Celeb Best Blog

Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen with their sons Francois and Johan attend the "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" screening at Museum of the Moving Image on May 21, 2011 in the Queens Borough of New York City.

Credit: Wire Image

Credit: Zimbio

Caroline Manzo, Jacqueline Laurita, Melissa Gorga, Kathy Wakile, and Albie Manzo joined Simon van Kempen to kick off the new season of Real Housewives of New Jersey with a premiere party at the Brownstone.

Credit: Wayne Patch (Rebecca K. Abma)

Real Housewives of New York City star Alex McCord and her husband Simon Van Kempen take their sons Francois and Johan for a walk in New York City on May 7, 2011.

Credit: Zimbio

Simon Van Kempen and Alex McCord attend 7th Annual Housing Works Design on a Dime charity shopping event at Metropolitan Pavilion on May 5, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Wire Image

Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen attended the Use Your Head, Shop For A Cause benefit at 262 Mott Street on May 4, 2011 in New York City. She donated the dress she wore to Sonja's cocktail party.

Credit: Wire Image

Simon van Kempen, husband of the Real Housewives of New York City’s Alex McCord, has released his first single, “I Am Real.”

There’s nothing a Real Housewife can’t do. They write books, design jewelry, bottle booze, model and who can forget the singing!

Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Danielle Staub and Kim Zolciak have already showed off their vocal talents and now the men are, too.

Simon has released his debut single, “I Am Real,” with lyrics aimed at “cheeky tongue waggers,” PopEater reports.

“I thought ‘I Am Real’ is a fun song with lyrics that suit me to a ‘T,’” Simon explained to PopEater. “It’s cheeky and catchy and captures my four years on reality TV.”

So, what artist does Simon think is most like him?

“I’d say Jarvis Cocker, but I don’t want to be Pulp’d.”

Credit: OK! Magazine (Nicole Eggenberger)

Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon, Jill Zarin, Chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment & Digital Networks Lauren Zalaznick, Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen pose for a photo during NBC Universal's Central Park Beautification project on April 20, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Zimbio

Alex McCord and Simon Van Kempen of the Real Housewives of New York attended the Urban Promise Charity event at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge on April 19, 2011 in New York City. Also pictured, Jerritt Clark.

Credit: Wire Image

Simon van Kempen and Alex McCord attend a screening of Real Housewives of New York benefiting Marriage Equality New York at Therapy Bar on April 14, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Wire Image

While Real Housewives of New York star Jill Zarin told Rob Shuter of Pop Eater that her new look has nothing to do with plastic surgery, other members of the 'NYC' cast tell him they don't believe it.

Zarin, 47, denies getting any work done -- "If I did, I would be the first to admit it," she told him -- but her critics aren't so convinced.

"I really don't know what to think." Ramona Singer tells him. "If you see her in the photos, her face looks different. Personally I like her other look better."

Ramona said Sonja Morgan is certain that Jill has had numerous "injectables" put into her face. "It does make her face look too taut and not as natural," Ramona says.

Jill has admitted to going to famous cosmetic dermatologist Patricia Wexler. "Jill overdid it. It's not the best look. Too much injectables look as bad as a bad face-lift," a puzzled Ramona told him.

And it's not just the females on Bravo's hit show that are giving Jill a hard time.

Simon Van Kempen told him, "I certainly think it's better to age gracefully than pull yourself so tight that you can no longer show facial expressions."

Credit: Pop Eater (Rob Shuter)

Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen are no strangers to the spotlight. On the new season of their show Real Housewives of New York City, they have chosen to use that fame to advocate for a cause near and dear to all of our hearts: marriage equality.

SDGLN: What made you decide to speak out in support of marriage equality? Why choose this issue?

SVK: Ultimately it’s simple fairness. There should be no restriction on the gender of a person’s legal partner; everyone should be allowed to officially create a family unit, receive health benefits, file taxes and raise children with the one person whom they love.

AM: I grew up with gay family members. Plus, seeing positive and stable same-gender partnerships without thinking anything of it, I was shocked when I went away to college to witness relationship bias for the first time. As I grew up and married, it became all too visible among our gay friends who also grew up and paired off, but were unable to make it legal.

SDGLN: How did you react to the New York Senate’s rejection of its gay marriage bill in 2009?

AM: The 180-degree turn from overwhelming support in the state Assembly to the defeat in the state Senate shows us all how much work is still needed – what’s being done now isn’t enough, which is why we got involved with Marriage Equality New York.

SDGLN: If and when a new bill to legalize gay marriage is introduced, would you be active advocates and supporters of it?

SVK: Absolutely; it’s important and we believe gay marriage should be legal. And while perhaps this is an issue that the individual states should lead, it's also important that the feds pick it up and embrace it too.

SDGLN: Do you have LGBT friends who have negatively been affected because the limitations on their rights?

AM: Yes – there are many examples but one that made it to TV is my best friend from college, whom “Housewives” viewers saw in season two and will see again in the new season. He was unable to take a job in another state because his marriage would not be recognized there, which would affect their benefits, their child, etc.

Credit: San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (Sandy Chase)