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    Just say no

    Why I turned down the Real Housewives of Houston: A first-person account of being producer chased

    Laura Spalding
    Jun 2, 2010 | 4:11 pm
    New Jersey housewives had a car wash, but we doubt the Houston contenders would risk their manicured nails.

    Editor's Note: Much has been said recently about the potential Real Housewives of Houston series after news of the show broke on CultureMap. Now, we hear from one high-profile Houstonian who received the call and turned down the offer.

    What do you say when someone approaches you to be on a television reality show, with all kinds of reassuring promises? Ten years ago: “Hell yes!" Now: “Hell no!"

    A couple of years ago, a woman approached my girlfriends and me at the original Bar Annie, our home-away-from-home. She and her television crew came up to us and said that they were filming a show about some Houston women.

    I asked her what her angle was and she replied, “Well, you know, everything’s big in Texas … BIG hair, BIG money, BIG ...” Now, imagine the sound of screeching car treads here as she saw the admittedly disgusted and disapproving look on my face. She had just made one BIG, fat mistake. Undeterred and lightning quick on her feet, she immediately switched gears and continued, “AND, that’s why we are trying to convey the EXACT OPPOSITE of that.”

    Ha! Way to recover! Kudos to the desperate filmmaker! Bravo! Pun intended.

    I told the woman not to include me, retreated and sat with another friend, who, incidentally, had been called by the same woman that day. (If you have not been called, contact your service provider. Something is wrong.)

    Later, as I waited for my ride to take me home, I saw this guy do about 30 drunk minutes on camera outside the restaurant. I would almost swear now that he was actually dancing at one point, but that could have just been my faulty recalled impression that he was doing whatever they asked. I am darn sure, however, that he was drunk enough to sign the release. God love him.

    The next day, several people told me that the Bravo woman had referenced my encounter with her, remarking that she had “scared me away” and was there any way that she could talk to me? Still, no.

    Fast-forward two years when I received a phone call from a woman saying that her network wanted to “spotlight” some of Houston’s “interesting and involved people” and would I mind meeting with her? You guessed it — the same chick, but now with a better, honed spiel.

    I let her chat, then asked if she remembered an attorney who would not talk to her a couple of years ago at Bar Annie. She recalled the incident. “That was I,” I said. Long pause. A few coughs.

    I then told her that I was infinitely boring, that my life was a complete snore and that my scenes would end up on the cutting room floor. Yet, the woman was relentless.

    The following conversation represents a paradigm of what these so-called reality shows do. Check out how many writers they have in the credits after them. If they are “real,” why have writers?

    The following ensued. The woman asked about my weekend plans. I was attending a gala that Friday night, had not made a hair appointment, was trying to get one and we were having a dinner party at our home on Saturday.

    “I love it”!" she said. “Laura Spalding is furious that her hair dresser won’t take her!"

    “NO!" I barked. I was absolutely and decidedly NOT furious. I had waited until the last minute and my lack of an updo was MY OWN DAMN FAULT. Her reply? “Can I film your dinner party and follow you around for the weekend? You know that you don’t have to sign anything.” No!

    That is when we officially broke up. Like a college frat boy, she finally let it penetrate that I really meant it when I said, “No.” Pun maybe intended.

    Some of my friends might have signed on to participate in this show and I genuinely hope that it goes well. If the show is interesting, my educated guess (I have watched a respectable amount of this stuff) is that some of these folks are going to tumble … and HARD. There will be fallout.

    I had my own reasons for saying no and they have theirs for saying yes. OK by me. I know these women and I know that they are good people with kind, generous hearts who contribute a lot to the community and are wonderful friends. Is it possible, therefore, that American television viewers could have become a little more savvy and will judge my peeps for who they really are? ... Nah!

    They won't have a chance if all they get to see is a producer's skewed view of who the Houston women are. Entertainment for entertainment's sake.

    Ramona of "The Real Housewives of New York" dancing on the dock while on vacation — not a pretty picture.

    unspecified
    news/society

    For Good

    Emotional night uplifts mental health at UTHealth Houston's $1.8M gala

    Joel Luks
    Nov 21, 2025 | 10:30 am
    UT Health Houston Mission in Action gala 2025
    Photo by Priscilla Dickson
    Greg and Kristy Kroencke and Cheryl and Anthony Faillace.

    At a time when mental health is finally getting its long-overdue moment in the spotlight, more than 200 supporters gathered at the Thompson Hotel for UTHealth Houston’s 2025 Mission in Action gala — an evening as elegant as it was emotionally resonant. Co-chairs Yvonne and Walter Johnson welcomed guests to an event that raised awareness and empathy.

    This year’s event honored the John S. Dunn Foundation, a philanthropic force synonymous with health care advancement in Houston. Accepting the honor on behalf of the foundation, Charlie Lusk reflected on a legacy that’s shaped institutions quietly but powerfully over nearly five decades.

    The evening, produced by Keely Thorne Events, struck a tone of transformation and dignity. Live music from Divisi Strings floated through a ballroom filled with trees and moody ombré florals by The Blooming Gallery, symbolizing the journey from darkness to light.

    Walter Johnson shared his own family’s experience with behavioral health struggles. That spotlight widened with a moving video presentation featuring two UTHealth Houston patients, whose candid stories offered a visceral look at what compassion, research, and comprehensive care can achieve. UTHealth Houston president Melina Kibbe underscored a future-facing focus.

    “We are committed to building a future where behavioral health care is more predictive, more preventive, and more personalized so that we can reach people earlier and support them more effectively,” Kibbe said.

    The evening’s total impact? More than $1.8 million raised in support of behavioral health research, education, and care at UTHealth Houston.

    In the room were Marco Patti, Cynthia Adkins, Terri Lacy, Diana Hawkins, Andy Sowell, John Wallace, Kathleen and Dick Rogers, Cheryl and Anthony Faillace, Jodie Jiles, Sonny Jiles, Ginny and LE Simmons, Larry and Tatiana Seligmann, Bette and Ralph Thomas, Mike and Rajni Jain, Elizabeth and Drew Kanaly, Maria Pappas, Anne-Laure and Steve Stephens, Lisa and Michael Sachs, Les and Linda Allison, Clay and Charlotte Allison, Carla Diaz Lewis and Kenneth Lewis, Anne and Karl Stern, Leila and Walter Mischer, and Regina Rogers.

    UT Health Houston Mission in Action gala 2025

    Photo by Priscilla Dickson

    Greg and Kristy Kroencke and Cheryl and Anthony Faillace.

    fundraisersut healthhospitals
    news/society

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