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Who is Jenna Lyons' mother? 'RHONY' star recalls how late mom's Asperger's diagnosis affected her childhood

Jenna Lyons admitted that she found it difficult to express her emotions because of her mother's condition as she wasn't 'allowed to talk' as a child

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: 'The Real Housewives of New York City' star Jenna Lyons, who previously kept her life under wraps, recalled her mother, Barbara Lyons, and her condition on Episode 9 of the fourteenth season of the show.

She spoke about how it took a toll on her upbringing on a group trip to Anguilla. After Brynn Whitfield protested that she didn't know anything about Jenna's personal life, the 55-year-old fashion designer opened up to her.

"You give us gifts instead of connecting," Brynn told Jenna. "I think maybe you're just a little bit more guarded," Erin Lichy remarked.

"Yeah, I'm f**king guarded," Jenna said. She clarified, "I've been f**ked so many times, and that has nothing to do with you guys."

"That's the realest thing you've said," Erin said.

Erin hugged Jenna when she became tearful. "I think this concept of opening up is not easy for me," Jenna said. "I grew up in a very quiet house."

She explained her childhood, saying, "My mom had really severe Asperger's which means there was no noise in our house. We weren't allowed to talk. And she was a piano teacher, so there was no noise at all. We couldn't have the television on. I had to go to my room and just be quiet after school."

Jenna claims she didn't realize her mother had Asperger's syndrome until she was 44. She noted that as a result of her mother's illness, she had difficulty expressing emotions, making her seem detached.

"Nothing is ever as it seems," Jenna observed, adding, "No one's bad. People are just broken. We're all just f**king broken."

Jenna stated that she was aware that none of them had it easy.

In a candid interview with Oprah Daily, she disclosed that her mother, Barbara, a piano instructor, had a kind of autism that prevented them from having a strong mother-daughter connection. "My mom, who passed away last September, had pretty severe Asperger’s [Syndrome] and had trouble forming emotional connections," she explained in April 2023.

She didn't say whether they were able to build a closer bond before her mother died in 2022.

What condition does RHONY's Jenna Lyons have?

Jenna Lyons suffers from Incontinentia Pigmenti, a rare genetic condition that affects her hair, skin, and teeth. "I have bald spots, scarred and hyperpigmented skin (especially behind my knees and under my arms), and almost no eyebrows or eyelashes," Jenna explained in an interview. "Maybe worst of all are my teeth."

She was diagnosed with the condition at just seven months of age. She endured bullying at school because of the condition.

'RHONY' viewers blast Season 14 cast for conspiring against Jenna Lyons

The cast of 'RHONY' Season 14 was seen continuing their girls' holiday in Anguilla in the ninth episode. Due to Jenna traveling alone and other difficulties boiling to the surface, the cast's trip has not been restful or wholly enjoyable thus far.

The turmoil didn't appear to end there, as the stars went after Jenna again, despite her efforts to be pleasant. Jenna has been giving them gifts throughout the season, and the rest of the Season 14 cast has made fun of them, either to her face or behind her back.

Jenna unwillingly opened up about her history in the most recent episode when Brynn said that she buys them things "instead of connecting."

The 'RHONY' cast members noticed that her experience let them understand Jenna better as she opened up. Jenna advised them to just inquire instead of anticipating the worst.

Fans flocked to social media to express their support for Jenna and to criticize the 'RHONY' Season 14 cast for being too harsh on her.

One person wrote, "The fact that Jenna was publicly OUTED should be reason enough for these women to understand why she’s not comfortable just opening up about everything with them."

Another user chimed in, "And Jenna not having a group of girlfriends isn’t even the issue. The REAL issue is that these ladies are mean to her, PERIOD. Stop acting like Jenna is an antisocial loser…she’s not."

One user further quipped, "You know who wouldn’t judge Jenna for flying out early to not be in coach? Heather Dubrow."

One viewer called out Erin in particular, saying, "Erin instigated this group gang up on Jenna, and now she’s trying to act like she cares about Jenna’s feelings…. "

A fifth user noted, "Jenna talked about her relationship w/ her mother, her sexuality, she’s dating, her break-up, her skin/teeth issues, her insecurities, BUT she’s not opening up enough."

Another user added, "Sai, Jenna shared the story about her name and you IMMEDIATELY told the group and used it as a joke. What about that would make her want to open up to you????"

Andy Cohen claims 'RHONY' newbies ‘killed it’ on their first Reunion

"They killed it," Andy Cohen stated in a TikTok video released by @queensofbravo and taken from Andy's Instagram stories. "They killed it — their first reunion. Daddy’s proud. By the way, we used more Kleenex, everyone cried multiple times. Like, we had to refill the Kleenex box. It’s wild." Andy looked to have been sobbing as he talked.

'RHONY' Season 14 airs every Sunday at 9 pm ET.