Marysol Patton became emotional while reflecting on Adriana de Moura’s body-shaming on The Real Housewives of Miami during a discussion at Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea Awards in New York City on Wednesday. Patton and Alexia Nepola revisited the eighth episode of Season 7, when a feud aboard the cast’s yacht escalated into de Moura directing insults toward the women’s bodies, including jabs aimed at their knees.
Nepola said the two were on a separate boat and could not hear every utterance, but she described the moment as ridiculous. Patton said she heard the body-shaming jabs loud and clear, telling the audience that those comments hit hard because viewers once directed similar insults toward her late mother, Elsa Patton. Nepola added that no one should be singled out with disparaging comments and that the show does not condone such behavior, noting that the cast has limited control over what appears on screen. The onstage discussion at the event, which was presented by Tri-State Cadillac and Malibu, touched on the broader impact of body-shaming in reality television.
Patton recalled how the topic resonated personally, saying that her mother, the late Elsa Patton, was subjected to body-shaming in the past and that those memories remain painful. Fellow host Murphy described body-shaming as a low tactic and emphasized the respect fans have for Patton and Elsa. The discussion underscored how viewers respond with support for Patton and her family, even as the moment highlighted ongoing challenges around appearance-focused criticism in the culture around reality TV.
The two RHOM veterans were honored at the inaugural Virtual Reali-Tea Awards with the Golden Kettle Award, described by organizers as the show’s lifetime-achievement honor for reality television figures who helped shape the genre. The moment served as a reflection on Patton and Nepola’s long tenure with the franchise and on the enduring connection between cast members and their audience.
Marysol Patton and Alexia Nepola first joined The Real Housewives of Miami in 2011 and remained with the series through 2013. The show was put on pause and later revived in 2021, returning first on Peacock before moving back to Bravo. The Golden Kettle award at the Virtual Reali-Tea event highlighted their status as original cast members who helped establish the franchise, and it reaffirmed the show’s ongoing relevance in the reality-TV landscape.
