Jessel Taank is returning for another season of The Real Housewives of New York City. As the first Indian Housewife in the franchise, Taank felt that continuing after the break between Seasons 15 and 16 was especially meaningful. “Being able to share my culture and my life felt incredibly exciting,” she said. Taank is also balancing marriage to rising food creator Pavit Randhawa, parenting twin sons Kai and Rio, filming, friendships, and passion projects such as Ooshk, a platform celebrating Indian and Middle Eastern fashion.
The Season 16 premiere opened with Sai De Silva taking responsibility for her past criticism of Taank and her marriage. Although the reconciliation may have appeared sudden, Taank explained that the two women had been repairing their friendship long before the cameras captured their conversation. “We’ve been building trust over the course of the past couple of years,” Taank said. “She didn’t have to take accountability for the past, but she did. That meant a lot to me.”
Taank and De Silva may now be in a strong place, but her relationship with Erin Lichy remains more complicated. The pair have made peace, yet Taank is still surprised that Lichy criticized her during the Bluestone Manor gathering featured on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. She remains grateful that RHODubai alum Chanel Ayan told her what had been said. “I really respected the fact that Chanel took it upon herself to give me a little heads-up,” Taank said. “Quite frankly, it changed my entire perception of Erin and our relationship.”
Taank visited the Decider studio to discuss the latest season, her regret over pressing Carole Radziwill about her late friend Carolyn Bessette, and the shifting dynamics among the RHONY cast.
DECIDER: What made you decide to stay with RHONY after the reboot’s first season came to an end?
JESSEL TAANK: The reboot appealed to me because New York is constantly evolving. It moves at such a fast pace, and the city brings together people from so many different backgrounds, so refreshing the series felt natural. I also wanted to be part of the show because it gave me the opportunity to become the first Indian cast member in the entire Real Housewives franchise. That was an enormous honor. Indians are often very private, so sharing my culture and personal life with viewers felt like a special opportunity.
I loved seeing you and Sai reconcile in the Season 16 premiere. What was it like hearing her acknowledge her past behavior?
Sai explained that she recognized similarities between how she acted before and what was unfolding in her own life. I don’t believe she ever meant to create a misleading impression of her life back then. But now she’s being open and truthful about the experience, and I genuinely respect her for that.
I was often confused by the way she criticized you and your marriage, but her explanation put it into perspective. Did rebuilding trust with Sai take time?
It has been four years since we began this journey with Season 14, and Sai and I have put real effort into our friendship. To viewers, our renewed closeness may seem to have happened overnight, but we’ve been working on trust for years. Sai was not obligated to revisit the past or accept responsibility, so the fact that she chose to do so meant a great deal to me.
Pavit has become one of my favorite House Husbands, and it’s been fascinating to watch him navigate this new stage of his career. How do you feel about his work as an emerging food influencer?
I’ve always encouraged him to pursue his goals. Everyone deserves the chance to find professional fulfillment and chase the work they’re passionate about, and this is what Pavit wants to do. He’s still developing his strategy and figuring out the right plan, so I’m constantly reminding him to stay consistent and focused. He’s incredibly smart and genuinely passionate about creating food content.
The Real Housewives of Dubai may be on pause, but Chanel Ayan is still involved in Housewives drama. Were you pleased that she told you what Erin had said, or would you have preferred not to know?
I’m definitely glad Chanel told me. I left that event completely unaware of what had been going on. When someone treats me warmly in person, I usually take that at face value, so I thought, “Everything is fine.” Clearly, it wasn’t. I appreciated Chanel stepping in to warn me, because it completely shifted the way I viewed Erin and the state of our relationship.
Your Chinese New Year celebration became tense after your memorable speech. Did Erin’s decision to confront you at your own party catch you off guard?
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Not really. We barely interacted that evening. I wasn’t trying to single her out, but the moment developed naturally. I had intended to address her past behavior eventually, although I probably wouldn’t have chosen that particular night. It wasn’t necessarily the ideal setting, but I’m ultimately glad we had the conversation. It became heated, but I needed the opportunity to say how I felt.
Do you regret asking her to leave?
Absolutely not. I hosted the party to celebrate change and welcome the new year with positive energy, and Erin’s presence brought the opposite of what I wanted for the event. I don’t regret removing her, although I don’t think I would handle things that way again. It simply isn’t who I am.
Carole Radziwill is returning to RHONY in Season 16. Were you familiar with her, and what did you think when you learned she was coming back?
I say this often, but Carole is probably the most grounded and logical of all the former RHONY women. She’s also the one I run into most frequently around New York City. Carole is a true social butterfly, and you see her at all kinds of events, from fashion gatherings to everything else. She fits naturally with the cast, and she’s genuinely cool. I had a wonderful time getting to know her.
I didn’t realize you were so curious about the late Carolyn Bessette after watching Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Do you wish you had held back on some of your questions about her to Carole?
I wish I had known how Carole was feeling about Love Story in general. I didn’t realize that the show had hit such a nerve for her. Obviously, we learn as the season goes along that it really had been a very hard time for her. I do regret prodding her, but there wasn’t any malicious intent; it was just curiosity.
I think most viewers knew you didn’t mean any harm.
If I had known what she was feeling about Carolyn and the show, I would never have even broached the subject.
One thing I love about you is that you are always busy! You’re working on a new luxury e-commerce retail platform specializing in Indian & Middle Eastern fashion. What can you tell us about Ooshk?
We launched it about a year ago, but we’re going through some iterations and some changes. I’m actually relaunching it with the CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America], which is really great. Ooshk is about introducing globally renowned designers who are not as well-known in the U.S. I’m tapping into a lot of emerging talent and creatives who are more under the radar here. I’m putting my PR hat on and giving them the exposure and attention that they deserve. It’s a fun project and one I’m really excited about.
We’re just at the beginning of RHONY Season 16! What can you tease about what’s to come?
I have heard from production that Episode 1 was the softest episode. So, if your interest is peaked by Episode 1, I encourage you to keep watching because it only gets better.