Dramatic on Sunset with Mary and Romain

This is the most dramatic podcast ever and iHeartRadio podcast. Hey everybody, Chris Harrison coming to you from the home office in Austin, Texas. Very excited about the show today and about the guests I have coming up. Guests and

Thank you for having me.

Thank Yeah.

I didn't say your full name because that's my first question. It is now Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet.

It's actually just Mary Bonet.

Oh it was Fitzgerald's gone, I got I'm.

Right that I got rid of it. It was actually my ex husband's last name.

Oh yeah, good riddance.

I know, I just never changed it because of business and it's so hard to switch over. But it sounds so much good.

It does have a better ring to it. I agree with.

Yeah, yeah, So I just decided to suck it up and let's just do it.

Heather change, Heather switched to her name.

There's no issues with it, so I might as well just do it. We'll just do some press on it so people know. But for right now, sometimes they have to go by Mary Fitzgerald Bonet so people can see the transition and they recognize who it is.

You guys got married in twenty nineteen. Was this core kind of like a test drive, like, let's let's make sure this car is going to work before I commit to the last name.

I wish I could say that. No, it was just a very selfish reason on my part because I.

Hate going to the DMV and for my I still have done on passport yet and just switching everything over all my account names and trying to do all of those things, I'm like such a hassle.

On top of just.

In business, people are having to recognized the new name.

Well, in real estate, your name is a big deal. It's everywhere. So but wait, you don't have a passport. Your husband is French.

See I have I have a passport, but it's just my old best name. So I still have my old driver's license too because I travel.

All the time until I can have that. I know, that's what I'm saying, because I've got I've got Bonett.

And Fitzgerald so that i can show proof like if needed, because I'm very slow at doing all this transitional stuff.

Remain I know you obviously have been here a while, but you you are French, but I see you are adapting. You got your Dodgers hat on.

You are an LA guy.

Yeah, well too this with you.

I mean I love wearing hats, and especially those one of the baseball hat, but actually not a big big fan of baseball. I just went one time with Jason and Brett and I tell you what was it?

The World Series?

So that was a really big game. Plus that was so slow.

It's I know, people can plain about soccer or football, obviously, I'm sure you're a big football fan back in France. People can plain about that. I agree, baseball is ten times slower.

It's so slow, yeah, because like during like like soccer and it is like actually like a constantly that baseball was so.

Unless you hit the ball, there's no one that's moving. So I'm like, yeah, damn.

I'm glad I had you guys on because just today my fiance Lawren Zima, and I were talking about older women dating and marrying younger men, and this interview just happened to fall into place. You guys, I think, are what twelve years apart thirteen thirteen thirteen, What are the pros and cons of this?

I don't I don't know if this is like, you know, anything particular. I think it's small, but like the connection, you know, That's what I always said, Like I don't think edge really matter, especially you know, we are like kind of the proof of it. But I just think, like, you know, we just had like such a thing, yeah, a strong connection right away that I think, you know, that's what you know, clicked right away.

So I think it's more but like the connection.

So that's why I mean, could be because sometimes like I said, like you know, dating like younger women or stuff like that, like they sorry for that, but they're a little down, a little too crazy, right, But it's just like, yeah, it's more like about connections. So you know, it could have been older or younger.

It's more yeah, but the connection, Yeah, it's he.

Is very mature too, and so I think we just get along. I still like to go do somebout. We're both very hard working and we like to do the same thing. So I don't think it's ever really become an issue for us.

I'm the same in my old life. I've always been like, you know, with like older people than me. It's like you since I can't even remember so.

Well, Mary, you and I have a lot in common because we're both dating.

Well, you're married now.

I am engaged to a much younger woman and I had kids when I was entering into this relationship. Yeah, that was a very interesting dynamic for me of when, how when was I going to introduce him and what did that mean? What about your son? Did you have those discussions and what was that like for you?

No?

I didn't really my son was he's so much older. He's twenty six now.

Yeah, so yeah, he was already he was out of the house and he was was he in college then or was he just so he was still in college in a way, and so it wasn't like I had, I was bringing a new guy into the home where.

He had to deal with him on a daily basis.

But I was very just casual about it first, like I never tried to make to make myself feel like, oh, this is a father figure, like this is who you have to call him dad or something. It's just kind of like, hey, this is Romaine, right, and.

Then you figure that relationship out and it figures itself out exactly.

Yeah, it's if he were much younger, I think it would have been a different situation, but.

We had it pretty easy.

My kids were kind of younger teens and they were still at home, so it was a little bit more impressionable. But they're probably about that age now because my kids are in college, and it would be very different.

Yeah.

Yeah, I think that changed it a lot. And then also if I just let if I just kind of stood back, just introduced and didn't make it a thing, then it was gonna go smoother.

Just because of my son's personality.

He's very laid back and he's just like a watcher, doesn't talk a lot, and so if he just kind of observed, then he was he was definitely gonna like him.

And there's no one.

I don't think that's that remained.

A didn't like the didn't like him.

Everyone's like, oh, I don't know, and then they fall in love with him once they meet him.

So I just thought, I'm just gonna let it work itself.

It's that million dollars smile he's got. Is there kids in the future for you guys? You're both very young, so more kids in the future hopefully, you know.

I know, yeah, we we are.

We we're kind of going through it right now. We did embryo freezing about a year ago.

Something we're tried to it didn't work out. We didn't have any viable ones.

Then we went to Bali and decided to start trying naturally.

I mean, if you're in Bali, I think everybody's trying to have a baby in a bie.

Well it worked.

He tried really hard. I did get pregnant, unfortunately, miscarried and and then.

That was kind of a whole ordeal. We didn't try right away afterwards.

I was only a couple of months ago, but I ended up having like a septic miscarriage, so it was kind of a traumatic kind of thing where I just needed to heal first. So now we're going to get ready to start start trying again. And then I mean it showed that I can get pregnant very quickly, which is great for my age, but we just need to make sure those.

Eggs are good.

Well, now you know where you need to go. I mean, you know you need to go to Bali, Fiji, Bora, Bora, I mean, any of those places I think is the magic.

Any day, anytime, like I will, I will take everything off my calendar to get to one of those places.

We got to get into selling Sunset season six coming up. Yeah, unbelieve probably anticipated to kind of set the stage as we all know. Uh, Jason Oppenheim, I know he's not technically your boss anymore. Y'all are kind of equals the way you have risen through the ranks. But he was your boss at the time when he is your also your ex you guys dated for a moment. Yeah, remain as you're entering into this situation, is that a bit of trepidation?

Do you? Were?

You comfortable? You don't care, You're the confident Frenchman. You're like, look at me, he'd.

No, I think what makes what made it so easy? It's like right away as soon as we met, we clicked right away and we became like super close.

Even Marie got like almost jealous.

She was calling us and because we're to by going to the gym after Sonati's place and everything, and so he was getting mad.

But yeah, we became we became so close that.

I never he never bother me really and then neither of them like ever like made me feel like, you know, I like do anything to worry or whatsoever. And I also back in France, was like one of my best friends was like a girl that I used to date. So I'm like, it's not like I cannot like understand the things that you know, I'm still best waying with this girl or I used to date her, but you know, there's nothing so I understand. And the fact that we became so close with Jesson, like you know, never.

He's just not like that.

I think it's there's a trust kind of thing that we just met one of my other excess we were in Istanbul and I was like, hey, there's a there's when my ex is just a friend, like a good friend now, but he's in Tel Aviv, like we should just run over there and go hang out with him and I was like, he's super respectful.

Don't worry, You'll love them. I know you will.

And I just knew their personalities they would click these Shure did.

Like we went he was like okay, cool.

He's like, yeah, if he better be respectful and I was like, okay, and that one all he has to say about it, And we went over there and he was.

They just rode out the whole time.

They started texting each other after day one and like they're like, am.

I really left out already? It's been a day.

I was like, God, well, remain. He knows the valuable lesson keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Now have you met any of his exes?

Well? Okay, is that the girls.

Talking about it?

No?

No, just the one he's still really good.

Friends with us.

What's it like working with your ex and for your ex? I mean, you guys are still are there pros and cons to this? Is it a good thing? Do you still you feel like you have leverage over Jason?

Not from an ex standpoint, because it's it's almost weird. I know everyone tries to focus on that, but we've it was still it was like.

Ten years ago. Maybe it's been so long, and I just look at him like a brother.

He's my best friend and brother, and so even the thought of like kissing.

Him and I'm like, oh, that's wrong. I'm like, that's just like I don't know, I love them.

But no, So I think if from a friendship standpoint, Jason is very very good to his friends, and he's very respectful to all of his friends. So I think I have not but he's friends with everybody. But I do have a bridge from from a standpoint of just being so close and he trusts me and and he sees like what I do every day all day and so so.

He just believes in me.

So Jason also dated your friend Chrischelle. Yes, season five ins with their big breakup. Before we talk about Chrischelle, first of all, with Jason, are we going to see a new love interest in season six? And if so, who should he be dating in the office now or has he fished off the company peer enough?

Yeah, there's well, one of the new agents is that's on season six is also his ex girlfriend before me.

She and I are very close, We are like really really good friends.

Wait, who's this Nicole?

Okay, so she's been at the broker. She was supposed to be on season one and she backed out. She got nervous and she's like, she didn't know what it was gonna be, and so she backed out. Uh so now now she's on for season six.

So that's a total of three x's that'll be on the show for Jason so far. This season is young. I hadn't even started.

Yeah, he does have a girlfriend.

I can't remember.

Is she on season six or is it just season seven?

No?

Season six?

Okay, yeah, so his new girlfriend will be on season six.

But she's not in Yeah, okay, Mary Lou.

She's very very she's gorgeous.

She's younger though too. She's uh young.

And but gorgeous and just an old soul, very quiet and and and sophisticated.

I approve of her.

It's not easy to keep up with Jason and his school count. We need a roster. So season five ends, Jason and Krishelle break up, and then we get the surprise of all surprises, and that is that Krishelle gets married to g Flip.

Uh huh.

Was this just a surprise to us? Did you guys know? Did she talk to you? Do you have any idea about this marriage.

About getting married.

No, I know either.

I actually I saw the plus or something that said it, and I thought maybe she was doing it as a hoax, like because she likes to just mess around with people sometimes, and so I said, hey, is this just like a joke or are you messing with people?

Or do I need to throw you a party? And she's like, no, it's real. We just wanted to go.

It actually happened a little while ago, and we just wanted to come out.

And I was like, like, what, how do you just like keep that in? That's insane? But yeah, I'm.

Really happy for GE's amazing, absolutely amazing. They are this positive, happy energy. When you're in a room or around them, They're they're just like light up the room. You you become happy like being around them. It's it's crazy. Their energy is just like nothing I've ever seen. So I get it why she's.

A pretty close friend of yours. Did you say, wait, this happened a while ago. So you guys have been together and you've gotten so serious that you're getting married, and you had no idea that is that's wild.

Well I knew that they I knew that they've been together and she's super serious. I knew that, but I didn't know that they were that they got married.

I don't know if they maybe came out, but I don't think anyone. Yeah, I think Ven's the only one that probably knew. But but she just.

Said Hershell's like that though intelligence ready to do something, she she has a wall up until she's ready to talk about something.

She make sure it is like locked in time.

She knows what she's doing before anybody else knows. Uh. And so it looks like always very surprising like things with her because she's just very.

That's that's one of the keys to success in business. Don't let people see what you're working on. Just let them see the results. So now that you guys know and obviously you're very much in favor of it, what what makes them work so well?

I think they're like such a good connection. And I don't know, Yeah, it's like both of them, you.

Know, there's just like this gentle love and admiration towards each other. Like every time I watched them and been around them, like it's just like this very gentle like like it's just this loving vibe. They both just really respect each other and it's it's really it's really.

Nice to see it came. We weren't expecting it. And no girl knows how to make headlines though apparently.

Yeah, every time I'm like Chrishnell, I mean, how do you continue to do yourself?

You just know how to make headlines.

We'll see where she goes from here. I know you do you guys like to double date with if you're choosing a couple from the show Chrishelle g Flip, Heather and taric.

Oh, Heather and Tark, we hang out with a lot. We love them as a couple. They are another couple that's like madly in love.

It's almost like cheesy.

They're so they're just so like goga googole or Google goggle whatever it.

Is, over each other.

I just it's beautiful to see, especially in this industry. I think people get so torn apart and and things come between them, and and they were like that from day one, and like there's still like that.

We were just with them in Scott's still doing a speaking thing and and.

They are still just every time they can get they're like, I love you, baby, I love you baby. Like constantly You're like, okay, get.

Her, I get the sense and correct me if I'm wrong that I'm feeling this distance growing between Heather and the show and the crew. Is that something we are going to see more of and come to fruition in season six or is that just my imagination.

No, it's not, it's not your imagination. She's gonna be very She's very heavily shown on season six, season seven.

No, there was something. I don't know how much I'm.

Allowed to say on it, but there was something because she's got to show a taric like flipping on Moosa's I think, and she there was there was a confusion between.

Networks and the conflict of interests.

Yeah, and she thought she.

Was doing everything like what what was allowed and there was a conflict on there. So she at the moment isn't getting any call times or anything.

I don't think.

I don't think she's technically fired, but she's not getting call times.

That's interesting to get her back because we love Heather.

So that's that's not causing tension with you guys, other than you are wanting her back on the show and you want her to be there exactly.

Yeah, we just love her and she's I think she's one that geez, they get like from season one and she's just an angel of a person and and it would be great to have her back. I think she brings a lot to the show, and especially in Jeason six, I mean, she's I think that was her best season.

So it shocks me that that they couldn't work it out.

Well, let me let you get us in a little something. Having been in this business for a while, the networks are going to want what they want and whether it's contractual, illegal, they just don't want the conflict of interest. But let me tell you who has all the leverage. You guys. You guys are the talent. If you guys all band together, the network can't do anything other than say.

Yes, really, of course, we all just strike and say with Heather, no.

You don't need to strike. You just all go in together and say if Heather goes, we all go, good luck with your show.

That they're pretty they're pretty ruthless though they're like, okay, we'll get new cast. Like I mean, we love them though, we love them so good to them. But but yeah, they I'm want to try it. I was arguing with them when we had a zoom about it. I was arguing with them, trying to trying to work it out. But hopefully they will after this. Maybe they'll just give it like after the season or something. Maybe they'll bring

I'll help you guys out.

Thank you.

What was it like to film without Christine this season? She was she was a good villain.

Yeah, good, Yeah, you know.

I think I think people are scared that it's not going to be the same without her. I there once people say it, there's no lack of drama, and in my opinion, and I think Jason why I talked to him the other day about it too, we feel the same way.

It's it's actually.

Better because it's not just the same the same thing.

I was like, I.

Felt like sick of it at one point where it was just Christine doing something messed up. Everyone's about it Christine. Christine doesn't but we can't talk about all the things she does behind the scenes, and so it just looks like everyone's ganging up on her. That's not the case, and so I so I I'm actually happy.

Although this is probably the most dramatic season we've.

Had, remain I was laughing because I saw your body language when I mentioned Christine and you're like, good ridden, So I'm glad she's gone.

Yeah, well yeah, no, yeah, because at the end it was just like NonStop like acting like kind of nice and you know on the show. But then you know on the show was you know up all doing interview and everything, like he keeps going and going and doing.

I'm like, you know, it was just enough.

But now there's a lot of layers to the drama because you've got new people coming in and there's like there's a lot of layers and it's all happened organically where we were like blown away there.

I first even mentioned, like, you know, anything that was happening, you know, outside of the show. So I was like, you know, it looks like we're all like you know, I mean, especially the girls, like all on her all like you know, there was like so much things that happened, you know, on interview and everything that she was doing, but you couldn't mention it. So I was like on the show when people were watching, it looked like, you know, they were just going off on her for no reason, you know.

But it's good.

It's good without her. I think, I say, the best her to deliver her best life. I just her place is just not a well.

There are new people coming on the show, as you mentioned, and one of them is is Bree TESSI one of Nick Cannon's baby mamas. And I say one of because I think there are twelve Nick Cannon kids.

There's there's twelve kids, I believe, but I think there's five moms.

Okay, apparently, what does what does Bree bring and what does she have to say about Nick and being a part of that entourage.

I guess she's been pretty like you know, I mean, we haven't especially.

Talked about you know, yeah I have well, yeah, she hasn't.

Been talking like that meant for the words.

Like she's no, she's she's very open about it and very comfortable with her life and and her situation. She knows it's not for everybody, but she's happy, her baby's happy, and and she gets a lot of hate for it. But I was nervous with her coming in because she I've heard that she's a very strong like kind of.

I don't know the word, yeah kind of first and I was like, oh, coy, please.

Don't beat another Christine and and but when she she made she's actually I did along with her great. I think she really does. Whatever, however you treat her, is.

How she's going to treat you. If you treat her with respect, she's cool with you. If you start coming at her, then.

She's she's like I can't imagine, like a pitbull.

She's going to come back at you.

She's she's kind of a tough one. So but I've had no issues with her. But she has had conflict with one of the girls on the show in season six.

I'm curious on a professional front. Obviously, it's selling Sunset. You guys live, eat, and breathe Hollywood and selling California and now Los Angeles. Well, in the real world, that climate has changed a lot of people have left Beverly Hills in California and Sunset and they've gone elsewhere. Have you guys felt that, and is it something you're dealing with in season six and seven of the entire climate of buying and selling homes in Los Angeles has changed.

Yeah, and season seven we definitely hit on it. Season six, I don't think that it was it was as asbou at that point. I think we talked about the interest rates and stuff like that. But season seven, it definitely it definitely hit hard with the mansion tax and.

Just interest rates and just everything.

Going on in California. I mean, I'm talking to you guys from Austin, Texas, and I lived there for twenty two years.

Yeah, that's exactly it.

Like, there's so many changes, and it's so frustrating because La could be such an amazing place and it is, and we're trying to sell this environment.

We moved to the valley. We love it here.

It's so safe, it's wonderful, but we're still dealing with all the taxism and everything else. I've even said, well, what about six months a year when we're not filming, I could go and have like a real estate and and I don't know either. And I even said, Austin or I'm not a big Miami person, is too kind of crazy for me. But like in Texas or.

Arizona. My mom lives in Arizona.

But we're part of the year where we can where we can just do that kind of get out of LA and then come back for filming.

And but that would be too hard just.

To try to manage my clients because it's such a full time job.

It is, but I don't know. Selling Austin has a really good ring to it.

Well, you know, maybe I'll have to head up a show and and and run the office there.

But it was just interesting. I was thinking about just how that world has changed and obviously the reality of it is, you guys are gonna have to deal with that, and that's it's very interesting.

Yeah, it's very slow.

Yeah, And now speaking of of competition, there there is competition and that you know, look imitations the sinceres form of flattery, as they say, and having been a part of a relationship show for twenty years that was ripped off time and time again, there is competition in this real estate space. Mauricio Umanski's show is coming up. Is there a little beef between the two shows.

I don't think so. We were just out of Netflix about I just saw him. We were talking and he's a great one. I like him, and yeah, I don't really worry about what other people are doing.

I think we just continued to do us.

It was successful for a reason, and we just keep doing our thing. I haven't even seen his show, but they would cite a Yeah, I haven't.

Seen it, but I don't has it done well? Do you know?

I don't it has it's just coming on and so but you know, I always felt the same thing as just keep doing what you're doing. You guys are insanely successful. I'm as you said, season six and seven.

Are in the can.

That is a it's a remarkable run for you guys.

Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's kind of surreal because I'm told that that's basically if we get season A, it will.

Be the longest running yeah, so on Netflix.

And so that's massive.

That's insane to me. So I'd love to break that record.

Something tells me you guys will with ease. You're gonna get to double digits. Obviously, you guys sell to a lot of big celebrities and and I won't ask you to tell me dirt and the most difficult celebrit But who's the biggest Like, who's the biggest star that you sold a house to that even you were like.

Damn.

Me personally or the or the brokerage.

Well you or the brokerage me personally.

To be French, Yeah, probably French Fontana sold his house. Yeah I can't. I'm still bud at the time, I'm like, was it two years ago? I don't know.

Recently I sold French Pontiana's house and then I don't know who is at.

Oscar great guy.

Live.

Been a lot of like celebrity clients.

My my biggest one is I think my biggest one is French Fontana.

Yeah, Romaine.

I'm just curious because you you came over here as a pastry chef. Right, you're a French pastry chef.

That's great.

Can you still make a good croissant?

That's right?

Can you?

Yeah?

Were you a legit pastry chef for real?

I was for ten years. That's a that's an travel around the world that you know. When I was a chef and then I was that's when I was in Australia before I came here, and then I was doing modeling also, So I came here as a pastry chef and I was also doing modeling and then until you know, I stopped because that didn't go well. All the company for who I was working just took advantage of the visa because you were starting. It's like either you do you do it or either you know you have to leave.

And they know it's not the same thing here unless you're like a like a famous shop.

It's not the same sommer.

It's not like it sounds good when you come because it's way more than in France, but I mean way more, not like crazy, but like more so. But the lifestyle here, the cost of it is like just insane. So I'm like when I was getting in touch with Mary, actually like six months before I came to find the place, like at first she was sending me apartment because you know, she wasn't bring me a fun place.

The first things that she was sending me, I was.

Looking a picture.

I'm like, yeah, damn, it looks amazing. I'm like, does she know how much I'm getting. I'm like, I can't even like pay, like.

Help, but but you think she's hot, so you're acting cool like you can't afford it.

I I'm like, he's very boy about it. He's like, I don't know how much you think I can afford.

But it's not that And that is how you guys, met was showing. You know, you were showing Romaine houses or apartments. I guess if you guys ever sat back in thought of how unlikely it is that the two of you came from where you came from and met and fell in love and are married. Uh, the odds are very very slim that these two lifestyles cross each other and meet.

I know, I know it's as we met, Like, it's amazing because.

Now and because we met the day after I came. I came on Wednesday, and so I called her actually because it took me almost six months to have my visa, and so I came on a Wednesday night, called her and I said, you know, I'm friendly in La, you know, And she said, well, funny enough, I mean friends. I'm like what I'm like, you know, I'm coming back to most Thursday and we met on Friday.

It is amazing and I appreciate you guys taking the time. Mary Bennet, is it is it catching?

Are you?

I'm I'm getting used to it.

I still find myself but even when I signed something, I still like, start signing a Mery fix Gerald and I'm like, oh sorry.

That's not my name, and people look at me like really weird. Sorry, But I'm getting used to it. I like the sound of it.

Mary and Romaine Bonet, I love the sound of it too, And it was really good talking to you guys. Thank you so much, so much, y'all take care you too. My thanks to Marion Romayne Bonet as she goes by now. I always find it fascinating other reality TV shows how they do it, what it's like in their camp. Obviously, I knew my camp very well for two decades, so it's always good to kind of broaden your horizons and see how it's done. And they have done it very