Gizelle Bryant (Image source: Instagram – @gizellebryant)
Most reality TV fans already know that “The Real Housewives” franchise is not a paragon of virtue. Millions of people subscribe to the series to be amused by drama, chaos and high jinks.
There are times, however, when its stars cross the threshold of decency that is even unacceptable to fans.
Take longtime “Real Housewives of Potomac” cast member Gizelle Bryant as an example. During her visit to the appropriately titled “Reasonably Shady” podcast, the lightning rod was recounting the Jussie Smollett fake homophobic beating in 2019 when she uttered a homophobic slur.
“So what he did was, in case you guys don’t remember, was he staged a hate crime. So they were supposed to put a noose around his neck, they were supposed to call him f—– or something, or gay ‘Empire’ boy or something like that.’”
gizelle bryant saying the F slur on her podcast is everything i needed today pic.twitter.com/3PoM9MIkcP
— yolanda fister (@yolandafister) April 3, 2023
Fans believe that saying the gay slur was gratuitous and took off after the ex-wife of Pastor Jamal Bryant.
One Twitter user surmised succinctly: “What a disgusting woman.”
Another user offered: “At this point, Gizelle’s level of arrogance has skyrocketed. Being that they have been the center of controversy since this past season of #rhop , you would think she would be very careful with her words and what she ‘report’ on her podcast. Disgusting. Even to repeat It.”
A third respondent also said the host of the podcast was equally “disgusting” for not checking Bryant when she let that word tumble off her lips.
“At a time where LGBTQ2+ hate is on the rise in your country and around the world,@GizelleBryant must be made accountable for using a gay slur with such ease. And for @RobynDixonRHOP to co sign it by not speaking up is equally as disgusting.”
Amid the calling for Bryant’s head, there were a few defenders who said they understood what Bryant was trying to say:
I must be in the bizarroverse, because I am actually going to DEFEND #GizelleBryant. She was repeating what was said to have happened. She didn’t use the “f”-word in a way to demean or belittle gay men.
She was recounting the things that she had heard, and things that were…
— Dr. C. Blake (@StargazerC38) April 5, 2023
