by Gina Scarpa

 

This season on The Real Housewives of Orange County, there's a new addition to the cast, Lydia McLaughlin. Together with her husband Doug, they run Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine and she's also is the owner of Lydia M Jewelry and SKYLAB Modern Art. As if that doesn't keep her busy enough, she has two little boys, Stirling and Maverick, and she seems to be able to do and have it all with ease. Though Lydia is new to the group, she's quickly learning about the issues that run deep between the housewives. Today, she talked to RealityWanted and reporters in a conference call about joining the show and her relationships with the other women.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Obviously, you knew a little bit about the issues between Alexis and the other women but did you realize just how deep the drama went?
A. Lydia: No, can you say "deer in headlights"?! She had said the girls didn't like her and I've seen people not like each other but it never ends with "get the f out" and "please don't hit me". I think you'll see tonight, I try to get to the bottom of it. Usually when there's a conflict, there's usually a reason. It's hard to get to the bottom of exactly what happened, why they all kind of can't stand each other.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: It's interesting that you're now friends with Tamra and Heather, but not Gretchen. What do you like about those two?
A. Lydia: I like that they're genuine and that who they are is who they are. You know what you're going to get with them. They're authentic. If they have an issue, they'd say it to me. They don't twist my words.

 

Q. Why did you want to join the show?
A. Lydia: I actually wasn't interested in joining, to be totally honest. I got a phone call asking if I wanted to do it and I said no. I told my husband, "This is so funny, I got this phone call," and he said, "Well, maybe you should take the meeting and see what this is all about." I saw that I could just be myself and I didn't have to flip tables and throw wine.

 

Q. What has your husband thought of you being on the show thus far?
A. Lydia: My husband is super supportive, he loves me, and I think he's really proud. There have been a couple times when he could hear me across a party and I'm saying, "Screw you!" He was like, "There's no turning back now!" It's been an interesting experience, but a good one, and I think it's brought us closer.

 

Q. Gretchen and Slade have gotten engaged. What do you make of him?
A. Lydia: Slade and I definitely aren't the greatest of friends, which you'll see this season. We have some words. They love each other and support each other, so I'm excited they're getting married. I hadn't heard about their engagement, except through the press, but they seem really happy.

 

Q. How did you handle the conflict with Heather and why did you think Lisa Vanderpump was a better fit for the cover?
A. Lydia: It's actually the five year anniversary of the magazine this month. There are many people who decide who goes on the cover, who gets featured, how many pages they get. Lisa has worked with our magazine since day one, she's been a contributor and a huge supporter. She's basically written an article in every issue since the beginning. It was a no-brainer to put her on the cover. A year and a half later, when we approached Heather, I approached her as a home feature. I was looking for a four page architectural spread. I didn't think it was odd of Heather to ask for the cover at all, it just didn't make sense for us. We had already had a Real Housewife on the cover, and Heather hadn't been involved with us before. Actually, they ended up approaching us and they're in this issue. It's a beautiful story about their home, she's got some lovely pictures, and it was great to work with her. It had a happy ending.

 

Q. Of all the women, who are you closest with and who can't you trust?
A. Lydia: I'm close with several of the ladies, that's a hard question for me. I think I've made some friends. I called Tamra after some episodes to get some advice from her, because she's dealt with some of this before. I feel like she's a genuine friend. I also really like Alexis and Heather, and I've hung out with Alexis off camera. I consider her a true, genuine friend. I'm not that close with Gretchen. I feel like it's hard for me to trust her. We'll have some conversation where I think things are one way and then I read her blog, and it's the exact opposite of what we talked about.

 

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa