Isaac Mizrahi Said He Was 'Glad' Julia Threw A Drink On Guerdy

BravoCon 2023 — Source: Mindy Small / Getty

Just when we thought eugenic dog whistles were all we had to worry about, Isaac Mizrahi said he was glad Julia Lemigova tossed a glass of water in Guerdy Abraira’s face on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live.

“I’m so glad you threw that water at that lady,” he told Lemigova after The Real Housewives of Miami star gave a public apology. “I liked her, but otherwise, what would the season be?”

Not only did he condone the action, he stripped Abraira of her name! It was like she was barely a person.

Andy Cohen said Mizrahi’s comment was “not the best take.” “I don’t like a drink toss, on any level, on any show,” Cohen clarified, to his credit.

Typically, Mizrahi was not met with widespread outrage because violence against Black women is a joke. Black women are victimized at a higher rate, and people are numb to it. There has been more mainstream press about Mizahri making out with Kevin Spacey and designing Rachel Zoe’s wedding dress than these statements. Even as a recent cancer survivor, Abraira was not met with the empathy she deserves for being physically attacked by her castmates or the public.

We watched this woman go through chemo, and it still was not enough for her to receive grace.

It’s hard to imagine the reception would be the same if Abraira threw a drink on Lemigova.

The Floating Backstory

Lemigova and Abraira started the season with tension due to a misunderstanding about a cruise itinerary. It served the low stakes drama fans live for and was just juicy enough to cause raised voices, but not dark enough to ruin lives. This shouldn’t have erupted into violence.

Abraira tried to speak her truth, and Lemigova tried to shut it down with a glass of H20. She picked up a glass of water and tossed it at someone at Marysol’s wedding party.

Lemigova threw that drink with fury. Her rage was intense. She doused other housewives too. The reactions did not match her actions.

Throwing water in somebody’s face is assault, but it was not treated that way on the show.

Somehow, The Real Housewives of Miami cast was more concerned with Abraira showing screenshots.

The Moving Target

Abraira chose to air out Lemigova at an event she had control over. She hosted a celebration of life party to commemorate her surviving through breast cancer treatment. She selected this venue to spill text message receipts against Lemigova.

Her castmates refused to listen at the wedding party, so she waited until she (thought) she had their full attention.

They turned their backs and left the party. But they sat with Lemigova after she assaulted Abraira! There was a refusal to read the text messages. They called Abraira’s actions “disgusting.” Marysol compared Abraira’s action to Carrie dumping pig’s blood on the prom queen. Castmates implied she made light of cancer but they watched her, a recent cancer survivor, get assaulted and didn’t stick up for her!

They didn’t ask Abraira if she was still immunocompromised after the therapies she went through. No one expressed concern for how the stress of being assaulted on television might impact her body. The focus remained on her response to the harm, not the harm itself.

When a Black woman is saying something people want to ignore they focus on how she is saying it. There’s never a convenient time to speak your truth to someone who doesn’t want to hear it.

When newcomer Stephanie Shojaee tried to stay neutral and hear Abraira’s side, she was accosted by the cast. They were so determined to isolate Abraira, that they couldn’t believe someone might want to hear both sides.

Alexia Nepola accused Shojaee of trying to kiss Abraira’s ass for just hearing her side.

No one was accused of kissing Lemigova’s ass for sticking by her side after she assaulted Abraira and even got some of them caught in the crossfire. They let that go and focused on their dislike for Abraira.

Alexia told Abraira that her releasing Lemigova’s texts made her feel like she could do that to any of the other women, but she didn’t say that when Lemigova assaulted Abraira. None of the cast stated that they felt like the woman they watched commit assault could do that to them.

The Benefit Of The Doubt

The cast is allowed not to like Abraira. Half of the fun of watching these shows is the tension between cast mates. Dislike shouldn’t equate to downplaying harm.

Lemigova reentered the party to ask Abraira why she chose to post the receipts and implied that she was aggressive. “Get your fingers away from my face like you usually do,” said Lemigova.

Even after Lemigova assaulted Abraira, she knew she could paint her as the aggressive one.

But it was Lemigova who put her hands in Abraira’s face at Marysol’s wedding party. She lunged across the table at her more than once. She followed Abraira around the room. No one who criticized the screenshots protected Abraira at the moment. Afterwards, Larsa Pippen told Lemigova she shouldn’t throw water on people, but she didn’t flee the party.

Apparently, Lemigova’s actions were not disgusting enough to cause a coordinated walk-out.

No one claimed to be afraid of Lemigova. It was clear it was considered the safe side to be on, just like it was clear that it was safe for Isaac Mizrahi to be publicly thankful to Lemigova for throwing the water for the plot.

Even if it went left later, the consequences would likely be slim because when Black women are harmed they usually are.

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