Who is Marco Vega? 'Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip' butler sues Bravo over alleged assault
BERKSHIRES, MASSACHUSETTS: Marco Antonio Vega starred on 'Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip' Season 2 as a butler working at Dorinda Medley's Blue Stone Manor in Massachusetts the cast visited in September 2021.
However, Marco recently sued Bravo over alleged sexual assault and harassment. He has also asked for damages, including punitive.
Marco claimed that 'RHUGT' Season 2 stars were drinking heavily, shots of bourbon and cocktails included.
He told TMZ that a woman came out to perform a striptease for the housewives, and once that stopped, show producers told him to, 'go over and get the women dancing!'
Meanwhile, Marco claimed in his lawsuit obtained by the outlet, Phaedra Parks slapped him on the butt during the dance.
He also revealed that Brandi Glanville ran over to him, pulled him over to her by the back of his shirt and ripped it off which exposed his bare chest.
Marco revealed that Brandi shouted at him and said, "Earn your money, Marco. Take your shirt off. Do something!"
Marco claimed that the wild party caused him some serious marital issues after he shared the incident with his wife.
Marco has decided to sue Bravo rather than Phaedra and Brandi because he claimed to the outlet that the network has a pattern of encouraging housewives to engage in sexually inappropriate behavior.
Notably, Marco is not a real butler. According to his LinkedIn, he is a non-equity actor and educator from St George, Utah.
Bravo fired Brandi Glanville for 'inappropriate' sexual behavior
'Real Housewives' franchise star Brandi Glanville was reportedly fired by Bravo after alleged 'inappropriate' sexual behaviour in 'RHUGT' Season 4.
Brandi reportedly kissed another housewife Caroline Manzo multiple times without her consent.
A source said to People about the kiss, "It was unwanted, and Caroline's distress over the matter did not seem to stop Brandi."
The source added, "Things escalated and physical boundaries allegedly were crossed that Caroline felt were serious and uncomfortable."
The next morning, Brandi was told that Caroline was uncomfortable and she apologized over a text message.
The situation was reported to executives at Bravo, and they decided to remove Brandi from the show before filming wrapped.
Reality stars accuse Bravo of 'depraved mistreatment'
Multiple 'Real Housewives' franchise stars have accused Bravo of 'depraved mistreatment' of their stars.
At the beginning of August, entertainment lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos sent a strongly worded letter to Kimberly Harris, NBCUniversal’s general counsel, on behalf of the reality stars in their employ.
The letter stated that Bravo had 'a pattern and practice of grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crew members on whose account its coffers swell.'
The letter was sent and obtained by Page Six, reportedly states that the network threatened 'ruin' to those who spoke out against their treatment and went on to accuse the network of 'deliberate attempts to manufacture mental instability' and doing so by giving cast members alcohol while not feeding them or letting them sleep.
The letter also revealed alleged that the company was "denying mental health treatment to cast members displaying obvious and alarming signs of mental deterioration".
It further alleged that the network was "distributing and/or condoning distribution of nonconsensual pornography' as well as 'covering up acts of sexual violence."
Vanity Fair has reportedly planned to release a 'deeply rooted' investigation into Bravo's 'complicated' relationship with the Real Housewives franchise stars.
According to the reports, a journalist from the publication has been interviewing cast members and sources close to the 'Real Housewives' stars for around six months.
The expose will examine the 'highly demanding work lives' of the stars, what they gave up in terms of privacy, and 'their image, mental health and relationship with alcohol' in order to keep their roles.'
A source shared to Page Six, "[The journalist] is really going deep into what the women go through and what's expected of them as members of the cast and members of the 'Bravo family.''
The investigation comes after former 'Real Housewives of New York' star Bethenny Frankel recently vowed to expose the 'systemic rot' behind the scenes of the hit programs.
Will there be 'Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip' Season 4?
'The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip' season 4 has been confirmed and is already finished filming.
The season, which will revolve around former 'Real Housewives' franchise stars, was confirmed by the streaming service in early January 2023, before RHUGT Season 3 had even begun airing.
Peacock teased, "In the upcoming season cross-franchise icons come together as they jet off to exotic Marrakech for the trip of a lifetime." While Bravo is yet to reveal the 'RHUGT' Season 4 release date, it is expected to premiere in December 2023.
