Side Dish: More with Lisa Rinna

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Episode Title: Side Dish: More with Lisa Rinna
Release Date: February 26, 2026
Location: Coral Tree Cafe, Brentwood, Los Angeles

Main Theme

This "Side Dish" episode spotlights Lisa Rinna, known for her bold career moves from soap operas ("Days of Our Lives") and prime-time hits ("Melrose Place") to iconic reality TV ("Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "The Traitors"). Over salads, Jesse and Lisa dive into career longevity, reinvention, reality TV psychology, facing public scrutiny, and her new memoir.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Red Carpet Reinvention & Joan Rivers’ Legacy

• Replacing Joan Rivers: Lisa discusses the surreal experience of replacing Joan Rivers as TV Guide’s red carpet host.
  • Lisa Rinna [03:44]: "That's always weird to replace someone."
  • Lisa Rinna [03:47]: “Yeah, that was weird, but it's a job, honey.”
  • Lisa reflects that although she took the gig, "I never filled [Joan's] shoes. I just did it."
  • The odd pairing of herself and Joey Fatone as co-hosts, leading to their likenesses being made into M&Ms.
  • On viral fame: Lisa Rinna [04:34]: "I did that 15 years ago. Like, all of a sudden it had life again… I can't figure the Internet out. It's just crazy."
• Memorable Moment: The M&Ms version of Lisa and Joey resurfaces as a meme years later, emphasizing how unpredictable pop culture can be.

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2. No-Regrets Career Philosophy

• Lisa expresses a forward-moving attitude toward her varied career choices.
  • Lisa Rinna [05:13]: "No, I don’t regret anything... I’m not a regretter. I make my own bed. I sleep in it."
• In her memoir, she takes responsibility for her actions on "Housewives," aiming to provide her own perspective.
  • Lisa Rinna [05:47]: "Everyone else has had their time to tell their point of view. This is my point of view."

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3. Reality TV—Bond, Trauma, and Strategy

• Housewives Kinship & "The Traitors":

  • Lisa describes an “unspoken bond” between all Housewives, even across cities and franchises.
  • The crossover of reality TV stars on "The Traitors" creates unique alliances and anxieties.
  • PTSD from reality show environments, but the game setting feels safer due to mixed cast.
  • Lisa Rinna [06:42]: "Housewives deal with things a certain way because that's what we're trained to do... people were scared of us... Rob and Colton both said, I was scared of these housewives."

• Psychology of Gameplay:

  • The fast-paced "pack mentality" at the roundtable can shift votes and alliances quickly.
    • Lisa Rinna [07:37]: "That roundtable whips around quick... You could be saying, I'm gonna vote for this person. And 20 minutes later, you're voting for another person."
  • Sensing impending banishment is palpable and emotionally taxing.
    • Lisa Rinna [08:28]: "You can feel the energy in the room while we're waiting to go into the roundtable... your heart just breaks for them... you go, wow, now I know what it feels like."

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4. “Elephant Skin” & Navigating Public Scrutiny

• Developing Thick Skin: Lisa describes needing "elephant skin" to endure the scrutiny of fame and reality TV.
  • Lisa Rinna [13:28]: "You have to have, like, elephant skin."
• Family and Empathy: Lisa’s husband Harry stays oblivious to gossip since he’s not online; Lisa provides motherly support to those experiencing public backlash for the first time.
  • Lisa Rinna [13:49]: "So when I see these people going through what I’ve gone through... I just have great empathy."
  • Her advice to others: Lisa Rinna [14:19]: "Don't engage... Sit back. You'll have your time at the reunion to say what you want to say."

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5. Reunion Show Dynamics & Iconic Housewives Moments

• Lisa discusses her upcoming "Traitors" reunion, which Andy Cohen will moderate—reflecting on their dynamic and past hostilities.
  • Lisa Rinna [14:54]: "He knows that I threw his book in the fireplace… I think we're going to be fine."
• The Real Housewives reunion as a hall of fame for drama:
  • Pulling phone records, single “left eye” tear, and accidentally iconic moments that go viral and become memes.
  • Lisa Rinna [15:56]: "All my stuff is purely accidental... and then it turns out to be a funny meme."

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6. Memoir Writing & Audiobook Experience

• Lisa shares the vulnerability of recording her audiobook, especially revisiting chapters about her mother.
  • Lisa Rinna [17:31]: “To read it in your own voice—it hits hard.”
  • On the catharsis and surprise in hearing her own words, spotting mistakes, and being able to revise on the fly.
• Bonding with Jesse over love for Barbra Streisand’s audiobook, and how these performances become living commentaries.

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7. Shared Cultural Obsessions: Truman Capote and Old Hollywood

• Jesse reveals he’s preparing to play Truman Capote; Lisa is a massive Capote fan, sharing a spiritual kinship with the “Swan” set.
  • Lisa Rinna [20:07]: “One of my favorite people to follow and read… I am so fascinated by him. Maybe I was even in that time. And we don't know. I lived."
• Lisa’s personal “Old Hollywood” fantasy world: Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, classic films.
  • Her tight friendships are likened to the chosen family and social circles of Capote and the era.

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8. Lisa’s Inner Circle

• Lisa feels safest with her gay friends, citing close relationships with Isaac Boots, his husband Jeffrey, and new friends in Sweden (Fredrik and Johan).
  • Lisa Rinna [22:14]: "I feel a safety with my gays. My friends who are gay feel safer to me than women. That's the truth."
• She also values two long-standing friendships with women from her kids' school years, calling them her “everydayers.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "That's always weird to replace someone." – Lisa Rinna [03:44]
• "I never filled [Joan Rivers’] shoes. I just did it." – Lisa Rinna [04:05]
• "I just keep trucking along. I just go, God, girl, you've done some crazy shit, but you don't regret anything, right?" – Lisa Rinna [05:05]
• "No, I don't regret anything... I'm not a regretter. I make my own bed. I sleep in it." – Lisa Rinna [05:13]
• "Everyone else has had their time to tell their point of view. This is my point of view. This is how I feel. It's my opinion about it." – Lisa Rinna [05:47]
• "Housewives deal with things a certain way because that’s what we're trained to do." – Lisa Rinna [06:42]
• "People were scared of us. Like, Rob and Colton both said, I was scared of these housewives. And I find that interesting." – Lisa Rinna [07:01]
• "That roundtable whips around quick... you have to stand by [your choices]." – Lisa Rinna [07:37]
• "You have to have, like, elephant skin." – Lisa Rinna [13:28]
• "My friends who are gay feel safer to me than women. That's the truth." – Lisa Rinna [22:14]
• "All my stuff is purely accidental... and then it turns out to be a funny meme. And I go, all right, well, there you go." – Lisa Rinna [16:24]
• "To read it in your own voice—it hits hard... the first chapter’s about my mom and I cry when I’m reading it. I get very emotional." – Lisa Rinna [17:31]
• “[Capote is] one of my favorite people to follow and read… I am so fascinated by him. Maybe I was even in that time. And we don't know. I lived." – Lisa Rinna [20:07]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Red Carpet and Joan Rivers Discussion: 03:35 – 05:04
• No-Regrets Career & Reality TV Reflections: 05:05 – 07:35
• The Traitors Gameplay & Group Dynamics: 07:35 – 09:35
• "Elephant Skin" and Supporting Others Through Fame: 13:28 – 14:46
• Reunion Show History & Iconic Housewives Moments: 14:50 – 16:28
• Audiobook Reflections: 17:27 – 18:58
• Truman Capote & Old Hollywood Obsession: 19:36 – 21:37
• Inner Circle & Chosen Family: 21:50 – 23:20

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Conclusion

This episode of "Dinner’s on Me" offers a candid look at Lisa Rinna’s philosophy of self-acceptance, tenacity, and the comfort she finds in chosen family. Whether discussing the intricate politics of reality TV, her unexpectedly viral moments, her empathetic guidance for others in the spotlight, or fangirling over literary icons, Lisa brings vulnerability, humor, and self-awareness. She embodies resilience and reinvention, always trucking forward—with no regrets.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

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[Interviewer/Host]

But what I really love about the

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

place is that it has this big kitchen so we can have family breakfasts and meals there. And it has enough space for the entire family to spread out. And it just reminded me how much those little details make a place feel special. You walk in and there's fresh coffee on the counter, there's a note with the WI FI password, and the font's big enough that you don't need a magnifying glass to read it. You know, those thoughtful little touches that really make a difference. And it made me think about hosting my own home on Airbnb when I'm away. But the idea of getting my place guest ready with all those thoughtful little touches is a bit, I don't know, overwhelming. That's where Airbnb Co Host Network comes in. You can hire a local co host to help with all those behind the scenes things that make a stay run smoothly. Guest communication, handling check ins, and even design and styling to make your place feel lived in and cozy. So if you have a place that you've been thinking about hosting, I don't know, a guest room, a studio for the garage, even your whole home while you're away, a co host can help you actually pull it off without adding more to your plate. So if your New Year's resolution is to earn a little extra money or, or finally make use of that space, start the easy way with Airbnb's co host network.

[Interviewer/Host]

You know that moment in the middle

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

of the night when you hear noise and your brain immediately goes, what was that? And you're lying there thinking, okay, okay, it's probably a squirrel. Yeah, no, it's. It's definitely a squirrel. Oh, God, please let it be a squirrel. And most of the time it is. It's.

[Interviewer/Host]

It's just a squirrel.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But we all have those heart racing, middle of the night, what is that noise Moments. That's why I love ADT. They're there 24 7. Keeping watch with professional monitoring and technology that helps get first responders to you faster when every second counts. And with the ADT plus app, I can check in on my house anytime, whether I'M on the road at work or just lying in bed convincing myself that, yes, it really was just a squirrel. ADT makes sure your home is your haven. Not another thing to stress about. When every second counts. Count on ADT. Visit ADT.com to learn more. Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's your little side dish from this week's episode of Dinners on Me. This week's guest was the fabulous Lisa Rinna, who you know from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place, season four of the Traitors. She's also out with a new memoir called you better Believe I'm gonna talk about It. And we do. We do believe it. We sat down for salads at Coral Tree Cafe in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and we got into her iconic roles, the longevity of her career, and her fearless ability to constantly reinvent herself. Plus, of course, we talk about her time on the Traders, the strategy behind the game, and why the experience challenged her in a whole new way. To get back into the conversation, you're pulling up a chair. As we talk to Lisa about becoming TV Guide's primary red carpet host in the early 2000s.

[Interviewer/Host]

I do want to ask about Joan Rivers because.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, you.

[Lisa Rinna]

Yeah, I did the red carpet.

[Interviewer/Host]

You did the red carpet with her and you replaced her after I replaced her.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

That's always weird to replace someone.

[Interviewer/Host]

And also Joan Rivers.

[Lisa Rinna]

Yeah, that was weird, but it's a job, honey.

[Interviewer/Host]

You're like, did you get to know her well?

[Lisa Rinna]

No, because she was gone.

[Interviewer/Host]

Did you? So you never met her before?

[Lisa Rinna]

I had met her in my career, but not in that.

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, those are big shoes to fill.

[Lisa Rinna]

I never filled them. I just did it, but I never filled them. I mean, who says, let's get Lisa Rinna and Joy Fatone to do the red carpet? Like, who comes up with that in a meeting? Really, the best thing that came out of that was they made us into M&Ms.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes, I remember this.

[Lisa Rinna]

Yeah, that's the best thing that came out of that. And also, they paid us right?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Really well. I feel like if you type in

[Interviewer/Host]

Lisa Rinna in Google, like, one of the first things comes up is green. Green, M and M. Orange. Orange. Oh, is it orange?

[Lisa Rinna]

Joey was blue. I was orange. And, you know, it's really funny. I did that like, 15 years ago. And, you know, last year or two years ago, it just, it. It showed itself again and it became a meme. And it was like, I did that 15 years ago. Like, all of a sudden it had life Again, I can't figure the Internet out. It's. Yeah, it's just crazy.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

But, yeah, that. That was good. That came out of that. That was good. Paid me really good money for two years. And, you know, I just keep trucking.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

I keep trucking along. I just go, God, girl, you've done some crazy shit,

[Interviewer/Host]

but you don't regret anything, right?

[Lisa Rinna]

No, I don't regret anything.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

No.

[Interviewer/Host]

I don't get that vibe from you.

[Lisa Rinna]

No. I'm not a regretter. I make my own bed. I sleep in it.

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, I don't see the point of any of that.

[Lisa Rinna]

I take responsibility for a lot in the book, I think.

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, that's why I was gonna say. I mean, there are a lot of, you know, things that you bring up specifically with housewives that, you know, people are gonna have an opinion about.

[Lisa Rinna]

Of course.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you're like, this is what was going on in my life. This is what I own up to. I apologize for this also. I'm gonna stand by this.

[Lisa Rinna]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

And I'm going to. This is the reason why I did that.

[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

Yes.

[Lisa Rinna]

And that's why I like this book, because it's coming from my point of view. Everyone else has had their time to tell their point of view. This is my point of view. This is how I feel. It's my opinion about it.

[Interviewer/Host]

You also said, you know, you have, like. There's sort of, like, a unspoken bond between housewives, whether or not it's good or bad.

[Lisa Rinna]

Right. All housewives, like, across the board in all cities, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

And I mean, like, the Traders, I guess, is a perfect example where you're coming across people. I'm sure you knew some of them. I think you knew Dorinda.

[Lisa Rinna]

I knew some of them and not all of them.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Interviewer/Host]

And so was there ever, like, any, like, PTSD from, like, oh, God, I'm in.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm in.

[Interviewer/Host]

I'm in the world with another housewife. Like, this might happen again.

[Lisa Rinna]

Yes. Because that world represents that.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes.

[Lisa Rinna]

I felt safer in this environment because it's a game.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Lisa Rinna]

And there's only buffers. Yes. And there's only five housewives and five gamers. And, like, there were different groups. So, no, I wasn't super scared. But yet, you know, housewives deal with things a certain way because that's what we're trained to do while we do that show. And I think you're seeing on the Traders, like, people were scared of us. Like, Rob and Colton both said, I was scared of these housewives. And I find that interesting.

[Interviewer/Host]

You know, I mean, Colton said when he sat down with me, his husband Jordan was like, don't fuck with a housewife and don't fuck with Taylor Swift's

[Lisa Rinna]

new mother in law. Mother in law. It's true. And, you know, it's funny, but he

[Interviewer/Host]

did both those things and he did both.

[Lisa Rinna]

Of course. Yeah, of course. But, you know, you do the best you can in that environment. You really do. And you end up making choices that you didn't plan to make and you have to stand by them.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

You know, in the moment, it sounded right to you. That roundtable whips around quick, does it? And, yeah, you could be saying, I'm gonna vote for this person. And 20 minutes later, you're voting for another person because someone convinced you the narrative has changed.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

And the PAC mentality happens so fast.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's what's happening. That's what's so exciting to watch.

[Lisa Rinna]

It's so exciting. Like the whole.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's why I thought you had a chance at the end, the last episode, because it's like. Because there was a moment with. Yes, With Natalie. No, the woman you were scared of.

[Lisa Rinna]

Natalie. Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

There was a moment, Natalie, that were

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

going to her car.

[Interviewer/Host]

I was like, that's actually more of a case than anything against you. And I thought you were going to survive another day.

[Lisa Rinna]

I did, too. But I couldn't have once robbed. Once Rob entered the chat, rather than just write my name down, he definitely

[Interviewer/Host]

twisted the knife in the back.

[Lisa Rinna]

There's nothing I could do. Yeah. I mean, I remember sitting there just going, I can't fucking believe you're doing this right now. But I know it's over for me, so I'm just gonna, like, enjoy the ride now. Cause, you know, you can sense it. You're like. You can always tell, like, when Tiffany was going, and I could see the group turning toward her. You can feel the energy in the room while we're waiting to go into the roundtable room. And I looked over at her and she could feel the energy. And your heart just breaks for them. Breaks for them. Because then you're gonna be in that position a couple shows down the road and you go, wow, now I know what it feels like because you feel a bit ostracized from the group. People aren't looking at you, they're looking down. And you fucking know. You know, and so, you know, there are times where people are like, you should fight harder. And I'm like. But I knew I was gonna go, so I'm not gonna fight that hard, girl. Like, I'm not gonna work that hard when I know. I'm going

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Lisa and I continue our conversation about the traitors.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Be right back.

[Interviewer/Host]

So good, so good, so good.

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[Lisa Rinna]

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[Interviewer/Host]

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[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

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[Lisa Rinna]

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[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

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[Interviewer/Host]

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[Lisa Rinna]

I'm Sharia and I lost 80 pounds on Weight Watchers.

[Nordstrom Rack Advertiser]

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[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

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[Interviewer/Host]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Interviewer/Host]

The moment between getting voted off, like, officially, like, saying like, you are. You are killed or you're banished. Yeah, you're banished to you going to that little circle and like saying revealing who you are, what is that? What goes through your mind? Is it a produced thing? Is it a produced moment?

[Lisa Rinna]

No, no. That's all unproduced because that show's not produced. You just know that you're gonna have to go stand up there. You're thinking about it, about what you're gonna say. Yeah. Cause you know it's coming, right? Like, the votes are coming up with your name. So you're thinking to myself, okay, what am I gonna say? What am I gonna say? How am I And then you just go, okay, here I go. And you walk over, and you're like, here we go. Like, it's all so in the moment, you know? And they cut it around it, you know, you don't get to say everything that you. You've said, but they. They really. They did me right. I. I am not sad about anything. I came across exactly as I came across.

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, you are a white hot standout in the cast of, like, very exciting.

[Lisa Rinna]

That's all I ever want to hear. If I'm a white hot standout, I win. That's our job.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Lisa Rinna]

Like, don't you want to be a white hot standard?

[Interviewer/Host]

You want to be a rude guard?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Of course.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's what I kind of love with Colton's way. I love that people are like. They're annoyed with how hard he's playing the game. I'm like, but you're talking about him.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's right.

[Interviewer/Host]

I'd rather see someone play hard than sit back.

[Lisa Rinna]

Well, you gotta give it to him.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

It's a choice, you know?

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, it's funny to say I'm gonna swing hard because I know this person's a traitor. We all know that he's gonna swing and miss, but of course.

[Lisa Rinna]

But the fact that he, you know, goes there.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

And commits to it.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

You're just like, wow.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. That's how he chose to play the game.

[Lisa Rinna]

That's how he chose to play the game. And you know what? There are consequences to everything. So you also have to be like, I chose to play the game like that. So you're gonna get blowback when you make risky choices.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

I feel like whenever you live your life in the public eye, I mean, it takes a real brave person to do that.

[Lisa Rinna]

You have to have, like, elephant skin.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

That's what I've decided to go through, you know, And I have such great empathy for it because I've seen my girls go through it. I've seen Harry go through it, though. He's oblivious. Has no idea he's going through it because he's not on social media. He's the only person not on social media. He's the happiest man.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

He's free.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

He just has no idea.

[Interviewer/Host]

We should all be so lucky.

[Lisa Rinna]

There's no idea what's going on. So we have to tell him. I'm like, they think you're gay this week, but you were having affairs with women last week. So there's that. So funny. So when I see these people going through what I'VE gone through what my girls have gone through. I just have great empathy for it, you know, And I. I've talked to them and I've helped them through these situations because maybe they've never been through it before, you know? And so I feel very mothering to this group, you know, I do. And I, you know, I get on the phone with them and I'm like, okay, here's the thing. Don't engage. Which they, of course, already have. And I said, so no more engaging. Don't go online and be snarky. Sit back. You'll have your time at the reunion to say what you want to say. If that person needs to say something to you, just let them. Let them come at you. Let them have their moment.

[Interviewer/Host]

You haven't shopped reunion in, have you? Excellent week is Andy Cohen.

[Lisa Rinna]

How weird is that?

[Interviewer/Host]

How is that going to be for you?

[Lisa Rinna]

Fine.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Lisa Rinna]

He knows that I threw his book in the fireplace. He already knows that.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Okay.

[Lisa Rinna]

I think we're going to be fine.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay. Have you spoken to him?

[Lisa Rinna]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay. Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

Oh, yeah, he knows. He texted me the other day. He goes, I heard you threw my book in the fire. And I said, I did.

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, he must be used to a lot of people being mad at him from that franchise.

[Lisa Rinna]

And he and I have been mad at each other back and forth, and we always come out of it.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

I truly like him and he truly likes me, and I know that. So we always go back to that. Like, he's so excited about me being on this show and being a trader. We can go there for a while. It's just gonna be weird going to a reunion with Andy being the host.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes.

[Lisa Rinna]

There is some PTSD with that, because

[Interviewer/Host]

those specifically, if you go on, if you go online, it's like, let's look up, like, Lisa's iconic moments in Real Housewives. A lot of those moments are gonna be from the reunion. I mean, when you pulled out those

[Lisa Rinna]

phone records, ten fucking goals.

[Interviewer/Host]

That was iconic, Lisa.

[Lisa Rinna]

I mean, I have done some funny, funny single tear.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, my God.

[Lisa Rinna]

I could have never done that on a show. You know how many years it took me to cry on camera? And here I am on a freaking reunion and one tear comes out beautiful. You know, Deidre hall used to be able to say, would you like the left eye tear or the right? And here's me. I would be just staring at her going, how does she do that? And then I do it in a fricking reunion. All my stuff is purely accidental.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right, right, right, right. Right.

[Lisa Rinna]

And then it turns out to be a funny meme. And I go, all right, well, there you go.

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, I'm very excited for this Traitor Tree reunion.

[Lisa Rinna]

I think it's going to be really lit, to be honest with you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Absolutely.

[Interviewer/Host]

Wait, you say you shoot it next to week?

[Lisa Rinna]

Thursday.

[Interviewer/Host]

Thursday.

[Lisa Rinna]

Thursday the 12th.

[Interviewer/Host]

A week from today.

[Lisa Rinna]

From today.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

No, I'm excited.

[Interviewer/Host]

You should be.

[Lisa Rinna]

One of the producers of the Traders reunion was my producer on Housewives 10 years ago. So when I saw his name pipe up in my pop up my emails, I was like, wait a second, is that the same person? Sure enough. But I. I thought maybe it had been four years, not 10.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right. I mean, time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?

[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

Doesn't it?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, we get into our shared love for Truman Capote and Lisa shares who's in her inner circle. Okay, be right back. And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Interviewer/Host]

Did you do an audiobook?

[Lisa Rinna]

I did my first one. I'd never done an audiobook.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, really?

[Lisa Rinna]

That was interesting because to read it in your own voice. Oh, it hits hard, like, Yeah, I can imagine. And you're like, damn. Whoa. I can really. I really felt the book as I read it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

So especially, you know, the book.

[Interviewer/Host]

Did it make you angry again when you were talking about some of the stuff that you went through with Housewives?

[Lisa Rinna]

I wouldn't say, say angry, but it made me feel. I felt like I. When I. The first chapter's about my mom and I cry when I'm reading it. I get very emotional. I think that's the hardest part. Reading it is like, you have to relive it.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

As you're reading it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, I've only written a cookbook, but I know that it's a. It is a labor of love and it is so hard. It takes forever.

[Lisa Rinna]

So hard to read.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

The feeling that you get when you

[Interviewer/Host]

finally it's in and it's to the editor and you've done the final edits and it's just such a weight off your shoulder. I can only imagine that when you're like, okay, now I have to read it from COVID to cover.

[Lisa Rinna]

I was stressed out, to be honest with you, and luckily I did it in three days instead of four. Okay, but you have to relive it. That's one thing to write it and, like, get it out there and be done with it. Then you have to sit there and read it. That was hard.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

It was cathartic, though. Also, like. It was like, oh, all right. And I got to also change some things because there were things in there that weren't quite right. So I like, call the editor and say, you gotta change this, this, this, and this. So, yeah, it was a good way to make sure things were set right. Also.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. I. I love listening to people read their own stories. One of my favorites. I don't know if you've listened to Barbra Streisand reading.

[Lisa Rinna]

I sure have. It's my favorite.

[Interviewer/Host]

Isn't the great. First of all, it takes nine days.

[Lisa Rinna]

I'm not finished. I'm still not finished.

[Interviewer/Host]

You won't be for a few more years, but it's fantastic. But I. But you could tell she's like, self editing, commenting on what she's written. Like, it's almost like a surprise to her. She's like, oh, yeah. I didn't know that.

[Lisa Rinna]

Like, I had those kind of moments too. You're just like, wait, I said it like that.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

What.

[Lisa Rinna]

Like, what do you. I love listening to her.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

She's great. She's pretty great. She's pretty great.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

I. After I leave you. I don't know. I just thought of this. Oh. Because we're talking about. People have passed. Your mother, rest in peace. But after. After I leave you, I'm going to a local graveyard that's around this area. I'm visiting Sherman Capote's grave because I'm doing a play about him.

[Lisa Rinna]

Are you. Are you playing him?

[Interviewer/Host]

I'm playing him.

[Lisa Rinna]

One of my favorite people to follow and read. Like, I just got this book, something. Voices.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, Other Voices. Other Voices.

[Lisa Rinna]

I never read it. I ordered it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's his very first book. Yeah. I feel like in another era, you would have been a swan.

[Lisa Rinna]

I would have.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, 100%.

[Lisa Rinna]

I am so fascinated by him. Maybe I was even in that time. And we don't know. I lived.

[Interviewer/Host]

You were at the Black and White Ball.

[Lisa Rinna]

Spiritually, I think I may have been, because. I'm sorry. So obsessed with his story. I've watched everything on him. Anything you might need to know, I've seen everything.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

That's exciting. So is he in Westwood?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

They.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes, they.

[Lisa Rinna]

By Maryland. He's near Maryland.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yes. That's right. That's right. That's right. They divided his ashes.

[Lisa Rinna]

That's right. Joanna took some.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Joanna Carson.

[Interviewer/Host]

And then she lost them. Someone took them. Someone took them out of her house. And she was like, where's Truman's ashes?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And Then they.

[Interviewer/Host]

They came back. They were like, nestled in a. In a. In like her garden hose the next morning.

[Lisa Rinna]

So bizarre.

[Interviewer/Host]

So bizarre.

[Lisa Rinna]

Like, I'm so fascinated. Oh, I want to come see it when you. You're gonna be good as him. Thank you. You're gonna be good as Truman. I can see it.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's why I'm sharing.

[Lisa Rinna]

I can see it. I can see it. See, I'm obsessed with him.

[Interviewer/Host]

Me too.

[Lisa Rinna]

I'm obsessed with all of it.

[Interviewer/Host]

Me too.

[Lisa Rinna]

That is fun.

[Interviewer/Host]

But as we were, as. As we were talking, I was also thinking about Truman. Just because I do feel like when you're talking about being in Paris and at the fashion Week, or not at fashion Week, but walking the couture shows, I do feel like you are of that spiritually. You are of that era.

[Lisa Rinna]

I would have to agree. I would have to agree. I. I live in the world of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in my TCM movies. Like, I have a of lot whole nother world that I live in.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

With a few of my gay friends. And we share that. And it's magical. Truly. I do live there.

[Interviewer/Host]

Who are. Who are? Like, who's your people right now?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Who do you.

[Interviewer/Host]

Who do you like to see?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Who are.

[Interviewer/Host]

I know you and Brad Brust are very good friends.

[Lisa Rinna]

I love Bradley. You know, I'm. I think I'm closest to my gaze, to be honest with you. Isaac Boots and his husband Jeffrey are two of my dearest friends I have.

[Interviewer/Host]

I mean, I know you, Barry, were so close.

[Lisa Rinna]

Barry and I were really close. And I loved him and I miss him and I think of him a lot. I really do, because I feel a safety with my gays. My friends who are gay feel safer to me than women. That's the truth. I have more gay friends than I have male friends, more than I have women friends. And that's the truth. I have two really good friends that I've been friends with for almost 30 years that are like the kids school friends. Like I met them in the kids.

[Interviewer/Host]

You write about them in the book Jenna and Robin. Yeah, yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

Dear friends account on them for anything, but they're not in this business. They're like my everydayers, I call them, but like Isaac and Jeffrey and then my friends. I have these new friends that I love that live in Sweden that I met in Paris in the fashion world. And they have become my dear friends also Fredrik and Johan. And so I am the most comfortable with my male friends. It's true.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Lisa Rinna]

Truly, by far.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was more from my conversation with Lisa Rinna. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, I don't know what you're waiting for. Be sure to check it out on Dinners On Me. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Coral Tree Cafe in Brentwood, California. Next week on Dinners On Me. You know her from Bridesmaids, Reno, 911, the Goldbergs, and currently as hospital administrator, Joyce on St. Denis Medical, it's Wendy McLendon Covey. We get into her improv days, the surprise side hustle she kept until the Goldbergs and the possibility of a cameo by me on St. Denis. One can only hope. Dinners On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

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[Weight Watchers/ADT/Experian Advertiser]

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