A “controversial historical past” between Julie and a number of other of her roommates was first teased within the trailer for The Actual Homecoming: New Orleans. Now, throughout the premiere episode — streaming solely on Paramount+ — the backstory which prompted this assertion by Danny was revealed.
The primary solid member to show their stress with Julie was Melissa, who touched down in NOLA together with her personal provide of bathroom paper. The now-mother-of-three said she was “genuinely excited to see loads of them” when she was on the verge of reuniting with all of her Y2K roomies. And when she first met up with Danny earlier than making their approach to the brand new home (identical to they first met in 2000!), she quipped “oh lady, I am apprehensive” when he said he wasn’t actually involved about seeing anybody.
However Danny’s assertion about not having apprehension didn’t imply he had not been harm by Julie previously. His story: After RW aired, he and Julie have been employed by a company to mentor highschool seniors, however he acquired troubling information that Julie despatched a letter “trashing” his character to the org.
“[The letter said] that I basically don’t have any morals [and] it is a mistake to rent me — and the identical stuff occurred with Melissa,” Danny revealed in a confessional interview. “This occurred a number of, a number of occasions, and I by no means heard from her once more.”
In the meantime, Melissa final noticed Julie on The Problem: Battle of the Sexes in 2003 after “cussing her a** out” for doing “shady sh*t” (Melissa’s take).
Then Julie, who didn’t meet up with anybody previous to arriving on the new digs, said that she wanted to proper wrongs and apologize for issues (with out naming names or penalties). She admitted she felt “awkward” and predicted she can be getting the chilly shoulder from some folks. And he or she was proper.
When Julie embraced Danny, she instantly said she was sorry, however Danny instructed her they might discuss it later. Danny mirrored that it was “all too quick,” the gesture unfolding in entrance of the group felt “performative,” and he was not taking it as a “true apology.”
However Julie and Melissa didn’t go for any shut contact. As an alternative, Melissa, who was “not attempting to mess with that girl,” supplied up 4 easy phrases: “Hello, how are you?” Julie stored her distance, and shortly after the greeting, the 2 ladies spoke — and it was thanks partly to an old-school TV Information difficulty that Tokyo (aka David) introduced alongside.
“Melissa didn’t date throughout her time in New Orleans,” Melissa learn from the classic 2000s journal. “However she plans to make up for misplaced time when she strikes to Los Angeles with Julie this summer time.”
The point out of the Metropolis of Angels prompted the primary disagreement between the duo: Melissa claimed that she resided in Los Angeles and Julie was in Orange County, whereas Julie stated that Melissa did not need to be SoCal roomies so she had her personal place. Julie shortly refuted the OC portion and rattled off the road identify of her LA place. Julie, visibly irritated by the differing claims, left the group and muttered below her breath that Melissa was a “f*cking liar.”
However this was solely the start of the LA dwelling state of affairs she stated/she stated. An “incoming message,” featured on earlier Homecoming seasons, confirmed a video recap of the seven strangers’ unique stint in New Orleans — and the nostalgia-filled clip concluded with (you guessed it) Julie and Melissa. Melissa said again in 2000 that she would “undoubtedly” be in contact with Julie, whereas Julie confessed Melissa meant the world to her. After which, there was the California reference but once more.
“We will get together in LA,” Julie gushed to Melissa whereas they gave one another a giant hug goodbye in 2000.
Julie shortly wished to grasp why Melissa could not do not forget that Julie moved to LA. Then, Melissa conveyed how she actually felt.
“We have been actually, actually good mates, and then you definitely did a extremely dangerous factor to me, so I do not bear in mind any of the nice, enjoyable stuff,” Melissa instructed Julie, as the opposite 5 noticed. “That is the reality.”
Julie maintained that she had considered Melissa, and Melissa didn’t reply her calls.
“We might by no means handle something,” Julie claimed.
A Problem clip (Melissa had beforehand referenced it) rehashed their beef and reminded viewers of their public feud, which was featured on MTV.
“A university selected to rent me to do a lecture at their college over Melissa, and Melissa acquired actually upset about that,” Julie said again in 2003. Melissa’s take: “Julie is so grasping in terms of cash. She referred to as this f*cking college, speaking about, ‘Melissa does not signal autographs, Melissa does not do that, Melissa does not do this. And her payment is an excessive amount of. However I will do it.'”
Current-day Julie denied that she ever referred to as a college to not rent Melissa, however Melissa refuted this and said that an agent acquired the emails which defined why she had misplaced the gigs. Danny had seen sufficient: He interjected, in entrance of everybody, that he skilled the identical factor and insisted they cease debating about whether or not or not this occurred.
“I wrote one letter, and it was about Danny,” a visibly ashamed Julie admitted. She defined that she betrayed him as a result of she was in “self-preservation mode” after the pair have been noticed by occasion organizers laughing about how a number of the children did not acknowledge them. She finally lied and said that Danny was making enjoyable of the youngsters after which owned that her actions have been “f*cked up.”
Danny had a unique opinion. “The letter painted me as a horrible gay,” he defined. “All people’s dad and mom have been scared of you being the homosexual in entrance of their youngsters. And also you have been there to be the nice little Mormon lady.”
And, but once more, Julie said she did not write any of this or “say these issues.”
“That was a delicate time, whenever you have been homosexual at the moment and also you have been allowed to have a voice,” Danny remembered, as Julie started to cry. “It was uncommon and it was particular, and when somebody tainted that, it meant lots.”
“For 22 years, you did not acknowledge it,” Melissa supplied. After which she addressed Julie’s tears. “You did not apologize about it. And now you are sitting right here crying about it after we are the aggrieved get together. That is the issue.”
Melissa was adamant that she was not holding a grudge, however as an alternative, she made some extent. “I seemed petty on nationwide tv for 20 years since you by no means instructed that story proper. After which on prime of that, these actions have been carried out in opposition to marginalized folks. You probably did it to a homosexual particular person and you probably did it to an individual of shade.”
Julie requested if Melissa was calling her racist and homophobic, a suggestion Melissa instantly shut down. However then Julie pivoted again to the letter as a result of she could not perceive it and wasn’t prepared to simply accept it as being true.
“I am sorry if shouldn’t be an apology,” Melissa instructed Julie. “Already, your apology is flawed.”
The group ultimately dispersed, and Tokyo tried to inform Julie one-on-one that it did not matter who was chargeable for the letters (Julie did not need to blame her brokers) however that there was a typical denominator with two folks and it “truly occurred.” The proof didn’t matter, simply the harm emotions.
The episode ended with Julie realizing she wanted to personal her habits and asking if she might enter Melissa’s room. So will Julie finally take accountability for her actions and categorical her remorse, or will the differing variations of historical past persist for the whole period of this homecoming? Give your ideas on the inaugural episode, and maintain watching The Actual World Homecoming: New Orleans when new episodes drop each Wednesday solely on Paramount+!
