The Real Housewives of New York City alum Aviva Drescher is sharing her honest thoughts on Jill Zarin being fired from the spinoff show after her controversial comments about Bad Bunny.
“I think it’s a real reminder to be humble and if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing,” Drescher, 55, wrote during a Thursday, February 12, Instagram Q&A, when asked about Zarin’s departure from the series.
She continued, “I imagine E received a lot of concern from sponsors and had no choice. The whole thing makes me feel sick inside. I was hoping the Golden Life would be funny and a distraction from all of the ugliness in the world. And before you know it — a s*** mess … ”
After Bad Bunny, 31, took the stage for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month, Zarin, 62, took to social media to share her opinion.
“It was the worst halftime show ever,” Zarin said in a since-deleted Instagram video. “I just don’t think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish, and, quite frankly … grabbing his G [groin] area … I think it was totally inappropriate. You’ve got all these young kids watching the Super Bowl, and he doesn’t have to be grabbing himself every five seconds because he’s so insecure. Seriously.”
She added, “I don’t speak Spanish. I would’ve liked to have known the words he was saying. To me, it looked like a political statement, because there were literally no white people in the entire thing. I’m not taking a side, one way or the other … I think it was an ICE thing. I think that the NFL sold out, and it’s very sad.”
Zarin went on to make a comment about Lady Gaga’s appearance after the artist made a cameo during the performance.
“Lady Gaga got a facelift. … I literally had to Google her face to see who it was because we all couldn’t agree who it was,” Zarin claimed. “That was kind of fun in the middle of halftime. At least it gave us something to do because it was so hard to watch.”
Days later, news broke that Zarin was fired from the RHONY reunion series, tentatively titled The Golden Life. (E! confirmed earlier this month that the network would be moving forward with the show, which follows RHONY alums now living in Palm Beach, Florida.)
“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,” read a statement to Us Weekly on February 10.
Dorinda Medley has since joined the series following Zarin’s exit.
“Well, the rumors are true! I will be joining the women on The Golden Life in Palm Beach,” Medley, 61, shared in a statement on Tuesday, February 17. “After decades of friendship, and navigating life’s ups and downs together, it will be nice to reconnect with my ‘sisters.’ I am so excited to celebrate and share the next chapter of our lives!”
