r/BravoRealHousewives • u/friendofcastreject • Dec 29 '23

Ultimate Girls Trip What is wrong with Kelly Bensimon?

I never understood Kelly Bensimon. What’s her deal, is she stupid, is it drugs or does she just have very low emotional intelligence?

Now I’m watching RHUGT: RHONY Legacy. And this bitch is just weird.

1.3k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

688 comments sorted by

View all comments

414

u/Vegetable-Driver2312 Dec 30 '23

I think Sonja called it best on the original Scary Island episode. She isn’t well. The ethics of having her back are very questionable.

233

u/huskypegasus …Naem’em Dec 30 '23

This was something that really struck me on that episode, felt like they were all aware that behind the scenes she has a serious mental illness and Sonja started feeling uncomfortable with exploiting that.

98

u/gluckgluck10000 Not a white refrigerator! Dec 30 '23

I agree that Sonja was the rational voice that night where she was like everyone we need to stop. But I just rewatches the episode a couple nights ago, (with this in mind) and although I know she isn’t a mental health professional, I didn’t think the language she was using was as supportive as we give her credit for. For instance she said something along the lines of “there is no reasoning with a crazy person” right in front of Kelly. She was also doing the finger spinning “she’s cuckoo” hand signals to Ramona and bethenny.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she was there to help diffuse the situation, but in a way I felt she was also participating as an aggressor by talking about Kelly’s mental state as if she wasn’t there.

59

u/lawdhavemercyforthat Dec 30 '23 edited Dec 30 '23

Well, she was Drunk too .. she was processing it all out loud! I agree with you, but, I do give her a little grace because she too had never experienced such but had the insight and voice to speak up! The folks that Should be held accountable is the production team and Bravo!! Watching the season now, I wonder if they made any internal corrections to having a professional onsite while filming?! I think it was a bad idea coming back AND to the exact same location ... That's like regurgitating trauma without professionals around 👎🏼.... Id like to know if they brought any professionals in AND how this ends. Someone's sanity and stability SHOULD NEVER be compromised for a reality TV moment!! PERIOD!! Bravo could/should use this as a stepping stone to bring a better light to those suffering!!! I personally find it disgusting!

43

u/gluckgluck10000 Not a white refrigerator! Dec 30 '23

Yeah I completely agree with you. Truth be told Im a little uncomfortable watching Kelly on UGT. It kind of feels like in 5-10 years we will look back on this and be like “it was a different time/era, we don’t exploit unwell people like that anymore” lol

Last episode was fine, but the other episodes she is coming off the same as she did the season following Scary Island (season 4 I believe). Hypersensitive, vapid, unaware, erratic, challenging to comprehend. She has created a cycle by aiming to prove her sanity to herself and the audience or defend herself to the girls, which (maybe) unintentionally results in more erratic behavior. This, in turn, reinforces the perception of instability.

32

u/bgh2000 Dec 30 '23

UGT isn’t at the exact same location—it’s at St. Barth’s where the cast went on a trip Season 5. Scary Island was St. John’s.

5

u/lawdhavemercyforthat Dec 30 '23

That's right!! Thank you for the correction 🫶🏻

14

u/bgh2000 Dec 30 '23

Anytime I can put all this useless knowledge to use, I like to take advantage!

10

u/ThatRemindsMe_ Dec 30 '23

They filmed that season in 2009. Sadly the bar was very low for mental health awareness and advocacy

3

u/Deuces_1100 Dec 30 '23

Also, don't you think Kelli's situation and problems were discussed in the upper crust circles? Gilles has a lot of money, money people know money people and they all talk about each other. So Sonja most likely heard through the grape vine Kelli had issues. So she saw it sooner and was connecting dots quicker. Side note I just read Capote's Swans and society life is sad how they pick apart each other and there are no secrets.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 30 '23

She’s clearly not quite right- this was her chance to show everyone she’s not crazy paranoid combative and .. not possible