Michelle Blanchard has lashed out at fellow Real Housewives of Auckland star Julia Sloane over an alleged racist slur coming up on Tuesday night’s episode, saying “she just doesn’t want to own what has come out of her mouth.”
In the controversial episode, Michelle is referred to as a “boat n—–” by Julia, while the stars of the Bravo reality TV series are on a luxury yacht in Port Douglas.
The fallout makes for a dramatic episode – including Michelle allegedly throwing champagne in Julia’s face and plenty of tears – but after apologies from Julia, there is a tense resolution by the end of the show.
The Housewives set off on a girls’ getaway to Port Douglas in last week’s episode.
After seeing the explosive episode, Julia hired her own PR expert, and released a further apology to the Herald on Sunday, saying, “While in Port Douglas filming for Real Housewives of Auckland I made an off-camera and off-the-cuff inappropriate comment which caused hurt to Michelle. I wasn’t thinking.
“I made a mistake and I have apologised to Michelle for my remark. There is no excuse for using offensive words under any circumstances and I have learned from this foolish mistake. I have put this distressing experience behind me and am moving on.”
Her husband Michael Lorimer is reported to have told the Herald on Sunday that the “boat n—–” remark was one he and his wife used occasionally in a tongue-in-cheek way when sailing, and it wasn’t intended to be racist.
Julia has since released an apology for her “off-the-cuff inappropriate comment” to Michelle.
Reportedly, Julia and Michael engaged lawyers in the hope of getting the episode edited, but the housewives have signed a contract that precludes them from editorial control.
When Michelle was made aware of the Herald on Sunday story in an interview with The Spinoff, she said, “See this is the problem – she just doesn’t want to own what has come out of her mouth. I have no problem with Julia – I want to make that clear. We have a professional working relationship.
“However, she said it. It came out of her mouth. So she needs to own it. Don’t blame it on anybody else or make it out to be a light-hearted comment that you jokingly use, because you know what? It is not a light-hearted comment. It’s an offensive comment.”
Michelle says she has a “professional working relationship” with co-star Julia.
Michelle, who is British, and whose mother is originally from Jamaica, says she has never been insulted in this way before.
“In England, or New Zealand for 18 years, no one’s ever called me that,” she reveals on Real Housewives of Auckland.
Michelle says, “I just hope people who watch it realise that using that term is not acceptable.”
The Real Housewives of Auckland airs at 8.30pm every Tuesday on Bravo
