Comedian Amy Phillips made a career out of imitating the Real Housewives. However, some of the women are less than thrilled about her impersonations.
Amy is the host of SiriusXM’s Reality Checked, and she experienced a run-in with another SiriusXM host, Bethenny Frankel (an OG from Real Housewives of New York).
In an interview with We Should Talk, the comedian revealed some reactions she received from the Bravo stars. Bethenny’s was perhaps the least welcoming. Amy said, “Bethenny didn’t really… I don’t know what she thinks of my impression. I think she seems kind of hot and cold on it. She’s never really celebrated it and has been pretty mute about it. You know what I’m saying? When that happens — and I know they’ve seen it — I assume they do not like it.”
“I did this video where I was like — I’ve never told anyone this story, by the way — washing your hands like all the Housewives in quarantine. She messaged me and was like, ‘Focus on the cause,’ or something. Basically, she admonished me for doing that video during that time of the pandemic when people were dying (and still are, by the way). She was like, ‘There’s no room for this.’”
Amy then explained her response: “I was like, ‘I am focusing on the cause. I’m a comedian. I bring entertainment to people — that’s what I do. Also, I’m talking about your foundation on my show and how people can give, like, every day.’ I never heard back from her. I just felt slapped by her. I was like, ‘Oh, my God! I hold you in such high regard, and you’re such a great Housewife, but now, here we are.’ I think that probably she’s not a fan of mine anymore because of that.”
However, not all of Amy’s encounters were bad. She said, “[Ramona Singer] was really right there on the ground floor with me being like, ‘I love this impression. Let’s go on Watch What Happens Live, and you can be Ramona, and I can be Ramona, and we can be Ramonas together!’ She was very supportive.”
Amy believes her impersonations come from a good place, saying, “From the beginning, I just went the route of ‘I want to celebrate these ladies.’ When I do impressions of them, I don’t always succeed in terms of my vision or intention sometimes. My intention is to try and celebrate. I don’t necessarily want to embellish or exaggerate something mean about them.”
The comedian also named the Housewives who welcomed her the most. “The Ramona Singers, the Heather Dubrows, [Lisa] Rinna, Vicki [Gunvalson],” she said. “Those are the ones, old school, that have been there for a long time, that have been seeing my impressions for years, that have embraced it and that I have that connection with.”
Photos Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo, Kristin Callahan/ACE PICTURES/INSTARimages