‘Real Girlfriends in Paris’: Margaux Lignel Says Not All French People Are A**holes – Just Blunter Than Americans [Exclusive]
Bravo‘s Real Girlfriends in Paris resident Parisian Margaux Lignel said one of the biggest misconceptions Americans have about the French is that they are “a**holes … because they’re not.”
Like her friends on the new show, Lignel has a passion for Paris, but she had the advantage of growing up in New York City, while also spending ample time in the City of Lights. Real Girlfriends in Paris follows Lignel and her five American friends as they navigate careers and dating while immersing themselves in French culture, food, and fun.
Lignel’s journey takes her on a winding career path and the realization that the love of her life may be learning to love herself.
Margaux Lignel says the French will be a d*** to your face (not behind your back)
Lignel has one of the longest-standing relationships with Paris and a deep understanding of the people and the culture. She said that the French are often misunderstood by Americans. The misconception is that “French people are all a**holes,” she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “They’re not.”
“They are a lot blunter than Americans,” she emphasized. “French people will be a d*** to your face. Americans will do it behind your back! So I’d rather have them do it to my face!”
Also, most people speak at least some English in Paris. “French is much harder to learn than English,” she said. “But most people speak a minimum of English here … in a thick accent. Very funny.”
‘Real Girlfriends in Paris’ reflects life in the City of Lights
On the show, Lignel grapples with broken appliances in her apartment and tells her father that it will take weeks to get even the most basic appliance fixed. A big, metropolitan city like Paris and she couldn’t get repairs sooner than a few weeks? She said that is commonplace, even before the pandemic.
“All my power went out,” she recalled, which happened after a broken refrigerator debacle viewers will see in an upcoming episode. Lignel called the electric company, “And they were like, ‘We can come in two weeks.’ And I was like, ‘I have no hot water. No lights. Like what do you mean two weeks?’ So I slept at my friend’s place and they had an emergency guy come. But it still took four days for someone to come out.”
She also said the French can’t pay extra for services, which is what Americans do all the time. “You also can’t just pay to get anything expedited,” Lignel said. “Which I kind of like in a way. You know how in America you can expedite your passport and pay extra to expedite things? In France, that doesn’t exist.”
Margaux’s journey is a ‘love story between myself and myself’
Aside from broken appliances in her apartment, viewers will follow Lignel in her journey toward becoming more independent. “I’m very adamant about being financially independent,” she said about her challenges this season. “I’m also very dependent on my dad. So it’s a little bit of that. And I’m working towards facing my family and creating boundaries with my dad, which you’ll see more of.”
“And really figuring out what I want to do, what my passions are, and where my talents lie,” she added. “So that’s really the trajectory of the season with my personal storyline.”
Like the other Real Girlfriends in Paris cast, Lignel is looking for love. “I had just gotten out of a relationship prior to starting filming and it was hard,” she said. “It was hard for me, but also, I think I needed to be a little bit single and be able to fully invest in what was going on with me and make myself a priority.”
She added that the season is, “A love story between myself and myself.”
Two episodes of Real Girlfriends in Paris premiere on Monday, Sept. 5, starting at 9:15 p.m.
