her being kicked off the "Real Housewives" spin-off project.
In the video, she complained that there were no white people in the Puerto Rican artist's performance, slamming it as the worst halftime show ever. "To me, it looked like a political statement because there were literally no white people in the entire thing," she said.
Zarin also complained that she could not understand a word of Bad Bunny's performance, although she would have loved to, since he sang in Spanish. She claimed that the choice of his native language over English was inappropriate.
She took it down from Instagram shortly after the video was posted, but some fans already reposted it on X. Since then, many fans called her out, claiming her statement was racist, and later, news spread that she was fired from E! 's upcoming "RHONHY" reboot show.
Aviva Drescher Was Not The First To Show Support For The 'Real Housewives' Alum
Brandi Glanville previously addressed her pals' firing from the upcoming reunion show, stating that people should not be punished for their opinions.
In her statement shared in a post on X, she credited the rapper for his performance, writing that she enjoyed it, but as much as she did, she acknowledged that some people like Zarin didn't, and everyone is free to have a different opinion.
The Blast shared that the former bravolebrity emphasized that "opinions aren't wrong, they're subjective," explaining that firing her as punishment for having a different opinion was not sending the right message.
"I want to watch Jill on TV explain herself & hopefully learn something. Or we can just keep watching 'yes people' afraid to share," she penned.
Zarin Addressed The Network's Decision
Zarin's contract with E! for the new "RHONY" spin-off, "The Golden Life," was cut off shortly after her controversial video went viral. Being one of the OG Housewives, she took the news of her firing to heart.
The producers announced it in a public statement, which read, "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. We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values," as shared by The Blast.
Zarin claims she acknowledged her fault almost immediately, which was why she took the video down, but E! already threw in the towel on her. "[They] didn't even give me a chance" to rectify the situation.
"I took it down right away. People make mistakes. I'm human," the TV star said. She was also fired ahead of season 5 of "RHONY" in September 2011, so this marks her second axing.
Since Jill Zarin Is Out, Who Is In?
E! has announced that another face will be taking Zarin's place on "The Golden Life" set, which is scheduled to air later in the year. The show was initially set to feature the original cast of "RHONY," Zarin, Sonja Morgan, Luann de Lesseps, and Ramona Singer.
With the latest developments, Zarin is being replaced by Dorinda Medley, who is not a new face to viewers. She starred on the show previously for six seasons, and fans have since anticipated her return.
The Blast noted in a previous release that the network did not intend to share that Medley was stepping up from being a spare cast member immediately. Instead, they hoped to announce her role closer to the show's premiere as they wanted to extend the publicity for the show a little longer.
