When the VH1 series Basketball Wives began, it turned reality television on its head. Getting a sneak peek into the lives of the wives and girlfriends of high-profile athletes was something reality TV hadn’t seen before. The early seasons were rich with entertainment, from Evelyn Lozada and Jennifer Williams’ feud, which led to the infamous slap in Season 4, to the “St Louis” incident where Tami Roman got into a physical altercation with Meeka Claxton. However, as the seasons drag on and on, it’s becoming more apparent that Basketball Wives is becoming infected with the same problems as the Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Both shows are plagued by divided casts and long-lasting feuds that are so deep and complex that there is no path forward for reconciliation. It’s gotten so blatantly obvious that none of the ladies are actually friends. Everyone loves a little fight here and there, but at some point, the producers need to remember the original premise of the shows.
The ‘Basketball Wives’ Producers Are Searching For Storylines In the Wrong Places
It’s getting quite obvious that producers are going to extreme lengths to find storylines for the show. This past season, Lozada hired a private detective to investigate cast mate Jackie Christie, revealing to the other cast members that Christie was convicted of solicitation during the Reagan administration. Yes, Lozada has every right to have beef with Christie after she insulted her daughter. Christie spread a vicious rumor related to Lozada’s daughter on national television, saying “180 days in prison for sucking d-, and you got the nerve to be talking about someone else’s life. But even so, what is production doing here? Christie was in the wrong, but bringing up an incident from so long ago for a storyline is going too far.
What was even worse was Christie’s response to finding out that Lozada was digging dirt on her. She accused her of engaging in beastiality, saying “I heard from a little birdie that a certain individual — well, let me just say it, Evelyn… she’s had some climactic moments with dogs, cats and anything of the like. Beastiality is her thing. Oops.” Accusations as deep and hurtful as this are pretty much impossible to come back from. No friends would ever do that to each other. A few episodes later, they forgive each other, but it’s obviously just for the sake of the show.
Related
Shaunie O’Neal Was Wise to Keep Her Personal Life Off of ‘Basketball Wives’
Shaunie O’Neal’s reveals in her new memoir that she may have never loved her ex-husband Shaq. It’s no surprise that she kept her truth away from BBW.
The cast members all hate each other, and this became obvious when the women almost had a brawl at a women’s empowerment event (ironically) where state senators were present. If the women can’t even be cordial at a women’s empowerment event, how are they supposed to ever get along? The group activities feel forced and often end with some sort of altercation, and don’t even connect to the theme of the show. This is where you can really start to draw similarities with what’s happened on Real Housewives of New Jersey.
‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Is Infected With the Same Problems
On Season 14 of Real Housewives of New Jersey, we saw the Gorga vs Giudices feud reach a whole new level. Teresa Giudice’s marriage to Luis “Louie” Ruelas is at the center of the family drama. After Teresa’s lavish wedding to Luis, tensions reached new heights, particularly regarding Teresa’s decision not to include her brother Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga in her bridal party. Frankly, she didn’t invite them to the wedding at all. Teresa explained that she didn’t include them in the wedding because she didn’t feel supported by Melissa and Joe during a difficult time in her life. Melissa and Joe, on the other hand, were hurt by the decision and felt excluded, which only deepened the family divide. This led to a season of explosive confrontations and deep feelings of betrayal and hurt on both sides.
The Giudice vs Gorga feud has been at the crux of many seasons of RHONJ, and, quite frankly, it’s now at the point where no reconciliation can be made. It’s been the main storyline for too long, and has now impacted the entire group, as the other women become involved in the fallout. Bravo even had to cancel the Season 14 reunion because they even knew that no “reuniting” could be done. The series has been put on “pause” because the conflict has gotten so bad the ladies can’t film with each other. I’m not even sure why the producers are even considering bringing the cast back. We need a whole new group of ladies ASAP to bring the show back to what it used to be.
Unfortunately, whats happening with RHONJ is exactly what’s happening on Basketball Wives. The drama is no longer entertaining if the women can’t even stand to be around each other. Too many people have gone below the belt and friendships have been destroyed forever. The producers need to scrap bringing in storylines which are years old, reboot the cast before the damage is done, and remember the original premise of the shows.
Stream Basketball Wives on Paramount Plus.
