Brynn Whitfield Describes Childhood Abuse, Neglect During RHONY Thanksgiving

After last week’s Hamptons getaway awkwardness, it was time for the cast of The Real Housewives of New York City Season 14 to head home.

Thanksgiving was looming. Most of them would be spending the holiday with family.

Not everyone, however. Brynn Whitfield never had that sense of family. She usually has Thanksgiving with an ex.

She opened up about her early childhood of neglect and abuse. That’s how she ended up in her grandmother’s custody when she was still a baby.

As The Real Housewives of New York City Season 14, Episode 4 began, the Housewives were waking up in the Hamptons.

This was dawn of the final day of their stay at Erin “Stop The Steal” Lichy’s Hamptons home.

And though Brynn Whitfield had clashed with their host, they clearly had their good moments, too.

Brynn wasn’t the only one to have a sleepover with Erin. Sai was also there, but departed late in the night.

Following jokes implying that they had some sort of wild tryst (Brynn is really growing on me by the way), it’s breakfast time.

That means that Erin finally gets to make shakshuka for everyone.

She did not get to the other morning, which was for the best.

Shakshuka is primarily tomato and eggs.

Putting what amounts to a lot of natural acids into your stomach before a workout is a recipe for disaster.

But it’s clearly a fantastic breakfast food for anyone who enjoys the ingredients.

And Ubah Hassan provided some of her hot sauces to add more flavor to anyone who wants some.

Yes, the Housewives tend to plug their own brands and products on the show. Bravo lets them … because their contracts usually give them a cut of the Housewife’s profits.

Of all of the Housewives, Sai De Silva seemed to be the only one who wasn’t head over heels for the shakshuka.

She didn’t insult Erin, she just … expected a little something more from the unfamiliar dish.

Soon, however, the ladies were discussing the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

However, not everyone has the same Thanksgiving plans or traditions.

As some lamented intrusive in-laws, Brynn admitted that she would welcome an overbearing mother-in-law.

“I’ve never had, like, a real family,” she confessed to her castmates. Brynn had a very rough upbringing.

Brynn’s Thanksgiving solution has, historically, been to call up an ex.

Not for a hookup. She’ll hang out with their family for Thanksgiving to avoid being alone.

As far as family, Brynn has her brother. That seems to be it.

This time, she’s thinking of calling up the family of her third ex-fiance, Gideon.

Gideon is a handsome hottie. Brynn likes him as an ex, and worries that they’d now be divorced if she’d married him.

Her castmates seem to really like him. They note how much he adores her, and some of them would like to see them back together.

We next see Brynn visiting a hair salon. She gets her hair done once a week.

For years, Brynn used hair relaxers. They have had a permanent impact upon her hair health.

The reason? She grew up as a biracial child under the care of her white grandmother while attending an otherwise all-white school in Indiana.

Brynn’s parents were not in the picture beyond infancy. That was for the best.

Her father’s family was also never part of her life. And her grandmother had no idea how to take care of her hair.

As a result, Brynn’s only experience with Black people who weren’t her siblings was going to her grandmother’s friend’s hair salon on Saturdays.

On Thanksgiving itself, Sai was thinking of Brynn.

She suggested to her husband that maybe they should have a Friendsgiving get-together. This time, after Thanksgiving.

But this wouldn’t be just a Housewives Thanksgiving. This would be a Brynnsgiving.

In the kitchen, she called up Brynn and suggested the idea.

(Real talk: as with so many of these phone calls on reality TV, they probably settled on the idea beforehand. That’s what I’d do, anyway)

It’s such a sweet idea. Brynn felt so touched. And Sai’s husband was all for it. (He also suggested that they be more patient with Jessel)

The day of Brynnsgiving arrived.

As the ladies gathered at Sai’s house, Brynn flaunted her backless dress and welcomed everyone to the party.

But it wasn’t all fun and games. Things became sad as she opened up more about her childhood.

At the table, Brynn explained exactly why her grandmother raised her.

Her mom was a teen mom. Her dad was older. And whatever per parents’ situation was, it was horrible for her.

Brynn described what she had clearly heard about her treatment as a baby. There was more to it than extreme poverty, but that was part of it.

Days without her diaper being changed or being picked up by a parent or other caregiver.

Neglect and abuse. So, at just six months of age, she and her brother and her sister went to live with her grandmother.

Understandably, Brynn became tearful. And so did several of her castmates. This is where the episode ended, teasing To Be Continued.

Brynn Whitfield Describes Childhood Abuse, Neglect During RHONY Thanksgiving was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.