Dorión Renaud isn’t any stranger to actuality TV.
He first graced the small display screen means again in 2008 with BET‘s College Hill: Atlanta. Since then, he’s gone on to enter the skincare trade whereas conserving a public profile. But the Texas native undoubtedly hasn’t seen this stage of sketchiness earlier than!!
Related: Grayson Chrisley Says He ‘Didn’t Have A Choice’ About Being On Reality TV!
MTV has a much-anticipated new sequence out known as The Real Friends of WeHo. It follows a gaggle of (um, supposed?) associates round LGBT-friendly El Lay enclave West Hollywood. The new sequence tracks the homosexual group’s social lives and all of the enjoyable and drama that comes with. But apparently it’s not precisely what it appears?!?!
Fans had already been pissed at MTV execs for slicing down RuPaul‘s Drag Race — from 90-minute episodes to just 60 minutes — in order to make programming room for Real Friends. But now, according to Renaud, that’s not the one purpose individuals must be upset! In reality, the way it all got here collectively is a narrative in and of itself!!
Renaud spoke to Love B. Scott on Friday afternoon, revealing the method for signing onto the present was apparently shrouded in some fairly important thriller! The Buttah skincare mogul defined how he was initially informed the present was going to be known as The A-List: Los Angeles. It was meant to be a spin-off of a present Logo ran in 2010 and 2011 known as The A-List: New York.
As Renaud recounted to the outlet, he was informed one very particular factor concerning the sequence:
“I was approached back in March of 2021. It was pitched to me as The A-List: Los Angeles. It [was] supposed to be a reboot of the series The A-List: New York. I was told it was going to be docuseries style that followed me working on my brand and showing parts of my personal life. Also, I was told the show would be on the streaming service Paramount+. I initially said no several times, but finally signed my contract at the last minute.”
And but for a gaggle of “real friends,” as we now know the present is named, Dorión by no means met any of them!!
He defined how he was solely conscious of forged mate Curtis Hamilton‘s presence previous to filming, however was left at nighttime on all of the others concerned:
“During the process of them courting me, production told me names of people who were being approached. Aside from Curtis [Hamilton] who I’ve been friends with for a few years, I had no idea who was on the show until filming. I was home filming stuff with Buttah for 2 weeks before I even met the cast. Production was very tight lipped about who was on the show. Keep in mind, the whole time I’m thinking the show is still A-List: Los Angeles.”
Damn…
It sounds loopy to listen to him inform it now, however Renaud stated he solely discovered the actual title of the present when the press launch got here out! He solely realized it was set to air on MTV then, too. AND that its presence would take time away from the beloved Drag Race! What a trifecta of undesirable and surprising surprises!!!
Renaud defined:
“I found out in the press release, we had no idea it was going to MTV and that it would take away from Drag Race. I watch Drag Race and I love Ru, he’s iconic. Again, I was still under the impression this was the A-List: Los Angeles for Paramount+ so I was shocked to find out it was going to MTV. I didn’t sign up for MTV. I also didn’t see the poster beforehand. I saw it at the same time as everyone else and that’s where I had a serious issue.”
So sketchy!!
He was particularly shocked as a result of he doesn’t even stay in West Hollywood:
“They promoted the show as six gay men living in West Hollywood who are friends. First I don’t live in West Hollywood, I live in the valley, I love the valley. I never go to West Hollywood, I’m not in that scene. Aside from Curtis I wasn’t friends with any of the cast. I also have never confirmed or talked about my sexuality. I felt betrayed because they have me identifying as something I’m not. I’m Dorión Renaud.”
Love an excellent Valley shoutout!
Now, he’s mad about what he says is the method of being misled via filming.
As he informed the outlet, he put up massive bucks to do issues for his skincare line together with the present. Now, to have the deliberate “docuseries” end up very in another way than what he’d been anticipating has come as a shock:
“I brought in Macy’s for the show, and I have Cassie shooting a campaign for Buttah. I spent a lot of my own dollars promoting my business for the series, because I was filming under the impression this was a docuseries that was following me the businessman. I was definitely misled; I can’t speak on what my other cast members were told.”
Don’t anticipate him to advertise the present a lot, both. Renaud defined how he doesn’t actually need to lend his model to one thing he didn’t join:
“It kinda happened to me on College Hill, but I was young and didn’t have a voice. But I do now, I addressed my concerns to the higher ups and was basically told to be a happy camper and to the promote the show. But I will not promote something that I cannot stand behind. I tried to leave the show several times, but I couldn’t.”
Damn!!!
Then, he concluded by asking probably the most vocal critics on social media to grasp that the forged is outwardly simply as thrown by the present’s launch as viewers are:
“It’s crazy, we are getting no support. There are people saying the most negative stuff online, some have gotten death threats and we aren’t getting any support from the network or production company. It’s not the cast fault that we ended up on MTV. I would not have signed on to this show if I knew about the name change, the theme of the show changing and the network change. I don’t feel comfortable representing a city/community that I’m not a part of.”
Such a loopy state of affairs! So shady!
You can learn Renaud’s full interview HERE.
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[Image via MTV/YouTube/Dorión Renaud/Instagram]
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