'Summer House: Martha's Vineyard' star Jordan Emanuel on friendships, romances and house votes
Jordan Emanuel is shining bright on "Summer House: Martha's Vineyard." Gibson Johns interviews the model and DJ about all of the drama on season 1 of Bravo's latest hit, including the evolution of her friendship with co-star Jasmine Cooper (and where they stand now), her dynamic with Jasmine's husband, Silas, and her thoughts on his fight with Bria. They also discuss various men in the house pursuing Jordan romantically, what she thinks about all of the house votes that have happened and how being in front of cameras has impacted her friend group.
Video Transcript
GIBSON JOHNS: Hi, guys. Welcome back to "We Should Talk," a pop culture interview series from In the Know. I'm your host, Gibson Johns, and today on the podcast, we have Jordan Emanuel from "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard." We are four episodes into "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard's" run, and I'm loving it. This group has such promise.
The show is really great so far. It's not perfect, but I really have faith that this show and this cast can go the distance. There's drama. There's fun. There's some romance, and I'm just really liking it.
And to me, Jordan is the biggest star on the show. I am the most drawn to her on the cast. I think that she's fun. She brings the single energy. She isn't afraid of conflict and having an argument and standing up for herself. And I just think she's kind of the whole package, especially on this cast, and I loved getting some time with her.
And we talked about her friendship with Jasmine and how this whole experience and Jasmine being married has affected their friendship and where they stand now, what Jordan's relationship is like with Silas, Jasmine's husband, the situation with Bria that's unfolding on the show right now, why they keep voting people out of the house and what her thoughts are on that. And also Jordan came into this house, and a lot of the men in the show set their sights on her, and I kind of presumed she had complicated feelings on that, and she did, so we talked about that and just some of the other things she is going on outside of the show.
And yeah, Jordan, again, is truly one of the biggest stars, if not the biggest star, on "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard," and I really enjoyed getting some time with her to pick her brain on the show and what she would like to see with a potential second season and all that. So keep listening for my interview with Jordan Emanuel. Tune in to "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard" Sunday nights at 9:00 PM on Bravo. And please rate, review, and subscribe to "We Should Talk" on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
All right, so we are here with model, DJ, and now reality star Jordan Emanuel, one of the stars of "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard." Jordan, thanks for being here today. How are you?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Thank you for having me. I'm doing well. How are you?
GIBSON JOHNS: I'm good. I'm loving the show so far. I knew from the first episode that you guys had found something special, I think, with this show, but it's really maintaining a level of drama and fun and humor that's been really fun to watch. How are you feeling now that we're four episodes into it airing?
JORDAN EMANUEL: You know, I'm still getting used to the process of people seeing me on TV and then texting me about it. I think that's the weirdest part, is just having outside family or friends who don't normally see me in that light being able to give commentary.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yes.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yeah. But I mean, other than that, I'm having a lot of fun with it.
GIBSON JOHNS: Especially because it's like you're in this new environment, but also it's an edited down TV show, so it's like you only have so much say over it obviously, and they probably are going to have a learning curve in understanding that.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Exactly. So there's a lot of gaps that I have to fill, or they're like, wait, why did you say that? I'm like, you just don't know the whole story.
GIBSON JOHNS: And you guys have a lot of people in this house. There's a lot of people coming and going, so there's a lot to contend with.
JORDAN EMANUEL: We are literally "The Brady Bunch" basically.
GIBSON JOHNS: So right off the bat, again, this is probably a new experience for you, especially airing back. I think it's kind of like the kind of final hurdle of this whole entire experience you've signed up for. So right off the bat, has anything surprised you? Or what's been the most surprising part of it airing and you watching it?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Honestly, I'm surprised by how chill I feel everything has been. You know what I mean? I think when you're going into something new, you don't always know what to expect or anticipate. You don't know how to prepare yourself for something like this.
So I think I overprepared myself, and now I'm kind of like, OK, this wasn't that bad. This wasn't crazy. So I think that's the most surprising thing for me.
GIBSON JOHNS: And I'm not just blowing smoke, but you also are coming across really, really well on the show. To me, you're one of the brightest stars in this group. I think you're coming off really well, but not just fading in the background. You're asserting yourself, and you're being yourself, but I think you're coming across really well, and I think you must feel kind of relieved and happy about that. You're not the villain or anything like that like. You're a fan favorite.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Oh, well, I love that. I think for me, it was just about going into the situation as if the cameras weren't there.
GIBSON JOHNS: Totally.
JORDAN EMANUEL: And so I tried my best to just be myself. And at that point, [INAUDIBLE] say something regardless, so I feel like at least [INAUDIBLE] 100%. I feel good about it, so I'm glad that you're perceiving that as well.
GIBSON JOHNS: Definitely. So I feel like obviously your connection to this group is through Jasmine, and I think your friendship has really been put to the test and put in the spotlight through this experience. And we hear you say right off the bat in one of the first episodes that she is kind of a different person now that she's gotten married, and I feel like it's probably the push and pull of giving her a little bit of a break because they did just get married. They're probably in this honeymoon phase still. But also she's one of your good friends, and you're noticing changes in her.
Can you talk me through some of that? I'm guessing that was happening in your head during filming, some of that back and forth. Talk me through some of that and where we're going to see it continue to go, because it seems like kind of a recurring issue, I think, this season.
JORDAN EMANUEL: I think throughout the next two or three episodes, you'll actually really get to see us have some tough conversations-- some necessary conversations, though-- about what we're doing, where we're at, her expectations and what that looks like for me and vice versa. I think any time there's a shift in somebody's personal life, of course friendship dynamics are going to change, especially when it's like you're adding a new family member.
GIBSON JOHNS: Totally.
JORDAN EMANUEL: It's like, well, this is like my family, too, so what's going on? So I think navigating that has been a challenge for both of us, and it continues to be. In full disclosure, it continues to be a challenge for us. And we're working on it because it's important to us both. So we can only just hope for the best and continue to put that hard work in.
GIBSON JOHNS: I think one of my reads on it-- I almost think that they as a couple maybe thought that they were going to come across a little bit differently on the show. I bet you they're kind of surprised about how some of the stuff is-- they're very loved up. They're very much like a unified front, and they should be as a couple, but there's not a way to kind of break through that. They kind of always have to be a united front.
What is your read on that? Do you think that Jasmine and Silas kind of maybe are surprised about how it's coming across, them as a couple? Or what conversations have you had with them, if any, about that?
JORDAN EMANUEL: I haven't talked to them too much, but they have expressed to the group as a whole that they are taken aback by the presentation, and I empathize with them because they were literally married three months before.
GIBSON JOHNS: I know.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Silas, I think, had just gotten back from training like a week before the wedding. And so, you know, that last year, they weren't really able to be in the same place planning together because of his work obligations. So I do feel for them that they're navigating this while screens are there, while their friends are there.
GIBSON JOHNS: It's a lot.
JORDAN EMANUEL: It's a lot. It's a lot. And so we're all going through this for the first time, and so I'm hoping that for everyone, we're able to learn things about ourselves and how we interact with our friends from what we're seeing back. We kind of get this mirror that we don't usually have the opportunity to see, so I hope that they take all of this and they use it to their benefit.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. Yeah, I think so too. I think there's a real opportunity there to do that, I think. And not to play to the fans or the viewers or anything, just for your own self-improvement honestly. I think that that's a big opportunity, yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Totally.
GIBSON JOHNS: What is your individual relationship with Silas like? Do you have much of a relationship beyond Jasmine? Where does that stand?
JORDAN EMANUEL: So prior to going into the house, we didn't have our individual relationship. I had only really had one-on-one conversations with him while we were in the house. Prior to that, it was with [INAUDIBLE] wedding, or we had like, a little double date situation where we were with one of his friends. So outside of that, no, not until the house did we start to kind of develop our own conversations. It did get off to a little bit of a rough start with that first white dinner, but I think it's something we're still trying to figure out for ourselves.
GIBSON JOHNS: But I think it's nice that like you feel comfortable, and you feel like you have the space to push back on him. He has some kind of very strong and kind of steadfast opinions, and you are not afraid to push back on that and challenge that. And I think that's honestly a good sign, I think, for you guys to maybe build a better bond because you clearly feel a comfort, at least, to do that. You know what I mean?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Right. Because to your point, if it wasn't important, I would just be like, OK, your opinion is irrelevant.
GIBSON JOHNS: Exactly.
JORDAN EMANUEL: But yeah, it is. And it is something that I hope that we get the opportunity to really learn more about each other as individuals, not just as my friend's spouse or his spouse's friend. And I think there is a lot of room. He reminds me so much of my grandfather--
GIBSON JOHNS: Interesting.
JORDAN EMANUEL: --who was my favorite [INAUDIBLE]. Yeah.
GIBSON JOHNS: OK, so then there is space. Come on, we can work on it.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Exactly.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, exactly.
JORDAN EMANUEL: So I'm optimistic we're going to figure it out.
GIBSON JOHNS: OK. And then this most recent episode, he has a big thing with Bria that continues into the next episode. She did clear it, her boyfriend coming for her week, it seems. And the receipts show that they signed off on it. And obviously they hadn't checked with the rest of the house on that, but they gave her the go-ahead. He's coming all the way from Europe.
What do you make of that? Because obviously a lot of that happened just one-on-one between them. And now that you've seen some of that-- and there's obviously continuation next week, but what's your take on that situation?
JORDAN EMANUEL: A lot of the time, at least up until this point of what you all have seen, I do really feel for Bria. I felt like she kind of came in there with really being the closest with Shanice, and then Shanice is only there on the weekends. And then the tiff with Mariah happened, and Shanice kind of [AUDIO OUT].
I feel for her because I felt like I was observing her on her own, and so I could imagine how she would want that support. And she did what she was supposed to do and had the conversation she's supposed to have, and then it's like, what's happening, you know? Selfishly, of course, I wanted Simon to only be there for a couple days because I wanted to get to know Bria more.
GIBSON JOHNS: Totally. Totally.
JORDAN EMANUEL: On that same note though, I understand needing Milo, needing Simon to be there, because I do felt like she was on a little bit of a draft of her own at one point.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. And again, at the end of the day, she got the clearance, so she's not-- and I feel like they're kind of making her feel crazy.
JORDAN EMANUEL: She did what she was supposed to do.
GIBSON JOHNS: Exactly. Yeah, she asked. They're trying to make her feel crazy for maybe, like, questioning whether that ever happened.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Right. Right.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: I feel bad that she was going through that all alone.
GIBSON JOHNS: I know. So do I.
JORDAN EMANUEL: When you're on the defense, it's just, you say crazy things. And it ends up turning into something else when, in reality, she did what she was supposed to do.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. And you know, she's kind of the third person that-- there's kind of like this trend on the show already of like, voting people out like it's "Survivor." And the Phil thing I really totally understood. Like I loved you shutting him down. That was such a moment for you, and I was like, cheering from my TV when you did that because I felt it was a very empowering moment, honestly, for you.
But the Mariah situation-- and I think a lot of people online kind of felt the same, that maybe the reaction was a little bit overblown. Obviously it was sort of like she said, she said about what was seen, what actually happened. And then it might be happening with Bria again. So who was sort of driving that shift of like, let's have these votes? And what do you make of it, maybe with some space from the house?
JORDAN EMANUEL: I mean, the votes were led by the hosts, the Coopers. I think when it comes to Mariah in particular or Bria, it's like if we're making the rule that we can't touch each other, then unfortunately that meant that Mariah-- you know what I mean? At the simplest baseline. That's just what it means.
GIBSON JOHNS: Sure.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Was there room to-- yeah. But if Bria is saying "I'm uncomfortable," then what?
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: So I think that's where that came from. As far as Bria's next moves, the votes are getting a little tired.
GIBSON JOHNS: I agree.
JORDAN EMANUEL: But I understand that it's like, when you've got 12, 11, 10 people, we can't sit there and debate all day. So a conclusion has to include all of us, and I guess it's the most effective way to get to the nitty gritty.
GIBSON JOHNS: In the first two-- and again, I think the Phil and Mariah situation were very different, but the votes happened kind of subsequently right there-- neither of them got the chance to like, plead their case or face the house, or just even have a goodbye kind of moment with everybody, which I was a little disappointed in that. I was just like, OK, at least give them just a moment to say their piece, to give their peace of mind. You know what I mean?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Right.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: I mean, I agree. I think looking back on it, had we not come back from a night of partying and it had just been a long day of [INAUDIBLE] and being out, maybe we probably would have done that differently. But I think at that point, it was like OK, we're tired of [INAUDIBLE]. What are we doing?
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: And I think that's how it kind of came--
GIBSON JOHNS: I get it.
JORDAN EMANUEL: --so quickly.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah, totally. So for you in the house, Jordan, I feel like right off the bat there's several men that are outspoken about wanting to pursue you romantically, and it's sort of like I like how you didn't fall into any of that right away, honestly. I'm curious where your mind was at from a romance perspective going into the house, and how the fact that a couple of these guys are, again, openly pursuing you-- how does that affect that mentality? For me, it might like, push me further away, but I'm curious how did that affect you and your mindset there?
JORDAN EMANUEL: You know, I think that it got a little bit tiring, not because of the pursuit, but it was kind of like what you asked about the vote. It was like, was I included in this decision?
GIBSON JOHNS: Exactly.
JORDAN EMANUEL: You guys are over here claiming and doing this, that, and the third, but yet, I haven't been informed of any of this. And so where's my participation in the fact that I feel like I'm being sold like property? You know what I mean?
GIBSON JOHNS: Literally. Yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: It just was a little crazy to me. So I think on that front, it was frustrating. But you see in the trailer I have a little breakdown. I express at some point. That definitely comes out.
GIBSON JOHNS: I'm here for that. I'm here for that. And then one of the men who expressed interest, Nick-- he has a secret girlfriend that we just found out about after DMIng at least three women in the house very flirty messages. Again, production came with the receipts. We're seeing they're not just like, friendly things.
He's saying that you're fine. I guess he's saying it like some pre-season thing that she's his wife. It's intense statements that he's making. Do you think that he was ever going to share that he had a girlfriend? Like if somebody that he had expressed interest in had kind of given into that and hooked up with him, do you think he would have gone through with that?
JORDAN EMANUEL: I think he would have told us. I feel like that's why he was kind of being, at least to me, so quiet the first couple of days. And I'm like, well, this is not who I anticipated because this is not the person that was in my DMs.
GIBSON JOHNS: Right.
JORDAN EMANUEL: So I had already come in there with this notion of him going to be super forward and super out there. And so when we got the opposite, I was like, what's going on? So I think if somebody had actively been like, so, you know, per your message on Instagram, where is that energy, I think he probably would have admitted it.
GIBSON JOHNS: Once he was actually backed into a corner.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yeah.
GIBSON JOHNS: Right. Totally.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yeah.
GIBSON JOHNS: Have you met the girlfriend? Have we like, put a face to the name? What's the latest on that?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yes, we've all met her. She's lovely. Super beautiful woman. So yeah, I wonder how she's reacting to all of this. I haven't spoken to her. I haven't spoken to Nick since this revelation has come to head.
GIBSON JOHNS: Got it. OK.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yeah.
GIBSON JOHNS: Is there a "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard" group chat? Like how in contact is the group right now?
JORDAN EMANUEL: So there's a couple of group chats.
GIBSON JOHNS: OK. There's some offshoots.
JORDAN EMANUEL: The main one and there's some side ones.
GIBSON JOHNS: OK. What is your most active group chat? Who's in that?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Myself, Shanice, Summer, and Preston.
GIBSON JOHNS: OK. OK.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yeah. That's the [INAUDIBLE].
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. All right, I'm keeping that top of mind. Does Summer stay for the rest of the season? Is she there the rest of the time? Cool. I like her. She seems great.
JORDAN EMANUEL: She's great. She's one of my really, really good friends.
GIBSON JOHNS: Good. Good. We talked about you and Jasmine's friendship at the top of this. We just talked about some of these group chats, different kind of factions of the group that are probably kind of offshooted from the main one. How has the show, how has filming-- jumping into this kind of new situation, how has that impacted some of these dynamics?
Do you feel like it's shown you who people really are? Do you think that some people are just kind of maybe struggling with some of the weight of all of this? How have things changed ever since these cameras entered the picture?
JORDAN EMANUEL: I would say things have definitely changed with each of my relationships in different ways. Some of it, I've learned a new side, and I'm trying to figure out if we're still compatible in friendship. Some of them have solidified my friendships.
And some have actually-- which was my hope, again, for us all, was to see ourselves and be like, oh, now I see what you were saying when you called me out on A, B, and C, and myself included. I've now been able to say, OK, I'm going to try to learn from this, and let's see what we're going to do from here. The cameras have definitely shown different light in every relationship.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. I mean, I think that's kind of a given probably, but hopefully the reaction is like, OK, let's kind of solidify some of this stuff, or let's kind of reassess some of this. It seems like you and Preston and are especially close. He was with you on "Watch What Happens Live" in the Oprah chairs. Is he probably the person you're probably closest to right now?
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yes. Yeah, he's definitely my hubby bestie.
GIBSON JOHNS: Love.
JORDAN EMANUEL: We speak almost every day, if not more.
GIBSON JOHNS: I love it. It's a good friendship. I love both of you guys. Good.
So outside of the show, Jordan, you do a lot. You're a DJ. You're a model. You have a podcast. I know you co-founded, I think, a non-profit organization. Was part of the decision of joining "Summer House-- Martha's Vineyard" to sort of amplify a lot of that stuff and to help grow a lot of these? Because you have your hand in a lot of different pots, which is really, really exciting.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Right. Yeah. I think for me, it more is I'm willing to try anything once. And doing my tally-- I'm like, pros, cons-- there really weren't that many cons other than me being actually a pretty private person. So that was, I think, the biggest challenge.
But ultimately, I was like, I'm already going to vacation there to Martha's Vineyard the year before with the same group of people. The difference is the cameras. So I'm like, why not? But it absolutely adds the perk of highlighting some of my other projects and things that I'm doing. So yeah, it was really a win-win situation.
GIBSON JOHNS: And we're four episodes in. We're coming up on episode 5. I love this show. I hope you guys get the same run that the original "Summer House" got. If you were to think about a potential second season, which knock on wood happens, one, I'm presuming you're down to come back. But also, what differences would you like to see, if any, in the makeup of the house?
JORDAN EMANUEL: I think as of now, I'm open to coming back. I would like to have a little bit [INAUDIBLE] fun. I think sometimes we had moments of a lot of seriousness because being [INAUDIBLE] all-Black show does come with its pressures.
GIBSON JOHNS: Of course.
JORDAN EMANUEL: We're dealing with stereotypes and things that are going on in the world that we want to uphold ourselves and represent our community in the best way that we can. And so I think some of that time, it ended up being a little bit more tense and more meticulous than it is just we're here for summer and let's relax, you know? Because there is a responsibility that we have to ourselves and our family and our people. So I think if we're able to kind of let that subside just a little bit--
GIBSON JOHNS: Sure.
JORDAN EMANUEL: --let the weave out, let the hair out, let the inches-- let it all out. I think if we get to that point, I think I'll be really happy to see. Yeah.
GIBSON JOHNS: Well, I was at the premiere party that you guys had, and I was talking to one of your executive producers, Lorraine, and she was just talking about-- because she works on other shows as well. And this is another example of a show where Bravo has really leaned in to trying to show so many different factions of the Black experience in this country. And I think it's just another version of that. And we're seeing more shades of that and more versions of that, and I think it's a really beautiful thing.
And I agree. I think some of these conversations that we've been able to see on the show already-- some of them, obviously it's like, just interpersonal drama, but even on the first episode, I remember Preston talking about the term Black excellence and just kind of unpacking some of that. Those are conversations that wouldn't have been on TV 5 or 10 years ago, you know? And I think that for you to be a part of that is pretty cool. That's pretty special. And I agree, I hope that we can continue to get more of that.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Because we do have impactful conversations amongst ourselves. I think that's really the great part about us having all known each other for the most part beforehand, is that we kind of cut that general getting-to-know-each-other-- we already do-- and just getting straight into the OK, what do we think about this? What do we think about this? So yeah, I think a little bit more balance would be chef's kiss.
GIBSON JOHNS: Last question. I keep on forgetting that you guys went to Martha's Vineyard. A lot of you went together the summer before. Did the presence of cameras-- did you notice sort of an immediate change in the dynamic or anybody in particular?
JORDAN EMANUEL: I did. I did. I do think that even people that I hadn't met before-- it was clear to me that--
GIBSON JOHNS: Got it.
JORDAN EMANUEL: --it felt a little bit--
GIBSON JOHNS: Showing out for the cameras a little bit.
JORDAN EMANUEL: I don't know if it was showing out, or if it was just a stiffness--
GIBSON JOHNS: Ah, OK.
JORDAN EMANUEL: --or just like, an over-awareness of what they were going to say or what they were going to do.
GIBSON JOHNS: Interesting.
JORDAN EMANUEL: But there was a certain precision, which is a little opposite of how I went into it, which was like, listen, this is who I am. If I'm going to be in a mood, if I'm going to be whatever, this is just what it is. But I do think over time, and as everyone got used to it, there was like, a sigh of relief that allowed everyone to kind of be more of themselves.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah. And I like that you guys have that-- I forget what it's called, but it's that camera that's set up in that one room for you to kind of have an on-the-fly confessional moment.
JORDAN EMANUEL: [INAUDIBLE]
GIBSON JOHNS: When you used that, was it like, did you really try to get something off your chest out of frustration? Or what would propel somebody to walk into that room and just like, share their thoughts?
JORDAN EMANUEL: [INAUDIBLE] it was just kind of like a word vomit moment.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yeah.
JORDAN EMANUEL: The confessional room was my favorite because I was just like, if I'm in it, I'm really in it, and I can't see the whole picture. I'm just like, irritated. So for me personally, I need that couple of minutes to not say anything. But I do think overall, there was moments where like, groups of us would go in there at a time, and those were always really fun of just saying like, what do you think about this right now? And it's just completely in the moment.
GIBSON JOHNS: I love it. I love that so much. Oh my god. Well, Jordan, this was so much fun talking to you. Again, I'm genuinely just loving this show, and I'm so excited for you, but also the group as a whole. I hope this journey continues for you guys, and I hope we get to follow along every summer because it's been really fun so far. I know there's been some drama, but overall, I think it's really, really fun.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Thank you so much. I love hearing that.
GIBSON JOHNS: Of course. Of course.
JORDAN EMANUEL: We'll continue that trajectory.
GIBSON JOHNS: Yes, 100%. Thank you so much, and we'll talk soon.
JORDAN EMANUEL: Thank you.
GIBSON JOHNS: Bye.
Thanks for tuning in to "We Should Talk." I hope you enjoyed the interview. You can find out more about In The Know at intheknow.com. You can follow me, Gibson Johns, @gibsonoma on Twitter and Instagram. And you can listen to all of our interviews, past and future, by searching "We Should Talk" wherever you get your podcasts. Hope to see you next time.
