Some things will always be “for the girls,” but with the way male celebrities have been acting on the internet — and in some cases, in front of the cameras — petty drama isn’t one of them.
In the words of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Meredith Marks herself, we can go there with the husbands. Season 5 of the series got off to an icy start for longtime snowflake holders Lisa Barlow and Whitney Rose, who clashed at Angie Katsanevas’ wedding anniversary party. What began as just another “she said, she said” argument between costars made Us reach for our popcorn (and pour a shot of Vida Tequila) when the husbands stepped in to defend their spouses. Justin Rose told security at the party to get John Barlow “the f— away from” him, threatening to “pound his ass.”
According to Heather Gay, the RHOSLC husbands had “never” tried to fight their wives’ battles on camera before — but Justin vs. John wasn’t even the only confrontation to be featured this season. Shawn Trujillo, married to Katsanevas, and Meredith’s husband, Seth Marks, entered a sparring match of their own during a group dinner in Palm Springs. Seth brought his own “receipts, proof, timeline, screenshots” to the (literal) table, fueling the fire by calling out the “biatches” sitting around him. Us needs Andy Cohen and a Bravo camera for an official mens’ spinoff ASAP.
Personal drama might be hard to avoid as a supporting character on a reality show, but Bravo isn’t the only place bros are dishing out healthy doses of gossip. It turns out, podcasts are an equally popular outlet for men to air their dirty laundry.
Barstool Sports cofounder Dave Portnoy had plenty to say about his “BFFs” cohost Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia’s breakup from ex Zach Bryan, calling the country singer “a really immature, not confident baby” for his alleged behavior during their relationship. Portnoy got even more eloquent on not one, but two original diss tracks: “Smallest Man” and “Country Diddy.” Yes, it’s a reference to Sean “Diddy” Combs. No, Bryan did not publicly respond. How old school!
Portnoy admitted to being “a little out of my wheelhouse” when it comes to “talking about teenage drama” and claimed he doesn’t have much “interest” in the back-and-forth despite being one of the chief pot-stirrers in the aftermath of LaPaglia’s split. Take it from Us, sports personalities can be just as petty as Housewives.
In the Super Bowl of throwing shade, NFL free agent Isaac Rochell has proven to be a leading passer. Often appearing alongside his wife, influencer Allison Kuch, on her “Sunday Sports Club” podcast, Rochell has given Us an inside look at life as a pro football player — and it isn’t all fun and games. From claiming he turned down a $10,000 bribe to change his jersey number to dropping “homemaker” merch in the middle of NFL kicker Harrison Butker’s highly publicized commencement speech scandal, Rochell is putting the “tea” in TDs.
So while society may try to convince Us that men and women are inherently different, the willingness of even the most masculine personalities to stir the pot every now and then — cameras not required, but usually preferred — proves pettiness is gender neutral.
