Taleen Marie

Real Housewives of Dubai Star Taleen Marie zooms in to talk new season and more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're on with Mario a little bit.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
It's up you all and Mario Lopez joining Mean Now
on Zoom from the Real Housewives of Dubai Toleen Marie,
Welcome to the show.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.

Speaker 4 (00:11):
How are you.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm well, thank you and congratulations. I know you joined
the cast for season two. Was this something that you
had been wanting to do? It took some convincing, were
you eager?

Speaker 4 (00:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
So a great question.

Speaker 4 (00:26):
I uh, you know, season one was was coming out
and they had actually asked me if I wanted to
be a part of season one, but I just didn't
know how it was going to go, being that it's
the first franchise in the Middle East, you know, I
didn't really want to be a labrat. I didn't know
how that was going to go, so I was hesitant.

(00:48):
It definitely wasn't an overnight decision, especially with my husband
who works a lot with the government. You know, these
shows are built off like scandal and drama. But once
we saw how like well received it was, you know,
it was it was a no brainer and I'm so
happy I joined Nice Now.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Has filming been everything you've expected or was it different?

Speaker 4 (01:11):
Look, it's it's it's all real and I keep saying it,
but like I thought reality TV like would be like
some of it would be like scripted, And that was
the biggest shock.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
For me, Like, no, this is this is real, the.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
Good, the bad, the ugly, and not for me was
was shocking. I mean, I love it, but it's it's
it's emotional.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
There's up the high or high the lows are lows.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, that that can get draining. And do you go yeah,
you're telling me, I bet. Do you get along with
with the cast? Did you have a little drama recently
with Caroline Brooks?

Speaker 4 (01:50):
Yes, I mean that's a loaded question. We so so.
I knew her for for a while. She was one
of my first friends in Dubai and since joining the show,
we've had some ups and downs.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
But I hope we get to a better place.

Speaker 4 (02:08):
But you know, with all the I mean Lisa Milan,
we also kind of had our our drama here and there.
But look, I mean, at the end of the day,
we are a group of friends. You know, there's there's
ups and downs and dynamic shifts in every friend group.
So hopefully, you know, we can we can work through
it and men through it. I mean, at least all

(02:29):
my end. Don't ask her, but I don't know.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
I think that's the right attitude have.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Now, you grew up in the States, So what was
the idea, what was the the genesis of the move
to Dubai, and.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
What motivated that?

Speaker 4 (02:43):
So I grew up in Virginia, born and raised in Virginia,
and then moved.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
To Los Angeles. I was there for about eight years.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
I met my husband in Los Angeles, but he was
living in Dubai, so we had a.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Two year, long, long, six fe hour flight long since
really that's a long time.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Is he from I know, I'm sorry, is he from Dubai?

Speaker 4 (03:06):
So he's actually from Houston, but he's moved to Dubai.
Her family business got over the company. So he's been
there for like twenty years. And then once, you know,
once I once he put a ring on it, you know,
I moved to the desert.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Were you were you reluctant at all about a big move,
because that's a big Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 4 (03:28):
I mean the first year it was, it was tough, right,
It was definitely a bit of a culture shock, especially
I mean the the Dubai that you see now is
very different from what it was ten years ago. But
after about a year and you know, once I got
you know, my business and and you know, my independence
and my friend group, I immediately adjusted.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
And Raffie was my husband was very supportive of that too, nice,
which was great.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, and you're also a singer.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
It's a fun You opened for Christina Aguilera before.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
What what do you remember about those.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Shows I did?

Speaker 3 (04:06):
I did so.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
I actually started professionally singing at the age of nine
in opera. I started at the Washington Opera and the
Kennedy Center. And then that's why I had moved to LA.
I was signed, you know, put out songs, songwriting, touring.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
All that.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
Music is my biggest passion, you know, it's it's it's
always going to be who I am and and and
part of me. But you know, once I moved to Dubai,
things kind of change. You know, I wasn't in LA anymore.
You go to LA and it's like, you know, everybody
who works at Starbucks has like been on American Idol. Right,
It's like it's just it's it's in the air. So

(04:49):
Dubai was was a bit different, and I it kind
of I kind of took a step back from the music,
but only now now I'm like starting to get back
in it. I'll still put a few songs you know,
out here and there.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
I miss it so much.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Well, I sure, ironically you can actually sing, but there
is like quite a few housewives that put out records
that can't sing, for sure, Mario shot fire.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
No, come on, to be honest.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
I mean they're they're they're trash and they can't sing,
and they have and I've actually been to the show
My Wife's Dress, and it's it's they're fun because they're
so funny and rageous.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
However, and the places are packed. I can't believe it,
the plays are packed. I'm like, these chicks can't sing?
Am I crazy? But like they can't say and so
that's funny, you got it?

Speaker 3 (05:42):
I didn't say it.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well you know, I'm not lying, but you can actually
I think that's so that's so ironic, right right, Well.

Speaker 4 (05:49):
Look, I really genuinely appreciate that, and and the beauty.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
Of the show. It's it is a great.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
Platform, and you know, hopefully from it, you know, I'll
be able to to you know, keep doing what I'm
doing and hopefully get some great reception from it.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's cool. And you've got two kids as well, right,
how old are they?

Speaker 3 (06:08):
I do? Two daughters, five and three? They drive us crazy, Mario,
you have kids two? Right? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (06:14):
I've got three and uh three? Yeah, a girl and
two boys and two daughters. How are you done or
are still open for more?

Speaker 3 (06:22):
I'm done?

Speaker 4 (06:23):
But like my husband's poking holes and condoms like he
is dying for a third and.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
He he really wants a boy. And it's just it's
and and there's no guarantee that we're going to get
that right, exactly right, And I don't want to be
out of number. I mean, you have three. We could
talk about it.

Speaker 4 (06:38):
You tell me how three is, but it's uh, look,
we have two.

Speaker 3 (06:43):
Healthy, beautiful girls. I had. I had tough pregnancies, tough
road to get there.

Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
So the short answer no, But if you speak to
my husband, right, that's a different. Let's see after a
night of tequila, what happens one day?

Speaker 3 (06:57):
Who knows?

Speaker 1 (06:58):
There you go? You never never?

Speaker 2 (07:00):
No, Well, congratulations on the show, look forward to checking
it out. The Real Housewives of Dubai airs Tuesdays on Bravo.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Tilin, thanks for checking in.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Mario, thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (07:10):
And I will end it with this, and I know
you get it all the freaking time, but I grew
up with say it by the bell.

Speaker 3 (07:18):
Thank you and I are you. Oh.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
I appreciate that.

Speaker 4 (07:21):
It's such an honor to be speaking to the the greatest.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
The go Thanks, You're so sweet. Well, thank you. I
appreciate the kime words. Take care with Mario Lopez