Guerdy Abraira Reflects on Filming The Real Housewives of Miami Amid Cancer Battle
Guerdy Abraira has been a part of The Real Housewives of Miami cast since the series returned following a nine-year hiatus in 2021.
Abraira's life changed dramatically last year when she learned she was battling breast cancer, with the wedding planner allowing her journey to be charted on The Real Housewives of Miami Season 6.
TV Fanatic got the chance to speak with Abraira about filming the show amid her diagnosis, where she stands with her costars, and what's on tap for the series as it makes its return to Bravo.
Firstly, Guerdy revealed that it was a tough decision to film the reality TV hit amid her diagnosis.
"There is no holding back at all and the toll that it takes not only on myself but also on my family," Abraira said via Zoom last month, adding that viewers will witness the moment she finds out about the diagnosis.
"So from the discovery phase, you'll see me finding out, and then the development of what that diagnosis looks like, and it just goes into a whole up and down rollercoaster, and then all the way to getting chemo," she added.
"The audience has never seen anything like this on reality TV altogether, and especially in a Real Housewives franchise."
Abraira added, "You'll see a lot of laughter, all the drama you're looking for in the typical franchise," but she believes the series will capture real life like never before, promising "no filter at all" in the upcoming episodes.
The star recalls being wheeled into surgery with cameras capturing her every move.
"It's a lot. But I don't regret it," she affirmed.
Asked whether she would watch the season as it plays out, Guerdy said she would watch it and "roll with the punches."
"One thing I will say is that I don't regret a thing. Everything happened. It is what it is, and it ain't what it ain't," she added.
"I stick by all of my reactions and all of the above. You'll see that it gets very intense, and there will be a lot of reactions from the audience."
Guerdy believes there will be a lot of back and forth because there's "always a topic at hand."
Abraira went on to speak about what she's learned as a housewive as she enters her third season, revealing that she was a bit more reserved in the beginning.
"I feel like I was protecting my brand because I built this brand of being this amazing party planner for twenty-plus years," she said, adding that she's changed now.
"I'm now way more vocal," she says, revealing that coming into a franchise that's been brought back from a lengthy hiatus with a mix of old and new faces has been difficult.
"You see me fighting for my position in the group, which is deserved, of course, and I definitely achieved that goal."
Guerdy also touched upon the highs and lows of being on a series like The Real Housewives of Miami.
She likes being pushed to have to face a topic or an issue.
"It's therapeutic," she notes, adding that without the cameras, she could put that aside, but when filming, it's different because there has to be resolution.
Guerdy says that she lacks privacy in some ways because everything being filmed can be used in the show.
"Sometimes you may forget the cameras are on, and then you'll do something, and then you're like, 'Oh, sh-t, I'm being filmed.'"
"The beauty of it is that you see reality at its best. No one's acting, and it is what it is, so it does show that trait."
The official trailer for The Real Housewives of Miami Season 6 hints at the tension between Guerdy and Larsa Pippen.
On tonight's season premiere, Guerdy asks Larsa to be there for her when she needs her the most, but Guerdy couldn't confirm whether her friend was there for her in our chat.
"Oh, you will have to watch and see, but I'll tell you right now, you'll be jumping off your seat at whatever happens time and time again throughout the season," she promised.
"It's very surprising. Some friendships surprise you sometimes, right? And so Larsa and I came together as friends only after season one went out," Guerdy says of their friendship.
"She was mad at Lisa for not sticking up with her at the reunion against Adriana. She was mad at Marysol and Alexia for saying that she had a big fake butt or something of that nature.
"So she wasn't talking to almost half the cast, so she and I became friends at the beginning of season two.
"And then all of a sudden, she got her friends back. And then our relationship evolves and changes. And that's where it all begins about me calling her fake and what that means in the end," Guerdy teased.
She spoke about her surprise at the level of conflict this season, teasing that something she thought was squashed and good "ends up being something way different."
"That surprised me, and it disappointed me because I'm not a conflict-oriented person. I'm the fixer. I try to solve issues."
"When people don't see you that way, and they think you're the one behind some collusion, it's kind of like, 'I don't have that bone in me. I've never shown it to you, so why are we going with this story?'"
"You'll see a lot of illusion, delusion, and collusion happening," Guerdy teased.
I couldn't not bring up Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip because I was curious about who Guerdy would cast if she were in charge of bringing a season of Peacock spinoff together.
"Nicole, for sure. Lisa Milan from Dubai. Lisa Barlow and Meredith Marks could be fun," she said before adding that Brynn Whitfield from The Real Housewives of New York and Dolores Catania from The Real Housewives of New Jersey would be interesting picks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z051-pLNtbg
The location for the trip would be Round Hill in Jamaica.
"This place called Round Hill is amazing, and I'm sure lots of trouble can be had there with the natural elements of the island."
The Real Housewives of Miami Season 6 premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Peacock will air episodes the next day.