There is nothing more predictable in the Real Housewives universe than friendships being ever-changing. Just ask the Tres Amigas in Orange County, Cynthia Bailey and Nene Leakes from Atlanta, or Lisa Vanderpump and Kyle Richards from Beverly Hills. Former reality show besties can turn into enemies at the drop of a hat. Even actual family members haven’t been safe from the friendship upheaval when Heather Gay and Whitney Rose faced tumultuous moments in their relationship during the past few seasons of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. The conflicts between these women range from ultra-serious to downright silly, but the fights always create plenty of interesting drama for fans and storylines that keep people tuning in. And now The Real Housewives of Dubai has joined in with another friendship that is now clearly dunzo.
RHODubai premiered in the summer of 2022. The original cast included Chanel Ayan, Caroline Brooks, Nina Ali, Sara Al Madani, Lesa Milan, and Caroline Stanbury (who had previously appeared in Bravo’s short-lived Ladies of London). Everyone was invited back for Season 2, except Nina. The first season consisted of introductions to each of the ladies, Stanbury’s extravagant wedding to Sergio Carrallo, and, of course, plenty of catfights between some of the women. But now that Season 2 has kicked off on June 2, it’s clear that one of the sweetest friendships between two of the ladies is pretty much over.
Brooks and Stanbury Used to Be Great Friends on ‘Real Housewives of Dubai’
Season 1 of RHODubai featured tons of wild conflicts, especially the most heated one between Stanbury and Ayan. Many of the women often seemed to be battling for the title of Head Housewife. Stanbury already had name recognition since she had starred in a series, and many believed she was going to be the clear MVP of the cast. But Ayan gave her a run for her money. As an accomplished model she steals every scene she’s in with her over-the-top fashion looks and hilarious bon mots (“Period. Dot.”). The rest of the ladies continue to fight for dominance. This frequently leads to some Housewives trying to start altercations in order to remain relevant. In Season 1, however, two housewives never beefed with each other: the two Carolines.
‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’ is back for a second season and Caroline Brooks says Bravo fans don’t want to miss out.
Brooks and Stanbury seemed tight the entire first season of RHODubai. Even when other conflicts were swirling around them, the two had no problems with each other. Over the past two years, the pair were photographed at events and often appeared on each other’s social media accounts. Fans were eager to see how the two would interact with each other once Season 2 began. Each Caroline appears to be in a good place in their personal lives at the beginning of Season 2. Stanbury has settled into her new marriage and, while still battling with Sergio over whether they should have kids, the two have continued to work on building their dream home. Brooks was also able to finally open her own beauty salon called The Glass House, which she was working on in Season 1. Stanbury appeared (along with Al Madani) at the opening to help support Brooks. So, fans are now shocked to discover a major conflict is brewing between the two women.
What’s Behind the Conflict Between the Carolines on ‘RHODubai’?
Viewers learn that Brooks is no longer cool with Stanbury in the premiere episode of Season 2. A brand-new housewife is introduced, as well, and Taleen Marie is actually at the center of the issue. While at the Beyoncé concert in Dubai, Marie got a tad over-served and fell down in front of everyone. While recounting the story later, Stanbury made a joke at Marie’s expense. Brooks had been a longtime friend of Marie’s and felt the need to jump to her defense. However, Marie herself did not seem bothered that Stanbury had made some comments about her, and, as a newbie, was completely willing to let the comments slide. Brooks would not let it go. In Episode 2, Brooks continues to act icily towards Stanbury. After having a few too many drinks at a party at Marie’s, Brooks escalates the interaction and even calls Stanbury a ‘bitch.’ The rest of the ladies jump to Stanbury’s defense, and try their best to calm Brooks down. But is Brooks really that mad about an innocuous joke about Marie flashing everyone?
‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’ is back for a second season and Caroline Brooks says Bravo fans don’t want to miss out.
Brooks tried explaining her puzzling actions towards Stanbury in an interview with Decider. At the time, she felt like Stanbury was picking on Marie, and didn’t want the new housewife to feel unwelcome in their friend group. She noted, “I kind of held onto my anger toward it because I thought it was really hypocritical for Caroline to treat [Marie] that way considering, like I said, we’ve all had our nights out, and I’ve seen Caroline in the same position. So it’s like, hello, how dare you? It’s the pot calling the kettle black here.” But even if Stanbury was being a bully, why would Brooks want to go against her friend in such a drastic way?
Which Caroline Is to Blame For the ‘RHODubai’ Feud?
It seems there’s actually more to the dispute than what has been shown so far. In a post on June 12, Brooks tweeted that “a lot more happened off camera…It’s a shame that you guys don’t have context, but I can show you all receipts and walk you through the chain of events so you can understand everything.” No one is really clear about what Brooks is referring to, but it makes sense that there’s something else involved in the conflict other than just what has been aired so far. It is definitely necessary for the show to go further into what caused the breakdown between the two Carolines, because at this point, it almost looks like Brooks is starting a war just to steal the spotlight this season. Audiences have no idea what else Stanbury might have done to invoke the wrath of Brooks, so it’s difficult to tell whether Brooks is letting her anger get the best of her for a good reason or not.
Brooks does acknowledge that she takes things too far at times. In an interview with OK Magazine, she said, “I need to watch my mouth, though. I’m a little bit unfiltered, but hey, what can I do? I totally didn’t hold back at all. I wish somebody would’ve reeled me in a little bit because I definitely did not hold back – but it’s not really my personality.” Perhaps after seeing this footage, Brooks is realizing how her actions came across, especially because Marie seems perfectly fine dropping the whole issue completely. It’s a shame that a previously loving, fun relationship should turn into this because of a feud that no one really knows the true cause of. Hopefully, RHODubai will fill in the blanks in future episodes and let fans better understand what actually led to this disagreement, so that they know which Caroline to back going forward.
The Real Housewives of Dubai airs new episodes Tuesdays on Bravo. All episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.