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For several months now, we've been documenting how miserable most of the Sister Wives appear to be on one of TLC's most successful reality shows.

Meri Brown posts omininous memes and messages all the time, for example, and Christine Brown flat-out left spiritual husband Kody last month.

But at least they're full-grown adults. At least they sort of signed up for this arrangement when entered into a plural marriage.

The same cannot be said for Ysabel Brown, however.

On Sunday night, the teenager was faced withh the prospect not only of having to fly across the country to get back surgery...

... but to fly across the country to get back surgery without the company and comfort of her dad by her side.

As a refresher, Ysabel and her mother, Christine, touched down in New Jersey way back in September 2020 (yes, this episode was filmed THAT long ago )and the forrmer underwent a successful procedure for her ongoing scolosis.

Kody did not attend.

At one point on the latest Sister Wives episode, Ysabel talks to her father about his planned absence, which he blames on COVID-19 and his need to remain healthy for the sake of the family.

Ysabel is obviousy all for taking medical precautions, but says on the installment that Kody's priorities sure seem "screwed up."

After telling his daughter that he’s not going with her, he awkwardly asks if she’s going “to become a bitter old housewife because your Daddy didn’t do this for you?”

What a weird and sexist thing to say, wouldn't you agree?

“I won’t be bitter,” Ysabel replies. “I won’t hold it against you.”

However, in a subsequent confessional, the poor young woman grows emotional, raising major questions about her dad.

“I need him to be there, but why isn’t he coming?” Ysabel cries on air.

“I don’t know, why wouldn’t he be there? Why wouldn’t he just drop everything for me? I think his priorities are a little screwed up.”

Kody tried to explain that if he went to the surgey, well... then he'd have to quarantine... and then he'd be away from his many kids and spouses for weeks.

“The amount of time, because of COVID and quarantining and stuff like that I would have to be away from the rest of the family, and because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19,” he said on the episode.

“What we’ve been trying to do is make it so I can see the entire family this entire time.

To her credit, Ysabel tries to be understanding.

“He has a lot of kids to think about. I know I’m not the only kid he has to make sure is safe during this pandemic. It sucks that he can’t be there," she said.

Ysabel later tells the cameras that she thinks Kody’s fear of catching COVID-19 is taking over his life.

“He’s letting fear control him,” she said.

“How long are you going to stop your life for? How long are you just going to put everything on hold?”

As you might also recall, it appeared last year that Kody couldn't afford to pay for his daughter's surgery, either.

In June 2020, Christine Brown posted on her LuLaroe Facebook page that she needed to raise a lot of cash in order to make a down payment on her daughter’s procedure.

“I can’t go into tons of information, but one of my daughters needs a surgery and I need $50,000 for a down payment for the surgery, and you guys are making it happen,” Christine wrote at the time.

She added back then:

“$50,000 for a down [payment] was so daunting, so I decided to just work hard. Just work really, really, really hard and we’re like halfway there…

"I can’t thank you enough for all your purchases and you helping my family, and my daughter. I can’t say [which one] is getting the surgery!”

Now we know, of course.

And now we know something else as well: Her dad totally sucks.

As Josh Duggar's child pornography trial enters its second week, the eyes of the world are once again focused on a federal courthouse in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The jury in Josh's trial is expected to hear closing arguments and reach a verdict within the next two to three days.

The stakes couldn't be much higher, as Josh is facing 20 years behind bars if convicted.

And his acquittal, the prosecution claims, would amount to nothing less than turning a predator loose to claim more victims.

Interestingly, as reporters from all over the country descend upon the courthouse, few members of Josh's massive family have bothered to attend the trial.

In fact, it's been said that the Duggars are ignoring the trial.

But that's not true of all of them, of course.

Several members of the Counting On clan, most notably Josh's wife, Anna, his sister Joy-Anna, and his brothers-in-law Austin Forsyth and Derick Dillard have been in almost-daily attendance at the courthouse.

And then there are those who have been watching every development from a safe distance and subtly letting their feelings be known.

Amy Duggar, as you're likely aware, has long had a reputation as the most rebellious member of the extended Duggar clan.

In the months since Josh was arrested on child pornography charges, Anna has mostly held off on directly commenting on the situation.

But she's found ways to express her rage and disgust with her predatory cousin without ever mentioning Josh by name.

Last week, for example, Amy vowed that "vengeance" would be served and that guilty parties would soon receive "the ultimate sentence."

Amy followed that up with an even more strongly-worded demand for justice.

"Hmm think about it we put dogs asleep for good if they just bite a child..." she tweeted over the weekend.

Not surprisingly, Amy's followers knew exactly what she was talking about, and they were quick to echo her sentiments.

"You're not wrong," one person replied, according to The Sun.

"Thank you for being you and never being quiet. Jill [Duggar, Josh's sister] and all the victims need your voice and strength," another wrote.

"Agreed. Childhood is sacred," a third chimed in.

Amy doubled down in her sentiments with a video that was briefly posted to her Instagram Story, in which she claimed that the Duggar family "hates" that she has been "speaking the truth" amid the family's latest scandal.

The mother of one then stated that she is "never going to stop speaking the truth," adding that she refuses to stop "calling that out."

"God gave me a platform, and somehow He knew that I was going to have this platform," she told her followers.

Obviously, Amy is still addressing the subject of Josh's trial obliquely, but that might change once a verdict is rendered later this week.

Amy might feel, wisely, that as a public figure, it's best for her to hold off on giving her opinion regarding the events that have taken place in court until after the matter is decided.

Still, she's not leaving any doubt with regard to how she feels about Josh and the allegations against him.

Even Amy's mother has echoed her belief that Josh "needs" to go to prison.

Thankfully, reports from the courtroom seem to indicate that the trial is not going in Josh's favor.

But considering how much clout Jim Bob holds in that corner of Arkansas, nothing would surprise us.

We'll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.

Season 13 of Real Housewives of New York was a dud. Attorney and host Eboni K. Williams was added as the first Black Housewife for the franchise. Finally! Her RHONY co-stars, with the exception of her supposed bestie, Leah McSweeney, felt that Eboni was “too preachy.”

Eboni was clear that she was going to make race a conversation, even if it made her co-stars upset. “Frankly, I was not going to tiptoe around these women when it came to any of it. I’m not playing with y’all… Their comfort is just not my concern,” Eboni stated.

There were clear signs that RHONY was in trouble. There were rumors that the show was going on a permanent hiatus. “OG” Ramona Singer denied rumblings that she had been fired. Then, the reunion was cancelled after being delayed. Most viewers assumed it was because of low ratings.

But there was more to the story. Eboni made a complaint against Ramona for allegedly making a “racially motivated” comment. After a long third-party investigation, Ramona was cleared. And Eboni wasn’t alone. A crew member filed a similar complaint before Eboni.

It was reported that Ramona said, “This is why we shouldn’t have black people on the show,” referring to Eboni. Ramona allegedly said this when Luann de Lesseps told Eboni to leave her house. “I never said that. It’s a terrible lie,” Ramona stated. “It’s very disappointing that even after my name was cleared that people still want to slander me.” Sigh.

RELATED: Carole Radziwill Says She Changed Andy Cohen’s Life & Slams Him For Building Real Housewives Franchise “On The Backs Of Women”

There was reportedly more fighting behind the scenes. Luann, Ramona, and Leah were rumored to have a pact to walk out of the party for the book Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of The Real Housewives From the People That Lived It as soon as Eboni arrived. Now this is what should have been filmed for the show.

According to Press Las Vegas, RHONY alum Carole Radziwill weighed in on Eboni’s casting on the Behind the Velvet Rope With David Yontef podcast. Carole explained, “She’s very intelligent from what I saw and very willing to go to the mat on subjects that I tried to a little bit in the way that I could, but she was fierce and I kind of liked that, but it was just like, this is totally wrong show.”

Carole added, “It just felt like she was completely miscast in that. She would be great on The View and some of those political adjacent shows.” In fact, Eboni has openly said that a seat at The View’s table would “be a dream job and I would be blessed with any opportunity to do it for a day, a year and a lifetime.”

RELATED: Carole Radziwill Says Her Friendship With Andy Cohen “Was Really Exaggerated” And “Bravo Generated”

While discussing the topic of casting for Season 14 of RHONY, Carole had some ideas for Bravo, namely keeping the Singer Stinger. “[Ramona isn’t] afraid to make herself look… crazy. She’s the workhorse. She [is] engaging with all the women in the way that she [tries] to connect all the fights and make drama and stuff,” Carole commented. “And a lot of it did not make her look good. But in that way, she was really carrying that show.”

TELL US- DO YOU THINK THAT EBONI WAS MISCAST? WOULD SHE BE A BETTER FIT ON THE VIEW? SHOULD RAMONA STAY ON RHONY IF/WHEN THERE IS A NEW SEASON?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

The post Carole Radziwill Says Eboni K. Williams “Was Completely Miscast” And “Wrong” For Real Housewives Of New York appeared first on Reality Tea.

Oh, baby!

Early Monday morning, Jacob Roloff took to Twitter and revealed some miraculous news:

His wife, Isabel, has given birth!

The former reality stars are first-time parents!

“My wife is a superhero my son is an angel and all nurses are saints goodnight,” the new dad Tweeted, keeping the announcement short, simple and sort of mysterious.

We don't yet know the child's name or measurements -- and we may not for a long while.

Roloff previously made a point of telling followers that they'll never see a photo of his first-born, which is obviously his prerogative. 

His superhero of a wife, however, kept fans well apprised of both her physical and mental states for the duration of her pregnancy.

"I thought maybe I’d escape pregnancy stretch mark free. How silly that was something I desired at all," she wrote early last month, for example.

"Even after following so many people in this community who normalize stretch marks, they’re still not *fully* accepted or desirable.

"I was allowing myself to believe the lie that I’d be less valuable with them...

"The thing is, after eight months of growing this miracle in my belly, I don’t look in the mirror with disgust like I thought I might."

Concluded Isabel at the time:

"I look at them with pride. I see them as badges of honor. I did this. I grew a human. And I have the scars now to prove I did.

"Growth, these days, just feels all kinds of beautiful."

Amen, Isabel. Amen.

Jacob and Isabel began dating in 2014 and got engaged three years later. They exchanged vows in September 2019 in Oregon.

The 24-year old is the youngest of Matt and Amy Roloff's four kids, having walked away from Little People, Big World in the summer of 2016.

He said at the time that he simply couldn't handle the phony and scripted nature of the long-running reality series -- but Jacob later claimed he had been molested by a TLC field producer.

Really awful stuff.

“Not for you but us: I’m very happy to say, we’re having a son,” Jacob wrote in July as an unusual way of confirming he and Isabel were expecting.

For her part, the brand new mother wrote this summer:

"We are elated to share that the baby boy we have been dreaming of is coming this December.”

Just a few weeks ago, Jeremy and Audrey Roloff welcomed their third child, a boy named Radley.

And then shortly after that, Zach and Tori Roloff announced they were pregnant with their third kid.

"We are so excited to share some exciting news with you!" Tori wrote on Instagram in mid-November.

"Baby Roloff will be joining us this spring and we are so grateful to God for this sweet gift!"

Isabel, meanwhile, told followers early in her pregnancy that she was waiting for an a-ha moment before taking the step into motherhood, but...

“Th[ose] just don’t happen. You never feel really ready for anything.

"But eventually, you find the courage and take the leap. And you just do the damn thing. …

"I don’t know, that just really comforts me in my moments of panic thinking to myself, ‘Will I ever be truly ready?’

"The truth is, probably not. But the Earth will keep spinning, and life will keep happening, so I might as well buckle up and enjoy the ride.”

The results of Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump character popularity polls for My Hero Academia are in. The polls, which are at the point of generating tens of thousands of votes, showcase the top 40 characters of the franchise that year according to fans. Special attention is given to the top 10 via a new illustration that makes you wish we’d get an OVA that puts these kids in a Steampunk AU (or that FANTASY AU we were teased about in the 3rd ending).

My Hero Academia 7th Character Popularity Poll Results in Issue #1. pic.twitter.com/ZZYn33ca8C

— Shonen Jump News – Unofficial (@WSJ_manga) December 5, 2021

It’s no surprise who the top 3 are (Bakugo, Deku, and Todoroki, which has always been the case), and if you’ve been following these character polls for a while you know that Bakugo is always number one (save for the first year, which went to Deku since he is the protagonist and all). Honestly, with this being the year of MAJOR Katsuki Bakugo growth he was destined to be #1.

I’m sure Deku would be happy for Kacchan.

The poll is full of characters who have either done something significant in the series lately or who are just plain likable. To my fangirl heart’s delight, newcomer Rody Soul made the list, which is both wonderful and amusing as all hell because he’s a one-shot character from the latest My Hero Academia movie, My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission.

That’s not to say movie characters can’t make the list, it’s just a difficult task when you’re up against characters who fans have been attached to for years. In fact, out of the three My Hero Academia movies we’ve gotten, none of the original characters from those movies have ever made it on the list, let alone the top 10.

There are times in fandom where we get attached to characters who don’t have that much screentime in the grand scheme of things, but they leave such an impression that they manage to be one of the most popular characters in the series (looking at you Matt from Death Note). Rody, when you think about it, had less than 2 hours in a franchise that has 5 seasons, over 300 manga chapters, 2 movies, and video games.

There’s also the fact that he’s a movie-only character, and movie-only characters in anime films based on long-running series don’t always leave the biggest impact. They kinda don’t have to, not when they’re part of a plot that doesn’t have any significant bearing on the series. There are exceptions, but in the case of the My Hero Academia movies, they’re more like bonus content where the main characters get to do things they can’t do in the series.

For instance: Deku and All Might got to physically fight side-by-side in the first My Hero Academia movie (My Hero Academia: Two Heroes). This, of course, is impossible in the series because All Might doesn’t have One For All anymore, but in the movie, the two got the chance to team up. There are moments where that movie’s characters might be mentioned in the series, or there’s some kind of cute callback to a movie moment, but they aren’t vital to understanding the lore of the franchise.

Rody is the same way. You don’t have to watch his movie to understand the series, and we’ll probably never see him again save for a side manga chapter or filler episode (please, give him a random reason to come back), which is why it’s surprising to see him at the #9 spot.

Real talk, though? Rody deserves it. In a movie where I went in looking for that Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki dynamic – complete with new outfits – the thing that stuck with me the most was Rody.

The official Rody Soul trailer is HERE! 🔥 🔥 Watch World Heroes’ Mission in theaters before it’s gone! #mhawhm pic.twitter.com/fs1juFnNHl

— My Hero Academia (@MHAOfficial) November 13, 2021

Besides having a cute character design and being incredibly entertaining on screen, Rody has an extremely relatable story. He’s kinda in the middle of the whole hero and villain dynamic the series has. My Hero Academia is full of characters who are on one side or the other, and we get to see why characters have chosen to walk the paths that are presented to them. Even certain villains have moments where you completely understand why they decided to do what they did.

Rody is somewhere in the middle because he’s just trying to survive the circumstances he’s found himself in. He’s not trying to be a hero and doesn’t even care for them all that much, but that doesn’t mean he’s trying to be a villain, either. He’s basically just trying to make sure he and his siblings are taken care of, putting their health and wellbeing before anything else.

To me, that aligned closely with how I feel a lot of the time when the world is too big to handle. I want to do good, of course, but when things are too much I’m left with trying to figure out how to make sure my loved ones and I are doing okay before I even attempt to go after “the bigger picture.”

That’s all I really have time for, and all I have the mental capacity to handle. That doesn’t mean I want “evil” to win, it just means that I have priorities that, at the end of the day, take precedence above everything else.

Here’s what I said about Rody over at Funimation.

What I like about Rody is that he has every reason to be lukewarm about heroes, but instead of taking that energy and becoming someone who hisses whenever a hero is mentioned, he just continues to do what he can to make it to the next day. He’s accepted that this is how his life is going to be, so he’s just trying to work through it the best way he can.

I feel like this is what a lot of us end up doing when we have moments where we realize that there isn’t going to be a hero coming to save the day. We take a breath and figure it out ourselves—especially if we have others to take care of. Rody’s got younger siblings to look out for, and no one else is gonna help them out.

Rody’s situation isn’t fair and his reaction to that is tragically relatable: you’re probably exhausted, but you just keep moving forward and doing what you can to survive. He can’t afford to wait around to see if someone is going to save him; he doesn’t have the luxury of finding whatever hero society has deemed as being “honest work;” and he’s not out here trying to change the minds of the people around him. Not anymore, at least, because he doesn’t have that kind of time.

When life keeps giving you lemons, you learn how to make some form of lemonade that can sustain you and your loved ones. Him having moments of trying to decide if helping Deku is worth the potential risk to his family are real, especially when no one has shown his family any sort of compassion. And he doesn’t approach that in a “Why should I care about heroes?” kind of way, but an “I have other responsibilities to take care of!” kind of way.

In a time where everything feels so uncertain, seeing a character who wasn’t immediately jumping into the fray one way or the other was refreshing, especially when paired with a character who willingly breaks himself into pieces to try and stop forces that are entirely too overwhelming for a teenage boy.

Congratulations, Rody. I really will miss you when the series moves on from the 3rd movie, but I suppose that’s what fandom is for.

(Image: © K. Horikoshi/Shueisha/Toho Animation, My Hero Academia Project)

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It's been a full week since the Josh Duggar child pornography trial got underway in a federal courthouse in Fayettevile, Arkansas.

The world is looking on in morbid curiosity as a jury prepares to decide if the disgraced former reality star will spend the next 20 years behind bars.

Journalists from all over the country have descended on northwest Arkansas, and the courthouse has become the scene of intense drama, as the conclusion of the most shocking scandal in the history of reality television plays out inside.

The stakes couldn't be higher, and after months of delays, Josh's fate will likely be decided this week ...

... so why can't anyone in his family be bothered to show up to court?

Josh's wife, Anna Duggar, has stood by his side throughout the trial, but as many media outlets have pointed out, the rest of his family has mostly steered clear of the trial.

In fact, it seems they're carrying on with life as though nothing is amiss.

The Ashley of The Ashley's Reality Roundup is in Arkansas covering the trial and she's obtained photos of the infamous Duggar compound that show a brightly-lit home decked out for the holiday season.

It makes sense, of course, as this is the Duggars' favorite time of year, and most of them have made a point of publicly ignoring Josh's trial.

Still, with everything this family is going through, it's a bit of a shock to see the compound lit up like a landing strip, adorned with Christmas decorations and signs for Jim Bob's state senate campaign.

So have any of the Duggars (other than Anna) even bothered to show up to the courthouse?

Well, Jim Bob was forced to testify at a pre-trial hearing last week, but he hasn't been back since.

Jill and Jedediah Duggar are also on the witness list, but they have yet to be called to the stand.

(It's still unclear if Josh's siblings will be testifying for the defense or the prosecution.)

Acording to The Ashley, Joy-Anna Duggar sat in the gallery and observed testimony on Thursday and Friday of last week, and her husband, Austin Forsyth was with her on each occasion.

Austin also showed up in court alone on Tuesday of last week.

Speaking of spouses, Jill's husband, Derick Dillard, has been in court every day since the trial began, and he's sat next to Anna each time.

This doesn't mean, of course, that Jill and Derick are necessarily supporting Josh.

Derick is a recent law school graduate, and witnesses say he's been taking copious notes throughout the trial.

He might just be there to gather information that could be of use later on. 

Derick has not yet been joined by Jill in court.

Justin Duggar was in court on Thursday, and for some reason, he was joined by his mother-in-law, Hilary Spivey.

Interestingly, Joy and Austin sat apart from the others during their days in court.

Jim Bob and Michelle have not attended as observers, nor have any of Josh's other siblings.

Despite the fact that she lives a mere seven minutes from the courthouse, Jessa Duggar has not attended a single moment of her brother's trial.

Along with Jill, Joy, and Jinger, Jessa was molested by Josh during her childhood.

The judge in his case ruled that Josh's past sex crimes can be used against him in this trial.

So the likelihood of being forced to relive these horrors is one of many possible reasons that Jill and the others have chosen to steer clear of the courthouse.

The state senate campaign and the usual gaudily excessive Christmas decorations don't come as much of a surprise to those who know Jim Bob best.

The Duggar patriarch has taken a "life goes on" attitude amid numerous previous scandals, and it's clear that he won't be allowing this trial to derail his political ambitions, regardless of the outcome.

The Ashley paid a visit to the used car lot that Josh used to own, and where he allegedly downloaded the illicit materials that might soon land him behind bars for decades.

Bizarrely, the trailer that served as the dealership's primary office has been removed, but a very small secondary office still stands.

This is the scene of the alleged crimes, and The Ashley notes that only a desk and a tattered American flag remain inside the structure.

It's a fitting symbol for a family whose ambitions were once nothing less than becoming the most powerful political dynasty in America.

We'll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.