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You might think you’re ready for the new season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, but there is no way to prepare for the drama that is on the way. One thing we can prepare for is meeting the 100th Housewife ever, Peggy Sulahian. The Armenian mom of 3 joins the cast of RHOC this season during an already tense year and jumps right into it with the other ladies. So who is this mystery woman? We recently spoke to her and got to know her just a little bit better, as she looks forward to making her Bravo debut.
How’d she get to be a Housewife?
Peggy is friends with Lydia McLaughlin, who is retuning to RHOC this season. The two ladies met though Lydia’s husband Doug, and Peggy’s husband Diko, who owns Giovanna Wheels, which is named after their 19-year-old daughter (they are also parents to Gianelle, 17, and son Koko, 9). And yes, the couples do go on double dates, at least, when they aren’t hanging out at their kids’ birthday parties.
As far as her decision to join the show Peggy says, “It was a the right time. Everything has its place and time, so I think it was just perfect timing, perfect place, and it just worked out well.”
And the reason she may have been so enthusiastic about joining the show? She hasn’t seen a whole lot of it. “It was just like, let’s do this. I don’t put on a front. But as far as the other shows, I have not really looked into it. I’m a housewife to my kids. I’m running like a chicken without a head, sometimes not even a body, just the legs. I’m trying to tackle 10 things at one time like every mom. I really did not have time because it was not my priority, and now that this happened it’s like, I’m showing you what my life is about, and how we manage our household as Armenians. It’s just different for us because it’s a different culture.”
It’s that different culture that Peggy is most excited to put on display; she knows it’s what sets her apart from the other ladies. “I’m excited about being different. Coming into the show and being a different ethnicity, different background, ethics, values, Armenian — what it really is. How close-knit the family is, how the whole family tries to get up and save each other. If somebody’s hurt, we’re all jumping in there. And the whole house is upside down.”
She has drama with every single person on the show this season.
Speaking of things being upside, down, you can expect a lot of that on RHOC this season. When asked how long it took Peggy to realize she was entering a high-tension situation, she responded, “Immediately. Do you want me to be honest? Immediately.”
And while several friendships seem broken beyond repair amongst the OC gals, Peggy admits she had drama with each and every one of the women on the show. “I even had drama within myself. I think everybody is special in their own way, so I cannot say I did not have any drama. But yes, I probably do have drama with every single person. Or they have drama with me in every single way that they can. It’s however you perceive it to be.”
Not that she hasn’t made some friends.
Now, that’s not to say she’s only earned herself enemies. In fact, for her, one of the most pleasant surprises when it comes to participating in the show has been the women themselves. “What has been a nice addition is the girls. Seeing what other people go through, generally how they’re affected by their issues or how they’re dealing with it or what their emotions are like. It’s difficult. Everybody’s got their own issues. And they might not be big things for other people, but they’re big issues for the person. It’s what they’re feeling. Learning to live with it is the hardest part.”
Being a Housewife has also opened Peggy’s eyes. “I thought my life was drama, but it’s not. How crazy it is out there, how you can make it bad or make it worse or go along with it or just go sky high. You don’t know, it’s just crazy.” Also crazy to her? The production schedule. “I didn’t expect how long it is,” she confessed. “They’re still doing the show.”
Her (very) private life is about to get public.
On the show this season, you can expect to learn A LOT about Peggy and her family. She sadly lost her mom at age 51 to breast cancer, and recently underwent a double mastectomy herself after doctors discovered a lump. It’s an issue that affects so many women, we likely all know one, and Peggy will be using her platform to openly discuss breast cancer. “From what I’ve come from, I’ve seen too many — people now are really going out and being open about it — but I’ve been dealing with it basically since the age of 13. I’ve been there, done that, so I want to put out there what I’ve gone through to say that, ‘You’re okay. And there’s nothing to be scared about. It’s a journey. Just conquer it, tackle it, and don’t let it take over your life.’ People just have to relate to it, and there’s a lot of things that you are going to see that are relatable.”
Just like many of the other Housewives we know and love, this means showing the daily interactions with her family, too. “I had put more out there than I normally would as a mom. Being a housewife of three kids and a husband, what I used to do indoor, now it’s outdoor.” And as far as her family’s reaction to all of it? “They used to like me and I think they love me now,” she laughed. “No, it’s the same. Nothing’s changed. I don’t change my aspect and they don’t change how they’re going to be with me. Discipline is always number one with me, and it is how it is.”
Oh, and we’re not the only ones that can’t wait to see her on the show. When she originally signed on, she didn’t bother to mention it to her neighbors. “It’s not something that I publicized. I’m very private. So for me to be doing something like this, it’s really putting everything out there. They’re like, ‘Okay we’re going to watch it because you’re on it.’ Everybody is very concerned about how the family is. What’s the dynamic? Because they want to see the lifestyle. I’ve always kept that private, so now that it’s public, all these people are going to tune in because they just want to see how did all this happen? They’re nosy in a nosy way.”
Peggy’s got perspective.
This isn’t to say Peggy won’t get lost in the petty drama this season, because she will. But at the end of the day, she knows what matters. “Nothing is more fancy than what you have. There’s always a more fancy version of everything. So you can’t always say ‘I want more’. There’s always people that don’t have anything. Don’t think that if you have it today, you will have it tomorrow. But what you will have is your health. If you have your health, that’s luxury itself already. Because without that, you can’t have the material stuff. So you should always give your blessings. You have to know if you don’t have your health, no one is going to give that to you. If your whole family is healthy, that’s luxury to me.”
She went on to say, “People see me and think, ‘Oh the grass is greener on the other side.’ So I just kind of wanted to put everything out there and say: give blessings to what you have now. Don’t complain about anything, because hey, I’m not complaining. And I’m going to put everything out there. You’re going to be shocked. And I could have given up, but I’m still standing. So I want you to stand too. You need to stand. You don’t have a choice. You can do it.”
But the surprising place you won’t find this OC resident standing? The beach. “Sand gets stuck in your feet, so I don’t like sand. The beach is out of the question. You can’t enjoy the ocean when there’s sand,” she said. And even though it’s right out her window, Peggy admitted, “I don’t even look at the ocean.” Perhaps that’s because, at this point, she’s a little busy with other stuff.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Monday night at 9pm on Bravo.
