8 Things to Know About Kristen Taekman, the Newest Real Housewife of New York City

Season six of The Real Housewives of New York City premieres tonight night on Bravo, and if you've seen the trailer, you know the ladies are coming back with more drama than ever. You also may have noticed an unfamiliar face in the bunch--new cast member Kristen Taekman. We asked the mom and model what viewers should know about her before tuning in. By Lauren Le Vine, REDBOOK.

Unlike Ramona and Mario, she doesn't think the show will put a strain on her marriage.
"You know how there are couples that get together really young and haven't experienced that much? We had both traveled, had careers, and experienced a lot in our lives by the time we came together. We've been together for 12 years and have two small kids. The strains we have on our marriage are probably the same ones everyone in America has. It's Saturday night, we have to go to this thing, and we can't get a babysitter. Plus, I"m not the kind of person to hide the realities of our relationship. Our bickering is a form of flirting--I think it's healthy."

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Fellow Housewife Heather Thomson convinced her to do it.

"I'd modeled for Heather before; she's a real friend. She worked with my husband Josh a long time ago. I wasn't nervous about meeting the other ladies; I just felt like this is a group of friends I'm meeting."

She's a "real housewife."
"I work freelance in fashion as a model, and I don't work every day. I drop my kids at school, I go to ballet with my daughter, and I go out with my husband at night to business events. I feel like I am an actual real housewife."

She was a total breast-flixer.
"I used to watch Inside the Actors Studio, Mad Men, and so much Sex and the City. After a while, I kind of looked forward to that 3 a.m. wake-up because I wanted to catch up with that show!"

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She "doesn't, won't, and can't" cook.
"I have a deep freezer in a spare room--I think I'm the only person in New York City who has one. I do runs to Costco to buy frozen tortellini and pizza. With young kids, you sort of feel like a short-order cook. I'm a big toaster person."

But her husband knew that (despite what the season six trailer says).
"It wasn't like he put a ring on it, and I pulled the toaster over. I didn't cook the entire time we were dating."

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Her workout philosophy is total mom.
"I have this JCORE workout DVD that only takes 20 minutes in a 4 x 4 space. What mom has an hour and a half?!"

She has a major thing for Elvis.
As to whether or not we'll see any Elvis impersonators on the show, "You'll have to wait and see."


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