[UPDATED] New Jersey 'Real Housewife' Danielle Staub on crime and Botox on 'Today'

   

What do you do if you have a reality star with a newly revealed scandalous past on your show? Well, if you’re “Today,” you laughingly mention those pesky little issues like kidnapping and extortion and then get her to share beauty tips!

Real Housewife of New Jersey Danielle Staub joined the folks at “Today” this morning, marking, one imagines, the first time a former-stripper-charged-with-kidnapping-and-extortion-turned-hateful-reality-star has co-hosted this, or any, morning show.  It was all part of “Housewife” week, and it provided an excellent teaser for the finale of the Jersey branch of Bravo’s "Real Housewives" franchise, which airs tonight (NBC being the parent company of Bravo and all). 

“You kind of light the place up,” said an admiring Hoda Kotb, apparently referring to recent episodes in which it was revealed that Staub has a past that would make Jacqueline Susann sit up and take notice. Under the name Beverly Merrill, she figures heavily in the book “Cop Without a Badge,” written by a con man turned FBI informant who was Merrill/Staub’s first husband. According to the book, when he first met her, she was on probation for charges that had included kidnapping, extortion and drug possession.

The book, which is 20 years old and hardly a bestseller, somehow made it into the hands of Dina Manzo on “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” where it has dominated the story line for the second half of the season, with Staub spending much more time cursing Dina than actually addressing the charges.

It was simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she explained to her one friend, Jacqueline Laurita. She had gone to visit her boyfriend and walked in just as the FBI was busting him for drug dealing, kidnapping and torture. (Her boyfriend lived in a big house, she later said rather hilariously, she couldn’t know what was going on in all the rooms.) “But did he do the things they said he did?” Jacqueline asked. “I’m really not going to answer that,” Staub replied, her tone quickly switching from strained girlfriend confidential to courtroom pragmatism.

So when it was announced last week that she would be co-hosting the fourth hour of “Today,” many were a bit shocked. But leave it to “Today” to keep things in perspective. Kotb presented the book to Staub on a silver platter. After listing the charges, with a winning smile and a tiny laugh, she finally, as if it were really just matter of passing curiousity, asked if Staub had been, you know, convicted of any of the crimes.

Well, yes and no.  Staub answered by giving a big “shout out” to the district attorney who gave her a plea bargain that resulted in probation rather than jail time. “So this was wrong place wrong time,” Kotb said sympathetically, as if such a thing could happen to anyone, before showing the mug shot from the book with a reassuring “This doesn’t look like you.”

Then she got down to business. “I’m just going to ask you what people are going to ask you,” she said. “You can ask me anything, honey,” said Staub. “They ask, ‘Has she done anything to enhance herself with plastic surgery and stuff?' ”

Really, someone should take this moment and put it in a time capsule somewhere. No questions about Staub’s alleged stripper past and drug use, the subsequent less-than-flattering publicity or even how the book made its way onto the show. Nope, moving right on to the things that matter — how the woman manages to look "so good." Even Staub seemed taken aback.

She rallied however, denying any surgery beyond breast enhancement and Botox, and then walking a fascinated Kotb through her beauty regimen. She’s a size 0, in case anyone was wondering, and she eats whatever she wants, including lots of sugar, and exercises only three times a week. There was some minor discussion about Staub’s role on the show — she believes she has been portrayed pretty much as herself — and the real-life relationship among the women. “Acquaintances” is the word Staub used.

By the time Kathy Bates appeared to tout her upcoming film “Cheri,” the sight of that great talent being "interviewed" by Staub was simply too much and I had to leave the room.

— Mary McNamara

[Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post stated that the finale of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” aired on Monday night. It airs tonight.]

Credit: Bravo

Comments

[Tip And Ring]

The New Jersey version of this franchise has to be the biggest train wreck yet. The Joisey girls make the Orange County team look like Harvard grads.

[cat]

OH well...the past is the past...It comes to haunt her...I do believe she had her share ....Danielle looks like she has had her share of men. What kind of mother lets her daughters see every guy she 'dates' and think they will be part of the rest of her life? Her daughter knows she gives away the "goodies" She wants them to be different than her and yet she dated a guy half her age and speak of guys "paying for it?"

People can't hide behind their true selves. I don't judge her..girls like her grow up with no direction and get involved with the wrong people and then need to make a living; they do things to find love, commitment and security and they don't know what that is. Especially if she was raised with similar situation in her family? Where is her family? She is alone and tormented for a reason and has spent her entire life being at the mercy of men. What the hell is she crying for a guy would never be her husband. She cries because no man before him was good to her and treated her like a real woman? It takes more than dinners and flowers to be a real woman. If she is going to give her up her "goodies" no man is going to take her seriously why hasn't it sunk in to her yet? She is alone because she wants all the men and the women to make her feel good. She seems like she was attracted to Dina..that was clear Oh well. I don't think she will ever find that guy...if she does he will be an older guy who had his own issues and doesn't care about the past. I hope she finds her soul and gets a chance but I have to say...she is the example to her girls.

I say don't expect a guy to come and be a daddy...The Ex doesn't even want to pay her, maybe if she went to night school and got a career going she would really know what a honest living is. Only person who can save you is you...stop being independent on men.

[Jack Sand]

I love the Housewives series---but the New Jersey shows really left a ba taste in my mouth. I think what Dina and Caroline Manzo did to Danielle was appalling--especially since they both talked such smack about their integrity and moral values.
Dina and Carolines father-in-law was executed gangland style last August for his involvement with the Gambino crime family. Caroline Manzo and her husband are close friends with Bernard Kerik( you need only google his name to see the corruption he was involved in)
Why these 2 shrews along with Teresa chose to throw Danielle Staub under the bus is beyond me--they should be ashamed of themselves.
Everyone makes mistakes--what happened to Danielle 24 years ago has nothing to do with who she is now. (the show proved that she has a good relationship with her daughters)
I send her hug as I am sure alot of the fans of the show do so as well. I`m sorry that her daughters potentially have to be harrassed in school now because of the sick Manzo sisters.

[Sgoaw]

I hate Dina, Caroline & Teresa. It's so funy how they don't like to talk about Caroline's father-in-law involvement with the mafia but talk about Danielle's past it's ok??? Think a about Who cares what happened 24 years ago with Danielle

[Hair Goddess]

Everyone has some sort of past, maybe not as deep & dark, but I think EVERYONE on the show should have handled "the book" differently. They should have confronted Danielle privately at a luncheon without husbands, nor children. I am a viewer of all the housewife shows & the NJ season is by far my favorite. Their personalities & actions are very real. I am Hair Extension Professional & must say their hair even looks fabolous!

[Barbara D.]

Does anyone remember what the name of the skin care regime that Danielle talked about?

[susie]

Watching this series, I come to the conclusion that the only two genuine people are Jaqueline and Danielle. The others, well what plastic bimbos, so full of their own importance, especially Caroline, who thinks that because she is from Italian stock, she is all that and a bag of chips. More like full of plastic and botox.