Gossiping With Miami Social’s Michael!

If you’ve been watching the sexy and scandalous Bravo reality show Miami Social (Tuesdays at 10pm) like we have, then you gotta love Michael. He’s the fabulous gay best friend to Katrina, Maria and Sorah and as an entertainment and fashion writer (he’s launching his own web site thestylelabonline.com this fall) is totally in the know on what’s hot and what’s totally over in the Miami scene. We love his on-going beef with the arrogant Ariel and his search for love (even though he’s completely content cuddling with his poodle Austin). So we grabbed the chance to dish with him all about his crazy cast mates (we got the scoop on George and his insane girlfriend Lina), updates on his own love life and what it’s really like to live, work and play in the world’s hottest city.

RadarOnline.com: There’s so much happening in Miami. How do you know what invites to accept and what to pass on?

Michael: I’ve always been invited to lots and lots of stuff, but I’ve always been really selective in what I’m gonna go to because I can’t stand riff raff and I can’t stand posers. And I can tell when there are real players and non-real players. Big opening things, like the re-opening of the Fountain Bleu Hotel was super cool. There have been some super cool events, but they are few and far between. There are a lot of hodge podge events. Going to places with great food and great service is what’s in right now. Going to these South Beach places, with the attitude at the door? I look at the doorman, like, ‘You’re just a freaking doorman with a bad suit on! Who the hell are you?’

RadarOnline.com: A big part of your storyline is you looking for love. Last week you met Diego, a friend of Sorah’s at Starbucks. Was it a love match?

Michael: No, no. You find out what happens with us on Tuesday night (August 11th) But, there was a really funny thing that happened. I had a date the other night…I’ve gone out with him a couple of times and you know, you have to be super cool to go out with somebody on a reality show. He holds his own which is something that’s great. So we go to this little local restaurant—I’m into local places—and we’re sitting there, and we’re having a beer, and I see this group of girls looking at me. So they come up to me and they’re like, ‘Michael?’ I’m like ‘Yeah?’ I’m always very friendly because I think it’s very cool for somebody to do that, right? So we’re like chatting and this girl all of the sudden looks at my date and goes, ‘Oh, are you Diego?’ I didn’t know what do say. That was like so eight months ago!

RADARONLINE.COM: Did you know the other cast members before you started filming?

Michael: I did. Katrina, I’ve known since 2003. I wrote her wedding story for In Touch Weekly. Isn’t that funny? She was on The Apprentice at the time so when she married Ben it was a big deal back then. I knew Maria from the gym, I knew of Ariel and I knew Hardy. I knew George because he’s good friends with my friend Joey. You know we all knew each other because just like any clique, it’s always a small circle.

RADARONLINE.COM: Did you always dislike Ariel?

Michael: It’s not that I didn’t like him—and it’s not that I liked him. First of all, the crazy thing to me in my mind is—and I’m not being a bitch, I’m just being real—you know when you work at places like Us and People, we really do get invited to the grade A events? You know what I mean? So we really do know the “Grade A” players, and I know who does what events. And, let’s call a spade a spade. Miami is no fashion capital. OK? It is not. I don’t even know if there are pattern makers that live in Miami. So when Ariel talks about these fashion events, I’m like, ‘What f***ing fashion events are you talking about?’ You know? So I started to dislike him because of that because I do not like bulls**t. That’s what I don’t like.

RADARONLINE.COM: He seems pretty conceited and judgmental—he calls people fat on the show all the time.

Michael: You know, I don’t like you calling people fat. I don’t like you calling people ugly. It’s so not relevant to how we live our lives today. And I don’t mind him being a little arrogant or whatever, but at least back your sh** up. Show me something that might justify a little attitude, and maybe it could be acceptable. But until you do that—I’m sorry. But here’s the bottom line though. I am a friend, and I come and I support him in episode five in his endeavors. I give him every benefit of the doubt, which I think is what you should do in a friendship. But I did read an interview he did last week—with a gay magazine—and he said some crazy stuff about me.

RADARONLINE.COM: What did he say?

Michael: Oh just like I have a crush on him and this is why I must not like him. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god! Only a crazy narcissist would think something like this!’

RADARONLINE.COM: You rip on Katrina on your blog on Bravotv.com for wearing flannel in the Miami heat. Is she nuts?

Michael: Well, I’m dying. Like I’ve seen episodes and you can see the sweat stains in my armpits it’s so hot. I can’t take it sometimes. I swear if we do season two, I’m like begging for us to shoot this in October. Half the scenes in there I’m a sweaty mess. People probably think I’m a coked out mess because I’m sweating like a lunatic. I’m gonna have a whole scene next season where I need an assistant with a mister (laughs).

RADARONLINE.COM: Are Katrina and her husband really over?

Michael: Yeah, my prediction is that this is it. You know, Katrina is doing her thing. Their relationship has been going since they were kids. A lot of people say to her, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do? Ben’s such a great guy.’ But it’s hard. We can’t judge that. Ben is a great guy—but not for her today. You know? And that’s basically what it comes down to.

RADARONLINE.COM: What can you tell us about this hot mess of a relationship between George and Lina?

Michael: Well, you know I am good friends with George and we’ve had many talks. And you know what? It’s not even about the sex, I have to be honest with you. I was like, ‘What keeps you guys together?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t know, there’s something about her.’ She’s had a very tough life and he’s trying to be like Mother Teresa here and save her. He’s really caught up in it. I don’t know. He’s really a victim, if you ask me, of this whole thing. I get very upset and very disturbed watching it. It’s disturbing because she really is so crazy and not crazy in a funny way.

RADARONLINE.COM: Her whole pregnancy “scare” was insane. Do we know what really happened?

Michael: It’s no joke, and then what she did with it was so awful. George is my friend and I’m like, ‘You’re f***ing up my friend’s life.’ That’s not funny.  But there’s no baby and we really never know what happens. You see in the preview: What happened? Did you get an abortion? Right? And she never answers the question.

RADARONLINE.COM: What’s happening with George and Lina today?

Michael: The drama still goes on. Like Lina pulled a crazy one last night. Not on TV but in real life.  She and George had another huge blow-up fight.  And she’s in a cast. This is really life.  I mean, this show is no-bullshit.  This shit still goes on today. The same shit you saw is still freaking going on. It’s amazing.

RADARONLINE.COM: Why is she in a cast?

Michael: She got upset about something and she hit something.  And now she sprained her wrist and she needs a cast. I don’t know—it’s so crazy. 

RADARONLINE.COM: Bravo reality shows—like the housewives—are known for drama. What makes the drama we see on Miami Social different?

Michael: I watch all those shows—the table-flipping episodes and Sheree’s crazy fight with her party planner on Real Housewives of Atlanta. On Miami Social, we don’t do those things because our drama is so much more deep-rooted, you know? This is as real as it gets. During the show’s first few episodes, our reviews were terrible. I knew that the show wasn’t terrible because I think in the first episodes of the show you just see people living these lives that you perceive to be super fabulous and we don’t give a sh** what recession is happening. We’re gonna chain smoke and carry on and drive fancy cars and wear all the designer clothes we want. But as the season goes on, you start to see all the cracks in the pavement. And that’s what makes this show so amazing. Whatever you see on the outside of people, it’s always a shell. You don’t really know what the f**k is going on inside.  And on Miami Social, you’re watching us unravel. And it’s pretty dramatic.

RADARONLINE.COM:What other Bravo shows do you watch?

Michael: I watch NYC Prep. You want to draw a funny parallel? That PC and Ariel are like two peas in a pod, aren’t they? They need to hang out, those two.  And I want to hang out with Jessie. I love that girl. When she said, ‘Guests of guests don’t bring guests?’ I’m like you better work it out bitch. She calls it all like it is. I swear, me and her are going to do a tug of war one day with Ariel and PC on the other side. We’re gonna pull those bitches in the mud!