Siggy Flicker, a former cast member of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," has leveled serious allegations against the show's producers.
She claims that her support for Donald Trump in the 2016 election led to a negative portrayal of her character on the reality TV show, Daily Mail reported.
Siggy Flicker, 57, spent two seasons on "Real Housewives of New Jersey", leaving the show in 2017. She described her first season as untroubled, where the show depicted her as an emotional, relationship-loving individual. However, during her second season, this portrayal took a stark turn.
Flicker, outspoken in her political beliefs, supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential elections—a fact that didn’t sit well with the show’s producers. After noticing MAGA merchandise in her home, production staff directly questioned her choice, expressing their views on Trump as an anti-Semite and a fascist, according to Flicker.
"They came to my house, saw the MAGA hats everywhere, and asked me, 'You can't seriously be voting for Trump, he is an anti-Semite and a fascist,'" Flicker recounted from her interactions with the producers. She confirmed her vote in response to them.
Flicker claimed this revelation led to a fundamental shift in how she was portrayed on the show. "Then, everything for me changed in the editing room. They changed the edit and suddenly made me look crazy," she stated, suggesting manipulation of her scenes and dialogue to cast her in a negative light.
Flicker claims that producers prompted her to say specific lines, which she often refused, suggesting that they manipulated the context to enhance her so-called villainous appearance. She believes this bias didn’t target her alone but also extended to other Republican-leaning housewives, like Ramona Singer during the 2020 election cycle.
A show insider disputes these claims and denies that producers negatively influenced Flicker’s portrayal due to her political views. The insider stresses that many women on the show supported Trump and asserts, "There is no bad edit. The way that viewers saw Siggy is exactly who she is, and that is why she was kicked off the show."
In addition to production disputes, Flicker experienced personal conflicts with fellow cast members, particularly with Margaret Josephs. Their contentious relationship, highlighted by Joseph's provocative comments comparing Trump to Hitler, remains unresolved to this day.
Following her departure from the reality TV sphere, Flicker decided to move to Florida. This move was in part to escape the television spotlight, which she found overwhelming. "I wanted to get away from the spotlight. I like to be more behind the scenes," Flicker explained.
Florida did not only offer a retreat but also proximity to political circles she supports, allowing her to attend events like Trump’s election night watch party. Flicker has received private messages of apology from individuals who had previously judged her political stance, suggesting a change in public perception following her exit from the show.
In summary, Siggy Flicker's time on "Real Housewives of New Jersey" was marked by emotional highs and lows, influenced heavily by her political outspokenness. The intersection of reality TV and real-world politics, as depicted by Flicker's experiences, raises questions about the portrayal and treatment of television personalities behind the scenes.
