Jill Zarin has broken her silence after being dropped E!is on its way Real Housewives of New York City reunion series, The Golden Lifefollowing backlash over her comments about Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
speaks to In contact on Tuesday, February 10, the 62-year-old reality TV veteran said she felt blindsided by the decision.
“They didn’t even give me a chance,” Zarin said, referring to a video she posted on social media criticizing the performance, which she later removed.
“I took it down right away. People make mistakes. I’m human.”
The network’s decision was confirmed earlier that day, when producers announced that Zarin would no longer be a part of the project.
In a statement to Us WeeklyBlink49 Studios said: “In light of the 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’s standards and values.”
The move came just days after Zarin publicly slammed Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, Feb. 8.
In the now-deleted video, she called the globally watched performance “the worst halftime show ever” and criticized both the language and the staging.
“I just didn’t think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish, and frankly … to grab his [expletive] area … I think it was totally inappropriate,” she said in the clip.
“You’ve got all these young kids watching the Super Bowl, and he doesn’t have to pinch himself every five seconds because he’s so insecure. Seriously.”
She went on to add that she did not understand the lyrics and claimed the show felt politically charged, saying it “looked like a political statement” and suggested it was linked to immigration issues.
Her remarks quickly spread online and sparked strong reactions, with many viewers pushing back against her interpretation of the performance.
The criticism did not stop there.
The view addressed Zarin’s comments during a “Hot Topics” segment, while several Real Housewives stars including Bethenny Frankel, Lisa Rinna and Tamra Judge publicly praised Bad Bunny’s show.
Zarin’s own daughter, Ally Shapiro, also spoke out in defense of the artist.
Despite Zarin’s exit, The Golden Life proceeding as planned. The 10-episode series reunites Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon and Sonja Morgan, and is set to begin filming this spring in South Florida.
The show follows the formerly New York-based group of friends as they reunite in Palm Beach, Florida.
So far, Zarin maintains the fallout has been harsh and immediate, insisting she wasn’t given a chance to address the situation before losing her spot on the series.
