Julia Lemigova on being a queer Real Housewives 'pioneer'

When Julia Lemigova joined The Real Housewives of Miami, she didn’t just bring her larger-than-life personality, she brought visibility as the franchise’s first openly queer Housewife. Out had the chance to speak with Lemigova on the Bravo Fan Fest carpet about her journey and sharing how her experience has paved the way for recent queer Housewives like Jenna Lyons and Raquel Chevremont.

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Lemigova discussed how it felt to be a pioneer and open the door for queer women on the network. Was she shocked to see the change so many years after her entrance? "Oh, definitely not shocked," Lemigova responded. "When I was asked first to join the show, my first reason, my first feeling was, oh my God. I always said that love has no gender and how important it is to show people that we are people and we love like everyone else, we have family like everyone else. Unfortunately, not everyone is so inclusive, but I thought having this platform and being vulnerable, not everybody's going to like me. But I'm going to be me and I'm going to show how we live with my wife, my children, my goats, my dogs, my zoo. And we have absolutely the same life, but we love each other. And I was hoping that people who would maybe not be feeling that they could come out of the shelf or out of the closet."

Lemigova touched on her coming-out experience and why it was important to show all types of love in the franchise. "It took me forever when I was in Paris because of certain people who make it difficult.... I just feel sorry for people who are not including us and looking down. I just don't want them in my life. And I hope to educate people with kindness. So by showing them how we live, I hope they will eventually be more open."

And it seems her impact hasn’t gone unnoticed by her fellow housewives. Lemigova spilled that none other than RHONY’s Jenna Lyons reached out to her when Miami’s reboot dropped. "Jenna actually reached out to me when our show first came out. She reached out to me and she said, 'You are a pioneer. Congratulations.' She left me her telephone number. But we tried to get together in New York a couple of times, but it didn't happen. But I'm so looking forward. I know one day I will meet her and I'm really hoping for that day."

This upcoming season of Real Housewives of Miami, Julia Lemigova's life continues to evolve as she and her partner Martina Navratilova enter a new chapter of motherhood with the arrival of their two sons in August. “Three months ago, me and Martina, we became new moms again. And it's just so precious. Seeing the boys and knowing what they've been through and what they endure in their little lives." She said.

Thankfully, we will get to see so much more of Lemigova and her family on The Real Housewives of Miami upcoming season in 2025. We can't wait to see this beautiful next chapter, and watch her boys grow up on TV with the coolest moms ever — and all the goats!