‘Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip’ Stars Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan & Kristen Taekman On Whether Or Not Luann De Lesseps Slept With The Pirate: “Probably A Little Hanky Panky”

Just as the winter months are rolling in, Peacock is making sure its audience stays warm and entertained with Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Season 4. Returning to St. Barths are some of the Real Housewives Of New York‘s most iconic alum including Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan and Kristen Taekman. While we’ve seen Medley (Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club) and Morgan (Luann & Sonja: Welcome To Crappie Lake) on our screens recently, Taekman, who has been living it up in Calabasas, California, hasn’t been on Bravo since 2015.

While she has been accused by fellow cast member Kelly Bensimon of being a “fan,” Taekman freely admits that she is a lover of Bravo. “It’s a fun network,” Taekman explains. She adds: “I got the call to do the show at the same house in St. Barths that RHONY filmed in Season 5.” “They told me that I should watch those episodes before going on the trip, so I did.” Forever loyal—despite whatever differences they may have on the show—Medley backed up her longtime friend. “Kristen’s a planner. She’s the type of person that puts labels on her Lunchables,” said Medley helpfully. Always one to speak her mind, Morgan added: “I don’t know that Kelly put much thought into it.”

The secret to these women’s success and longevity? First of all, authenticity. “When you’re a good housewife, you are no different on camera or off camera,” claimed Medley. “What you see is what you get.” Another factor is that Bravoholics are endlessly curious about these women and their fascinating lives. “Fans want to know what’s going on with us,” Morgan said simply. “They want to watch us have a good time.”

Over Zoom, we got the chance to speak with the powerhouse trio about the surprising connections they made at BravoCon, their connection to each other, and whether Luann de Lesseps slept with the pirate all those years ago.

DECIDER: It was so nice to see you three out and about at BravoCon. Did you make any surprising connections with other Bravolebrities?

SONJA MORGAN: I made a connection with one of the new RHONY housewives, Brynn [Whitfield]. I had no idea who she was because I don’t watch the show. I just knew Andy Cohen had wanted me to meet her. As one of the new wives, she’s a huge fan of the first wives like myself.

DORINDA MEDLEY: I connected a lot with the girls from Salt Lake, which I was very surprised by. I didn’t realize that Whitney Rose was a big fan of mine. I really had fun with her. She’s just as beautiful on the show as she is in real life. I also had a lot of fun with Ubah [Hassan] from the new RHONY. She’s fun. She’s playful. She’s energetic. I really enjoyed her.

KRISTEN TAEKMAN: I actually met Ubah too while we were both checking in together. She’s lovely. We also have a lot of friends in common, which we were surprised about. Actually, I just had fun hanging out with our girls. Kelly and I hung out a lot, which was nice. It was fun to be with her and not be filming.

I’m honestly surprised to hear you say that about Kelly, given that she’s been coming at you and calling you a “fan” and a “host” this season.

KT: Yeah, I don’t know. That came out of nowhere. We haven’t seen the last three episodes yet, so I’m interested to watch how it all unraveled between us. Dorinda said this too, but I think it’s been established with the girls that I’m just more of a planner. I got the call to do the show at the same house in St. Barths that RHONY filmed in Season 5. They told me that I should watch those episodes before going on the trip, so I did.

I like to do research. I didn’t go back and watch every season ever, but I watch Bravo. It’s always on in the background of my house, and Kelly clearly doesn’t. So, I knew a lot of things about places where I hadn’t been or events that happened long after I wasn’t on the show anymore. I mean, my very good friend Brandi was on RHUGT Season 2 at Blue Stone Manor. Of course, I watched Brandi [Glanville]. Plus, I know Dorinda. I’ve even been to Blue Stone! You can call it being a fan, but I think that’s ridiculous. Though, I do love Bravo. It’s a fun network, and I enjoy watching shows.

DM: Watching those shows helped you, I think. I see that it was a way for you to re-familiarize yourself and get back into that mindset of filming.

KT: Exactly.

DM: You hadn’t filmed in 8 years. I got that you were just preparing yourself. I mean, Kristen’s a planner. She’s the type of person that puts labels on her Lunchables.

SM: I don’t know that Kelly put much thought into it.

Dorinda, you were also the only cast member to reach out to Kristen when she experienced a marital hiccup back in 2015. What inspired you to reach out to Kristen during that time? Kristen, were you happy to hear from her?

DM: When you are going through something difficult, the last thing you want to feel is abandoned. I know from personal experience. In Kristen’s situation, I knew I couldn’t do anything, but I wanted to let her know I was thinking of her. I wanted to acknowledge that she was going through something and let her know that I was here if she needed someone to call. I felt like it was necessary.

KT: It’s just who Dorinda is. She’s there when you need her. She didn’t even think about it; she just reached out. She’s loving and caring and supportive. I was touched that she reached out.

SM: Absolutely. You know if you need Dorinda, she’s there, but she’s not going get into your business unless you want to share.

KT: Unless you pull her tail [laughs]. Kidding!

DM: Don’t poke the bear [laughs].

Sonja, you had a moment during the first lunch where you open up about why you distance yourself from people when you’re going through something tough. Given everyone’s rush to embrace and comfort you, will you rethink this behavior pattern in the future?

SM: No. At this point, the girls have been friends with me, what, 30 years, 20 years. That’s not going to change. I don’t like to air my dirty laundry. I’m very independent like Dorinda. She’s a Sagittarius and an introvert at times. She understands me the best when it comes to keeping my stuff to myself. We can both be very extroverted when we’re with people, but then we need to go back into our caves and take care of our own selves, our homes, our family, and the very, very close people that support us on a daily basis.

DM: I’m a nester, but most people don’t realize that Sonja is also a nester. If Sonja had her way, she would be in her townhouse, gardening, puttering around the house, doing arts and crafts, and doing her charitable work. It’s because we both have a Scorpio rising that we nest. I’m very social, but I’m better one-on-one. That’s why I love Blue Stone Manor so much. I go back there and reenergize.

SM: I think my emotional side came out because I don’t want my friends to think that I don’t know they’re there for me. I know they’re there for me. When my dog was hit by a car, Luann was there in a minute to help me. If I need to go talk to Dorinda about what’s going on with my divorce, she’s there for me. They’ve all been there for me with this freaking townhouse [laughs], which is a whole other character on the show. When I need Ramona [Singer], she’s nurtures me and feeds me and does yoga with me. I know they’ve got my back.

It’s been so fun to watch the group bond again and stir up trouble in St. Barths. I want you three to weigh in on this pressing question: did Luann sleep with the pirate the first time around?

SM: Absolutely. Why wouldn’t you? You’re in St. Barths. What do you think? You go there to file your nails?

DM: I don’t know if they slept together. I think Luann’s pretty honest. Luann’s not someone that’s going to shy away from talking about that stuff.

SM: But she was with Jacques at the time and she got busted.

KT: I agree. I think she would’ve just come out and told us if she had slept with him. I don’t think she’s got anything to hide after all these years. I think she would’ve told us if she did. Probably a little hanky panky, but they didn’t seal the deal.

SM: You know me, I just want the real deal. I don’t want hanky panky. I’ve got no time for that shit.

Is it hard to go back into filming-mode when you’ve been off the Housewives franchise for a minute? Or is it easy to slip back in and be vulnerable, in addition to partying and having a good time?

DM: No, I think that it’s who we are. When you’re a good housewife, you are no different on camera or off camera. What you see is what you get. I’m really not very much different in real life. Sonja’s not different in real life. Ramona is not different in real life. Kristen’s not different in real life. I had lunch with Luann yesterday, and I was sitting there thinking this could be a housewife scene. That’s why the audience, A, fell in love with us in the first place and B, falls back in love with us. They’re like, oh, there’s Dorinda. Oh yeah there’s Sonja. You know what I mean?

SM: Fans want to know what’s going on with us. They want to know how we get through trials and tribulations. They want to watch us have a good time.

DM: We don’t come in with an agenda. The cameras come on and then we start; the cameras go off and then we’re done. I don’t really think I’ve ever felt like someone came in with an agenda. That’s just not who we are.

SM: Oh, I disagree with that. There’s a few housewives in the past that I thought were totally fake. Totally bullshit. And the fans decided who they were.

DM: Was I on with any of them?

SM: I can’t remember because I don’t watch every episode. There were some people I thought that came on the show pretending to be something that they weren’t and the viewers were able to figure that out.

KT: I also think that’s what’s so special about New York women, in my experience. I think a lot of the other franchises feature women who have those agendas. New York girls usually don’t.

SM: Well, I’m talking about New York girls.

DM: I’m curious. I think I know who you’re talking about.

I wish we could discuss this all day, but my time’s almost up. I did want to end by asking: are Luann’s Eggs a la Francaise are good as they look?

SM: They’re very French, light, fluffy.

KT: I say yes [laughs]!

DM: I mean, they’re delicious. They’re fancy scrambled eggs.

SM: Trick is to cook ’em slow. You know Americans do things very quickly. The French know a good fluffy egg has to be done on low heat and with patience.

DM: In all the years she’s made them for us, they’re always good. They have a custardy consistence.