When the preview trailer for Season 15 of The Real Housewives of New York City dropped, it was clear that co-stars Ubah Hassan and Brynn Whitfield would end the season squaring off. Hassan and her co-detective Sai De Silva have been on a mission this season to discover who in the group can be trusted, and who is what they consider to be a "leaky pigeon." Whitfield earned Hassan's enmity in the Season 14 finale of the reality series, when she opted to expose the fact that her gorgeous model friend was hiding a secret romance going on with a man from the state of Connecticut. Season 15 has shown how much the dynamics in the group have shifted, as Whitfield continues to burn bridges with her bratty, pot-stirring "pigeon" persona.
On the one hand, it is arguable that Whitfield was doing her job as a reality star. A reality TV producer's dream cast member is always ready to expose a co-star for hiding things from the camera, trying to portray their life one way to the viewers, while living a different reality when filming ends. On the other hand, Hassan clearly had her feelings hurt when someone who she considered to be a friend exposed private information, even if they had both agreed to share their lives on a reality show. Whitfield is super-savvy, and it appears that she has been playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Hassan all season long, being condescending, baiting her into arguments, and speaking over her with such intense frequency that Hassan feels the need to shout to be heard.
There Are Harmful Stereotypes, And Then There Are Genuine Emotions on 'RHONY'
Saying that Hassan has been angry this season is a loaded statement, as Whitfield has already called attention to the "angry Black woman" stereotype that holds Black women to an even higher standard of behavior than other women in society. When Whitfield told Hassan that she needed to watch her behavior so that she wasn't labeled by the audience, she made it seem like it was advice coming from a place of concern for her friend. But Hassan expressed she felt that Whitfield had been using the stereotype against her to try to control her behavior. Hassan has, in fact, repeatedly told her co-star she does not appreciate being told how to behave or what language to use in an argument.
Ubah Hassan's Anger May Be Displaced, But It Is Justified
It has been interesting to see Hassan's different tactics attempting to control her temper as Whitfield tries to evoke a response, like establishing the word "pineapple" as a safe-word to remind her not to lose her temper. As the season winds down, it's also clear that whether she displays her anger or not, Hassan has every right to be angry with her friend. But since she doesn't want to bring up the real source of her anger with Whitfield, Hassan is stuck lashing out whenever Whitfield baits her, leading up to the upcoming explosive confrontation that is about to round off the ladies' Puerto Rico vacation.
The Real Housewives of New York airs Wednesdays on Bravo and can be streamed on Peacock.