Why RHONY Star Jenna Lyons Had Beef With The New York Post

Fashionista Jenna Lyons has transitioned from J. Crew head honcho to one of the newest reality television stars. Since joining "The Real Housewives of New York" in its fourteenth season, she has carefully controlled her narrative. Despite being the first openly gay New York Housewife, Lyons is adamant about keeping her romantic life off-camera. During episode 2, which aired July 23, 2023, Lyons revealed that she is happy with a new partner. Still, when elaborating on why she has decided to keep things private, she explained to several of her co-stars, "Because I've had so much press, I am very quiet about that, so I'm not sharing that."

The press Lyons was referring to is the attention centered around her split from ex-husband Vincent Mazeau. The two divorced after nine years of marriage, though the details of exactly why have remained unclear. However, that didn't stop the New York Post (via Page Six) from running a story in 2011 revealing that she was in a same-sex relationship with Courtney Crangi. It was suggested by other outlets that this may have been the reason for Lyons' divorce. Even with other messy rumors swirling, it seems that the New York Post kicked off the barrage of stories when they initially outed the Lyons, sparking a beef between the two powerhouses. 

When Jenna Lyons was dealing with her divorce from Vincent Mazeau, the New York Post phoned her to ask her about a tip they'd received. The outlet was told that Lyons was having a romantic dinner with someone, presumably a woman. When they called to confirm if she was gay, Lyons answered, "Yes." Though she was still in her high-ranking position with J. Crew in the years before they filed for bankruptcy, Lyons was not anticipating being a big enough celebrity worthy of immense media attention. Still, the Post ran the story the following day.

"I didn't expect anyone to care about what I was doing in my personal life, and all of a sudden, everyone cared," Lyons revealed during a July 2023 interview with The View. The situation was even more traumatic because it was the first time her family and friends were made aware of her sexuality. In Lyons' cover story with Elle UK, she recalled her mom asking, "What am I supposed to tell people?" Lyons replied, "You don't have to make them comfortable. You don't have to say anything, or you could say that it's weird for you too." Now, her mother is just happy that her daughter remains successful, even being openly queer. According to People, her ex-husband reportedly took the news of her lesbian relationship with Courtney Crangi very hard, but it's unknown what his stance is today.

After the New York Post ran the story, it doesn't appear that Lyons took any legal action against the outlet. However, it does appear that the story was permanently stripped from the Post's website. Even with her sexuality on display without her consent, Lyons was able to find some serenity in the situation. During a March 2021 discussion with The Cut, Lyons explained, "​​The one good thing is that I didn't have to decide who I'd tell first. It just happened, and the entire world knew."

In October 2012, she was named Glamour's Woman of the Year. Lyons used that opportunity to acknowledge her romance with her former partner, Courtney Crangi, who helped her through the tumultuous period. Most importantly, the honor was one of the first times since the outing that the Love Seen founder could acknowledge her identity without any pressure. Her relationship with Crangi ended in 2017, but it seems that Lyons is more comfortable than ever with who she is despite the lack of boundaries demonstrated by the media.