“Real Housewives of Dubai” star Sara Al Madani feels co-star Chanel Ayan uses her past “traumas” to excuse her “bad” behavior.
On Wednesday’s episode of the Bravo series, Ayan — who is of Somali and Ethiopian descent — revealed she was forced to undergo genital mutilation at the age of 5.
She later called Al Madani — who has an honorary doctorate degree in business administration leadership and women empowerment — “full of herself” after the latter said to the former, “It’s never too late to be like me.”
The remark “shocked” the United Arab Emirates native, who told Us Weekly on Thursday that her statement was preceded by Ayan’s off-camera compliment to the tune of: “I love the way you speak and wish I could be like you one day, but it’s too late.”
Al Madani, 36, told the outlet, “For her to take that story and victimize herself? I mean, we’ve all been through traumas in life, but that’s not an excuse for us to treat people in any bad way or behave in any certain way.”
“Because maturity is figuring out what your issues are and solving them and helping yourself,” she went on. “It’s not treating people badly and saying, ‘Hey, I’ve been traumatized.’”
The single mother of one added that she feels she’s “crossed a river” for the model, 44, whom she believes “wouldn’t even cross a puddle” in return.
“For Ayan, I was a shoulder for her to cry on, I was the person she called for advice … I’ve done so much for Ayan,” Al Madani said. “I was always by her side, and I got her back. So I felt like we were building a friendship.
“And then when I watched the show, I was like, ‘Hold on, that’s insane! I’m not preachy. You call me [for advice]. You have a demand, and I supply you. Why don’t I advise Nina [Ali] or Lesa [Milan] on the show? It’s because they never came up to me for advice. You did. [Caroline] Brooks did.’”