Jill Zarin has been axed from E!’s Real Housewives of New York reunion docuseries after blasting Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show for ‘having no white people in’ it.
Zarin, 62, was set to reunite with her RHONY castmates in E!’s upcoming show, The Golden Life, a series which has not yet started filming – but producers have now fired her after her comments sparked worldwide outrage and were branded racist.
‘In light of recent public comments made by Jill Zarin, Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in The Golden Life. We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values,’ the show’s producers, Blink49 Studios, said in a statement obtained by The Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Zarin and Bad Bunny for comment but have not yet heard back.
Zarin has since broken her silence over the firing, insisting she wasn’t given an opportunity to rectify the issue – though notably didn’t actually apologize over the remarks.
‘They didn’t even give me a chance,’ she told In Touch. ‘I took it down right away. People make mistakes. I’m human.’
Bad Bunny – born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – became the first artist to do the half-time show largely in Spanish and his performance was a tribute to his native Puerto Rico, ending with a shout-out to all the American countries – including the United States.
Yet the unifying message failed to win over Zarin, who instead blasted the performance in a since-deleted video, calling it ‘the worst halftime show ever’, claiming it was inappropriate for children watching at home, and insisting Bad Bunny was making a political statement by neglecting to include ‘white people’, despite a prominent cameo by Lady Gaga.
Jill Zarin has been fired from E!’s Real Housewives of New York reunion show after her scathing critique of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show
Bad Bunny became the first artist to perform the Super Bowl halftime show largely in Spanish in a show that toasted his native Puerto Rico
‘It was the worst halftime show ever. I just don’t think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish and, quite frankly … grabbing his G [groin] area,’ Zarin said in the now-deleted clip. ‘I think it was totally inappropriate.’
She continued: ‘You’ve got all these young kids watching the Super Bowl and he doesn’t have to be grabbing himself every five seconds because he’s so insecure. Seriously.’
Zarin went on to criticize the language of the performance and suggested it carried a political message.
‘I don’t speak Spanish, I would’ve liked to have known the words he was saying,’ she said. ‘To me, it looked like a political statement because there were literally no white people in the entire thing. I’m not taking a side, one way or the other…I think it was an ICE thing. I think that the NFL sold out and it’s very sad.’
The backlash was swift and intense, with her former business even condemning her statements.
Zarin Fabrics, the business once operated by the Bravo alum, uploaded an extreme close-up shot of her face, which had been crossed out by a massive red X.
‘Zarin Fabrics stands firmly against racism, discrimination, and rhetoric that seeks to exclude or diminish people based on identity, culture, or background,’ they posted alongside the image on Instagram.
‘We want to be absolutely clear that Jill Zarin has not had ownership of or been associated with Zarin Fabrics for several years. Our company operates independently, and any public statements attributed to her are made in a personal capacity and do not reflect our values, beliefs, or operations.
‘Zarin Fabrics is built on creativity, collaboration, and respect for the diverse communities that shape art, culture, and expression. We condemn language or viewpoints that undermine those principles, and we remain committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment in everything we do. #diversity #culture #smallbusiness #art #fabric.’
Even Zarin’s daughter Ally was a fan of the Bad Bunny show.
‘IMO I loved it [so much],’ she posted to her Instagram Stories on Monday, per Us Weekly. ‘The cinematography was fantastic. It was like they put filter over it it looked like a film.’
The upcoming E! docuseries was set to reunite Zarin (far L) with Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, and Kelly Bensimon
Zarin sparked outrage after she blasted the performance in a since-deleted video, calling it ‘the worst halftime show ever’, claiming it was inappropriate for children watching at home, and insisting Bad Bunny was making a political statement by neglecting to include ‘white people’, despite a cameo by Lady Gaga
The halftime show paid tribute to Bad Bunny’s native Puerto Rico and featured notable celebrity cameos including Cardi B and Pedro Pascal
‘Best halftime show in years. Which honestly is weird to even call it that it was like a true performance with a story line and actors and the direction, lighting everything was perfect.’
Criticism poured into her Instagram comments after the video was uploaded, and Zarin ultimately disabled commenting on her account altogether.
However, her TikTok comments remained open at the time of posting, where viewers continued to call her out.
Among the comments rising to the top were: ‘Jill do you also prefer separate water fountains?’, ‘Was going to watch the new show. Not anymore. That halftime show was AMAZING!’ and ‘Where’d your Super Bowl post go!’
Facing mounting pressure, Zarin ultimately deleted the video – though clips of it continue to circulate online.
The controversy quickly spread beyond Zarin’s own page, with fellow Bravo personalities and viewers chiming in.
The celebratory production sent a unifying statement – one which failed to win over Zarin
Real Housewives alum Tamra Judge reacted bluntly on X, writing: ‘What the actual F*#k.’
The Valley’s Janet Caperna commented, ‘Tell me you’re racist without telling me you’re racist…YIKES!!!’
Meanwhile, Real Housewives of Dubai star Chanel Ayan wrote she was ‘seriously disgusted’ by Zarin’s post.
Bozoma Saint John, who appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, called out Zarin for saying she wasn’t ‘taking a side’ before ‘clearly taking a side.’
‘I, on the other hand, LOVED Benito Bowl … for its beauty, culture, history, and message,’ Saint John wrote.
Others accused Zarin of hypocrisy, pointing out that similar, and even more provocative, performances have long been embraced at the Super Bowl.
‘Shakira and J.Lo shake their a**es on stage, Michael Jackson grabbed himself, women are practically naked and totally fine – and that was all celebrated. But now suddenly everyone’s clutching their pearls?’ one user wrote, referencing Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Michael Jackson.
Zarin inaccurately claimed the show featured ‘no white people’ despite Lady Gaga making a prominent appearance
Zarin faced heavy criticism after she uploaded her tirade
Others defended Bad Bunny’s performance as a positive cultural moment rather than a political provocation.
‘It was a political statement designed to UPLIFT America (including the U.S.) as a whole, offering a message of unity, joy, and love over hate,’ another commenter wrote. ‘So disappointing. I was really looking forward to the new show too.’
Some fans said Zarin’s remarks had turned them off from watching her upcoming docuseries, titled The Golden Life, altogether.
‘I already was doubting whether I’d watch the new RHONY show cause Jill’s thirstiness is very uncomfortable to watch. Now I know I’ll deff won’t be watching,’ one post read.
A second X user wrote: ‘We need a petition to fire Jill Zarin before she even starts filming.’
Others went further, criticizing what they viewed as outdated attitudes.
‘This is why the OG housewives don’t work anymore. No one wants to see out of touch, conservatives on TV,’ another wrote.
Still others pointed to the massive audience for the halftime show, with one fan adding: ‘135 million watched the Bad Bunny show and it was amazing.’
The most severe reactions accused Zarin of racism, with one commenter writing: ‘Shame on Jill Zarin for being an ignorant flaming racist.’
Zarin has not publicly addressed the backlash further, but the fallout has added yet another layer to the already polarizing reaction surrounding Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.
In the wake of the controversy, Zarin’s