Glamour: This season, it seemed like the Housewives players (yourself, New Jersey’s Dolores Catania, Potomac’s Robyn Dixon, and Dubai’s Chanel Ayan) were viewed immediately by other contestants as a threatening alliance. Is there a bias against the Housewives, and why is everyone so intimidated?
Dorinda Medley: I think we’re a threat. I think there’s a reason why we’re picked as Housewives. As far as I’m concerned, the Housewives are some of the bravest women out there. They stand there, they give you everything. They put it out there for you to dislike, take apart, and we give you our hearts and our lives and say, now here you can have it. Hopefully most of the time we give you some wisdom or learning, and other times we don’t do that, but it’s okay. We’re brave enough to stand in that fire.
During the challenge on the boat, you, Dolores, and several other women sacrificed your own safety to help the rest of the team win more money, but many (mostly male) contestants were not willing to do so. When you returned to the castle, you were really vocal about how betrayed you felt. Do you think that put a target on your back?
I’m sure it did. And I think that’s one of the reasons why they probably were threatened by me because I am very vocal.
Do you wish you’d stayed more in the background?
I would say in life in general, it’s hard for me not to speak my truth.
How did you feel when you got the letter announcing you had been murdered?
So disappointed and so sad because I was so excited. I prepared so much to be there and I was looking forward to creating some fun and creating some memories and wearing all the best outfits ever.
Why do you think you got murdered first?
I don’t know specifically, but I think I was probably a threat.
Going back to the “Housewife bias,” I feel like there was this sense by the Traitors of like “we to break up the Housewife team.”
Well, I do think that they’ve tuned in [to Housewives]…especially if you’re a strong Housewife, it may be a little bit of a target on your back. And they’re not wrong! That’s what the game’s about…this is about [kicking] out the people that are going to find you out. That’s the purpose of it.
I mean, if you were on the show and someone like me was on, would you want me to stay on too long?
I think I’d want you to be my ally.
Laughs. But they did miss out. I think I had a lot of good content…I think they should have made me a Traitor….Maybe I’ll go back. There’s always a second season. You never know. There could be another try. And maybe next time I could be a Traitor.
Plus, you are the lady of Bluestone manor. They could have used your expertise in the castle.
