“Selling Sunset” stars Mary and Romain Bonnet may be bought on Bethenny Frankel’s concept of a actuality stars union.
“We’re not protected like everyone else is. Even all of our manufacturing staff, they’re union. They’re like, ‘No, you guys are actual property brokers. This is actuality. So that’s not your precise job, you’re not an actor,’” Mary advised Variety on Friday night time on the Pencils of Promise Pre-Gala Charity occasion. The non-public fundraiser occurred at motivational speaker and philanthropist Natasha Graziano’s house in Bel Air.
“Reality wasn’t a factor. Now it’s a giant factor. We have awards reveals for it,” Mary stated. “It simply is smart, although, as a result of actuality has taken over.”
Variety first reported Frankel’s name to motion for a actuality stars to unionize final week. The former “Real Housewives of New York” star stated she was impressed to talk out by theSAG-Aftra and writers strike. Like guild members, Frankel believes unscripted celebrities ought to obtain funds just like performance-based residuals when their hit reveals get performed by networks and streamers.
Mary (née Fitzgerald) has been a member of the SAG for a minimum of twenty years. She joined the guild after starring as a “sizzling tub lady” in a Vegas.com industrial over 20 years in the past.
“I fell into it as a result of I used to be very poor and I wanted cash. Somehow I received SAG eligible. So I’ve simply paid my dues and saved it this entire time, as a result of I used to be like, you by no means know. I’ve by no means needed to be an actress. I simply wanted cash on the time,” she revealed.
But even being a member of SAG, Mary admits she doesn’t obtain the entire advantages that include it resulting from being a actuality star.
“I’m a part of SAG, and I can’t even get insurance coverage by SAG, as a result of we’re paid outdoors of it. So I pay all of the dues, and I don’t make any cash by that. I simply pay,” she shared.
The couple spoke to Variety after they donated a beneficiant determine to the Pencils of Promise Foundation to assist buddy Graziano construct one other college with the group.
Graziano serves on the advisory board for Pencils of Promise with a purpose to assist them of their mission to ship training to underserved communities all through the globe. They just lately constructed their first college by in Guatemala and so they’re hoping to interrupt floor on their second college inside the subsequent 12 months.
“We’re serving to children to go to highschool and have correct menstrual hygiene, and have the ability to reside a life that they wouldn’t have,” Graziano advised Variety. These children don’t even have lunch. They drink from river water. I knew I used to be doing the precise factor. I knew I needed to do one thing alongside another people who would additionally have an effect on a change on the planet.”
