When Brittany and Marissa came to blows on Wednesday’s episode of “Mob Wives,” the rest of the cast seemed to fall behind Marissa.
The only one in Brittany’s corner after the fight, excluding the always-neutral Big Ang, was Drita.
“I felt like it was three-on-one, four-on-one, and I hate that,” Drita D’Avanzo said in an interview with TheWrap. “Even if I hate you, I’m going to find a way to stick up for you just because I feel it’s unfair.”
But D’Avanzo also said she stuck up for Brittany because she was the only one who was able to form her own opinion and resist being “brainwashed” into hating her by Karen, Renee and Carla.
“I’ve seen newcomers join the show and get brainwashed to hate me … So I was looking to see who was strong enough to stand enough on their own. It’s not easy,” she said. “I have to respect someone strong enough to deal with that.”
Read the full interview below:
TheWrap: Why were you the only one on Brittany’s side?
D’Avanzo: Being on this show the number of years I’ve been on, I’ve seen newcomers join the show and get brainwashed to hate me. That’s what happened to Natalie, that’s what happened to Alicia. They were grabbed by the bullies, and told to hate Drita.
So I was looking to see who was strong enough to stand on their own. It’s not easy. It must be very intimidating to come onto “Mob Wives.” Just look at the show and the women on it. So are you going to be weak and fold into them, or are you strong enough to stand up for what you believe in and go through hell for it? That’s what Brittany did. She could’ve just agreed to hate me and agree with everything Carla and Aunt Karen said like Marissa did. But Brittany looked at me and said, “Wait a minute, Drita was nice to me and what they’re saying I haven’t seen. Why should I listen to them?” I have to respect someone strong enough to deal with that.
Do you feel like the other women were egging them on by telling Brittany and Marissa what each other was saying?
I feel they instigated it. Even when you watch the Hamptons episode. Even Marissa calling Brittany a lush, I do think she meant that as a joke. I just feel like Karen and them instigate everything. They love drama, they need the drama, it feeds their souls … They’re fighting and they don’t like each other, and it could’ve been diffused. But Marissa was listening to everything they had to say. If you watch the show, she’s like “Oh yeah, I heard Drita’s like that.” I think she’s afraid of them. They intimidate her.
Could they have worked it out if they had tried to talk it out earlier?
Yes. At the end of the day we’re filming a TV show, and for entertainment purposes it’s nice to have people getting all riled up, but I think they could’ve sat down and talked it out. There’s another thing that wasn’t aired that bothered me. When Karen came over, I said to Brittany, “Listen, Karen’s saying Marissa’s here to talk. Hear her out first.” But Brittany was in such a rage. I feel bad for Brittany too because everybody turned on her. And I told her that was going to happen. If you like me on this show, you’re going to have the biggest problem in the world with the rest of the cast. That’s why I stuck up for her too. I felt like it was three-on-one, four-on-one, and I hate that. Even if I hate you, I’m going to find a way to stick up for you just because I feel it’s unfair.
Even though Brittany didn’t throw the first punch, couldn’t you see how they might say she started it?
She was there to fight. She wanted the fight. But — there’s a big but here — she was told, “Do not touch Marissa, or you’ll get thrown off the show.” That’s what she was told over and over. So in her mind, she was like, “OK. Well, let her hit me first and then I’ll beat the shit out of her.” That was her mentality. Because she thought she would be able to beat her up, but Marissa threw that punch and they broke it up in two seconds. She definitely didn’t think that would happen. She told me over and over, “I don’t care that she hit me. I care that I couldn’t fight back.”
Were there any consequences for Marissa?
Brittany was not the type of person to go into an office and get her kicked off the show. All she wanted was a fair fight. You know what’s hard for this show? People don’t understand what happens off the show. Ninety-nine percent of the problems are on Twitter or on social media. You can see me sitting there pissed off and someone, but you don’t know that they were fucking with me the night before Twitter. So it’s hard. So people might be looking at Brittany saying, “Oh my god, what’s her problem?” But the night before Marissa was ripping her on Twitter and talking shit, so she was mad.