The star of “Real Girlfriends in Paris” Victoria Zito will come to light

When Real Girlfriends in Paris star Victoria Zito came out bisexual at the end of last year as the cameras were rolling on the new reality show Bravo, she felt an immediate “relief”.

“I have no choice but to accept it now. Actually, it’s a really beautiful thing not to have that choice. Now the world knows, ”says Page Six in an exclusive interview ahead of Monday’s premiere.

“At the same time, it’s also a feeling of relief. I am relieved because I know that I could have had an even bigger support system than I would have had if he had not been on the show, ”adds Zito. “There is no going back.”

In the opening episode, the 26-year-old tells her castmates at the Friendsgiving celebration that she is discovering a romantic relationship with a woman. The revelation was met with ardent enthusiasm – and a gigantic group hug – from Anya Firestone, Emily Gorelik, Adji Toure and longtime buddies Margaux Lignel.

“I didn’t expect that – and that’s nothing against them.” It has more to do with my own upbringing, my own journey and contact with all kinds of things, ”says the American immigrant, born and raised in Sunnyvale, Texas, to a conservative family that she says has“ made fun of ”gays. .

Understandably, this conditioning made Zito scared of the skeptical reactions.

“I thought there would be more questions like” Are you sure? ” Or “Why?” – he admits. “But to have so much love from my castmates was amazing. It’s really important to find that support group where you really feel you can be the most authentic yourself ”.

Zito says 27-year-old Lignel – who knew about her bisexuality before dinner in the cast – offered key support that made the trip less difficult to navigate.

“It was definitely not easy. I really appreciate being able to film with one of my best friends, Margaux, ”she explains. “She has really held my hand all season.”

Zito, a small-town girl long encouraged by her family to stick to the status quo, married a man at an early age. The couple eventually moved to the City of Light in 2017 after Zito won a scholarship at the prestigious Parsons Paris art school where she studied fashion design.

But when Zito discovered her spouse’s infidelity, she filed for divorce – a liberating decision that helped her enter the LGBTQIA + community.

“After my divorce, I really decided that I would quit doing things for other people and live to seek approval from other people. What is life if you don’t live it for yourself? ” she says. “Everything I’m doing now is really for me and I’m very happy about it.”

Zito, who revealed in RGIP that she had yet to reveal herself to her family because she was “worried about the sentence,” tells Page Six that her mother now knows.

“I’m really excited that people will see this unfold,” she teases. “It was a very unexpected answer. I’ll say it.

Zito is also delighted to see fans go deeper into dating Emmelle – the British beauty she met through a dating app – on the show.

“She’s amazing,” she says of her infatuation with which she felt a deep connection that went beyond “sexual attraction.”

“I can’t wait for everyone to see how it turns out,” adds designer Chloe Colette, squirting, “She’s really sexy.”

Whether she finds eternal love in Emmelle or not, Zito is proud to be a carrier of queer representation – but she hopes to inspire all viewers by giving them a 360-degree look at this exciting chapter in her life.

“When I signed up for it, I decided to be an open book with my career, my friendships, my family and my love life. And finally, if it ends up with one person and inspires one person to live like the authentic self or fulfill a real, genuine dream, it is all worth it to me, ”she says.

“I want the queer community – but also everyone else – to know that it doesn’t matter what your upbringing is, it doesn’t matter what your surroundings are. The most important part is that you live your authentic self and until you do, you cannot be happy.

Real Girlfriends in Paris premieres with two episodes on Monday, September 5 at 9:15 PM EST on Bravo.