Members Only: Palm Beach, which premieres December 29, focuses on a group of women navigating social hierarchies and private clubs in Florida’s wealthiest suburb. Few clubs have more exclusivity and fame than President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, which has become synonymous with the state's high-end social scene.
Trump—and his club—won't be part of filming, but the cast does have a connection to him.
Taja Abitbol, a principal cast member on the show, has spent years going to Mar-a-Lago. Although not a member herself, she previously rang in the New Year there, has attended events and weddings, and her husband—former Yankees pitcher David Cone—has played in Trump's golf tournaments.
Abitbol, whose son attended the same school as Barron Trump, the president's son, told Newsweek that politics hasn’t hurt Mar-a-Lago's popularity in Palm Beach. It’s still one of the most exclusive places and she said “everybody wants to be there.”
Members Only: Palm Beach, which premieres December 29, focuses on a group of women navigating social hierarchies and private clubs in Florida’s wealthiest suburb. Few clubs have more exclusivity and fame than President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, which has become synonymous with the state's high-end social scene.
Trump—and his club—won't be part of filming, but the cast does have a connection to him.
Taja Abitbol, a principal cast member on the show, has spent years going to Mar-a-Lago. Although not a member herself, she previously rang in the New Year there, has attended events and weddings, and her husband—former Yankees pitcher David Cone—has played in Trump's golf tournaments.
Abitbol, whose son attended the same school as Barron Trump, the president's son, told Newsweek that politics hasn’t hurt Mar-a-Lago's popularity in Palm Beach. It’s still one of the most exclusive places and she said “everybody wants to be there.”
“I'm not bashing the Housewives, but I do feel this is like way more elevated,” Abitbol said. "It's different kind of drama... It is definitely more fun.”
Abitbol noted that being a socialite of sorts probably prepared her for being on camera more than other women and there's nothing she regrets about filming the upcoming season. But she hasn’t seen it yet, so she said it’s possible she might have to change her approach for future seasons.
Viewers will get to see inside the cast's homes and the interaction with their families. It is possible viewers will even get to see Abitbol try to get her divorced parents back together. With Palm Beach a social center, Abitbol is convinced viewers won’t be disappointed.
“It’s something that people have been wanting to see for a very long time and what goes on behind the scenes,” Abitbol said.
One thing people won’t see, though, is the inside of Mar-a-Lago.
The show isn’t allowed to film at Trump’s club because of the privacy afforded to guests. Abitbol said they filmed a kickoff party to one of Mar-a-Lago's events, called The Palm Event, that took place at a different location. And while many people have either cut ties with the Trumps or shied away from publicizing their connections, Abitbol isn’t one of them. She has posted about Mar-a-Lago on social media, praised Trump as a father and called his daughter Ivanka Trump “amazing.”
Other cast members include Hillary Musser and Rosalyn Yellin, both of whom have also posted about attending events at Mar-a-Lago.
With a lot of friends who are members of Trump's club, Abitbol kept the door open to the possibility she and her husband would join.
"We might be in the future. I would I would like to be," she said. "I love his club, I love what he does."