By Jenny Schafer for Celebrity Baby Scoop
The Real Housewives of New York alum Kelly Bensimon recently hosted the launch of Original Scent, the new luxury scent bar in Pasadena. The reality TV star, 44, raves about the new “boutique where you can make your own personal fragrance.”
Kelly opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about her daughters — Sea, 14, and Thadeus, 12 — who are her “greatest luxury.” She goes on to talk about the difficulties of single motherhood and her greatest regret from appearing on RHONY, saying the show did not accurately portray her life.
CBS: Do you miss being on The Real Housewives of New York?
KB: “I miss all the entertainment. It was definitely very fun to be surrounded by all these women that I never met before and learn how they navigate New York life. That was obviously very interesting because it is so out of my comfort zone. It’s not what I am used to in New York. It was really exciting to be a part of that…to be a voyeur into another aspect of New York culture.”
CBS: Would you be interested in doing another reality TV show like Real Housewives?
KB: “I would definitely be interested in doing another reality TV show, but I wouldn’t want to do a reality TV show with a mixed cast like that unless it could be a new kind of genre, called “soft-scripted.” The nice thing about soft-scripted shows versus reality TV shows is that soft scripted shows allow the participants to kind of know what is going on versus just being on the show like I was with Housewives. You walk into a room and people are just like, “Oh I hate you!” and you’re like, “I have no idea why.”
Soft-scripted shows give you more boundaries so you kind of know how to navigate them. It’s also more real to the viewer and I think it’s more interesting. I would definitely do a soft-scripted show, but I would not do something that is “reality,” because that is not fair to the viewer. As a writer and as a mother, I don’t want to present myself in that way.”
CBS: Tell us about your daughters. How old are they and what do they like to do for fun?
KB: “My two daughters are twelve and fourteen-years-old. My youngest, Thadeus, is an amazing pianist. She also loves to buy as much make-up as she possibly can [laughs]. My oldest daughter Sea is fourteen-years-old and she loves to play basketball and read. She is more active and she’s a great tennis player. She is having fun being a teenager.”
CBS: How do you balance your busy career and family life?
KB: “I don’t. I don’t balance my busy career and family life [laughs]. I am always hanging on by the seat of my pants. Right now I am writing an article that was due an hour ago and trying to be the best parent I can be.
I am a single parent and it’s not easy. For anyone who is a single parent, it is nothing to be flippant about. It is really, really difficult. I have to work as well, and it’s something that I’ve always done. I’ve always worked and I’ve always been a single parent. This is my life and it’s how I am trying to raise my kids. I want them to have really great values. I don’t want to be that parent that’s like, “I work so much that I kind of spoil them.” I am trying to give my kids those Midwestern values that I find very important.
It’s not easy. It’s just not easy. One regret that I have from Housewives is that they didn’t show how I navigate through New York being a single parent. That is one thing that I really regretted. They didn’t show how difficult it is for me or show how much I respect being a single parent and how much I love my kids. I regret that. They didn’t show that at all. They were just like, “Oh, you’re supposed to be rich and famous” and I was like, “I’m not rich, I’m not famous. I don’t know what you’re talking about [laughs].”
CBS: What do you have planned for Mother’s Day? What does Mother’s Day mean to you?
KB: “Oh my gosh, what do I have planned for Mother’s Day…I just love Mother’s Day because I love to be with my kids. Last year I had brunch with my kids and my best friend who is also my hairdresser.
I love Mother’s Day because it is an opportunity for me to be with my kids and not have to parent them. I’m like, “It’s Mother’s Day, so I don’t have to parent you and it’s all about fun!” It’s actually a day where I get to celebrate being their mother. That’s really exciting for me.
For me, I have two kids and I’m a single parent. Therefore, Mother’s Day is an opportunity for me to tell my kids, “It’s a day for us to celebrate being together.” Instead of celebrating me, I want to celebrate them. They are the greatest luxury that I could ever even imagine having. I can’t believe that I am the mother of two gorgeous girls. It’s something that I respect a lot and I want to celebrate it with them. It’s not about me; it is about us.”
To read the rest of the interview, please click here.
