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00:00I love cats. I have a bunch of cats too. But when they meet Mochi, they said if they had a dog,
00:06it would be Mochi as cat lovers. Oh my gosh, yeah. Because he doesn't do anything. He looks like,
00:10like if you look from the back, he could be a cat. Could be a cat. That's Jackie Siegel,
00:14the self-proclaimed Queen of Versailles. A brand new Broadway show based on her life opened at
00:18the St. James Theater. We caught up with Jackie the morning after the show's opening, where she
00:23revealed an exclusive first look at the interior of Versailles. She chatted about her relationship
00:27with Donald Trump, and she shared her plans for her 90,000 square foot palace. Oh, and she made me
00:33a queen too. Congratulations on the show. Thank you so much. Oh my God. I feel like I died and went
00:41to heaven. I love that we got to experience it together a couple of weeks ago in previews. That
00:46was like once in a lifetime kind of incredible experience to be sitting beside you with your
00:52entourage. We were all clad in tiaras. I mean, it was a special, special night. Did you feel that?
00:57I certainly did. And to have Kristen Chenoweth play me on Broadway was just like more than a dream
01:06come true. In fact, when my kids saw her on Broadway last night, they said, Mom, she plays
01:14the Queen of Versailles better than you. Wow. They said, I thought that was you on stage, Mom. She did
01:23that good. And it's just so crazy how this all came about. Yeah. Because I tried out for Broadway
01:32shows 30 years ago, right back in the early 90s. And that's a big part of the well, there's a little
01:37moment in the show where Kristen's downstage center or doing like the chorus line choreography and an
01:42audition for Cats. Was Cats actually a production that you auditioned for? I tried out for like that
01:48and a bunch of them. Will Rogers Follies. Amazing. And I wasn't even trying out to be a star.
01:54I just wanted to be like maybe one of the girls in the background or walk down the stairs in my tap
01:58shoes. You know, so I wasn't even like aiming that high. And they I never made it. But they the people
02:10finally told me just give up. That's so sad. They did. And now without even trying, by some random
02:20event after having giving birth to seven children, and then adopting one eight children later, about
02:27eight years ago, I went to Cocoa Beach. We bought the Cocoa Beach pier right by Nassau. I ran into this
02:35girl with long blonde hair. I was wearing a bikini probably shouldn't have been. But I but I was. And
02:41she says, on the beach, she's Queen of Versailles. And I said, Yeah. But how do you recognize me? My
02:49God, I have no like no makeup on. And she says, Would you like to do a Broadway show? And I get like offers
02:58for things all the time. I don't know what's real or what's not real. I mean, like sometimes they say,
03:04Oh, you want to do this TV show? And then all of a sudden, they ask you, Okay, you have $10 million to
03:08invest. It's like, Oh, my God. So but she just said, So that's why we exchanged numbers. Didn't ask me for a
03:16dime. And then like, like 10 months later, she calls me back. And she says, They want to do a Broadway show.
03:24And I'm like, What? Just by being on the beach. Yeah. But the thing is,
03:32you got to be very careful, because you never know where you're going to be at the right place at the
03:37right time. Sure. Because like, even like running to the grocery store, you can meet like,
03:44the love of your life or something. So so you always got to like, it's kind of be somewhat
03:50presentable. A little lipstick goes a long way, right? I got it right here in my back pocket.
03:55Wait, I have mine in my pocket. Never leave home without it. Forget the phone charger. Always the
03:59lipstick. Yeah. I love it. Number one. You had these Broadway dreams, you were told to give up. So you
04:06kind of did you ever envision? So so yeah, so so they told me just give up. Yeah. And but I never give up.
04:14On anything. I didn't go through with it, like the actual like, singing lessons and dancing and all
04:22that stuff. But I did go on with reality TV and things like that. And it's just so strange. And
04:32I don't even know if the people from 30 years ago are still alive, because they were old back then,
04:36like my some of these mentors that told me to give up. Sure. But now, the Queen of Versailles,
04:42my name is in the marquees on Broadway. And we also it's also out in Las Vegas,
04:49because they're advertising out there at our hotel. And I think the moral of the story is
04:54never say never. And I think the people that told me to give up are kind of probably rolling over in
05:02their graves right now. But I think that's such a great lesson, right? That's such a great kind of
05:09those are great words to live by. And that's a theme that we do see in the musical is this kind
05:14of tenacity that you have to never give up and keep going, even when when the going gets tough. And
05:19it's especially in today, like, you know, the world we're living in today, I think it's important to
05:23hear that.
05:24And we're living in a very tough world. I have some of the most amazing things happening in my life,
05:30like with the Broadway show and having the most wonderful people, you. I mean, I've just run away
05:37such amazing people, such good things happening in my life. But it's so weird, because I've got the worst
05:46happening in my life as well. Right? I mean, just this year, I lost my stepson to brain cancer.
05:57Six months ago, I lost my well, we were supposed to move into Versailles on May 3, from for my
06:02husband's birthday. But he died a month before that six months ago, from cancer. And in the same day,
06:11my, my only sister, 43 year old Jessica Mallory, she did a what she thought was a line of cocaine,
06:19and it was fentanyl. And she, she died that day. I mean, on the records, it doesn't show that she
06:27died on the exact same day, because we, they kept her body alive, because we harvested her organs and
06:38donated like her heart and lungs and everything. So that's another. So now just all with what I've
06:44affected by all these tragedies. I mean, I'm supporting like awareness about the drug epidemic
06:52with the fentanyl crisis with Victoria's voice, cancer awareness, I was just up here with the angel
06:58ball. I was one of the presenters with Amy Green. And, and she's going global with the saving our
07:08planet with the oceans and all. So what I want to do with the whatever fame that I can get. And
07:15thanks to people like you, I want to try to unite this world. Because there's so so many people that
07:22are fighting and like, like are getting their own little groups. There's so much that we can bring
07:28and unite together. You know, yeah, we care about our earth. I mean, who cares about like,
07:36what they're doing behind like, we need a place to live. And we need safety. So I want to unite and
07:47hopefully I can really bring people together globally. And just spread more love. That's
07:54really, really what I want to do. Yeah, you know, it's beautiful, because I have so much darkness in my
08:00life. And I found a way to turn it into light. Because if I didn't have the tragedies that I had, maybe with
08:11the Versailles house that my husband put in my path, should I say? Yeah, we could have gone into a life of
08:21gluttony. And that's not what God would have wanted. So I did. When I went through the loss of
08:27my, especially my daughter, me and my husband, we donated the rest of our lives or
08:34donate, but our mission to save lives, spare other families, and educate them about the drug epidemic.
08:47Oh, absolutely. And I think it's so important that you have a platform and you're using it to
08:54raise awareness for these things that are affecting families every single day.
08:58And I want to throw events at our house and bring people together. Because you know, I know
09:05that people are going to want to come and see Versailles.
09:08Yes. I want to come and see Versailles.
09:11And they might even want to come and see Mochi. Oh my gosh, please. Yeah. One of the many
09:18seagull pets. But I feel it's just too strange. God put me in a position. I mean, we have a hotel
09:26here right next to the UN. And the Broadway show and they're talking about saving lives. Like it's a
09:36big part of the story, you know, with my late daughter and, and then having Versailles and the
09:42attention. And I'm like asking, like, I pray all the time and it's like, this really isn't for me.
09:52Why in this moment in time, like coming from a small town when this is beyond all of my dreams,
09:59why is this all happening? And I realized it's for a greater mission. I, and I, I really feel that
10:06my life is to unite people. And, um, because even with the drug epidemic, and this may be a segue into
10:14bringing, um, a more of a global relationship with each other that, uh, it's, it's about spreading
10:24love. And I really, that's like really what I want to do. And I find the more that I give
10:31in, I mean, I wouldn't go up to strangers. Oh my God. So I was at Publix, a grocery store the other
10:38day. I love Publix. I don't know if they have that in New York, but I was up there and there was
10:43this, um, usually like I, I do have a, get some nannies and stuff. Um, and so they usually go grocery
10:50shopping, but like, I just, sometimes I like to go just to get, get out there, you know,
10:55whatever. And the, the woman's just like scanning, scan, beep, beep, beep, like that. And, and I
11:04looked at her and, you know, she didn't really take much well care of herself and she kind of let
11:11herself go. But you know, um, she had these beautiful, like turquoise eyes that, and, and
11:21I said, my God, your eyes are so beautiful. And, and you brighten my day. All of a sudden
11:30she looks up and she says, that's the nicest thing anyone said to me in years. Oh my God.
11:41And she started crying and she came around the counter and gave me a hug. And just by one
11:49nice gesture, the brightness that I brought into that person's life, because who knows,
11:56she could have been on the verge of like wanting to like, uh, uh, taking a pill when she goes
12:01home or the line of fentanyl and overdose. Um, but I, I really cheered up her day. She didn't
12:09have that love. Yeah. You never know what someone else is going through. So I really, really want
12:15to, um, I know we can unite this. We're not like at a crazy world right now. And, and, and
12:23I don't want to be out there, but I mean, all I want to do is, is I think by spreading
12:29love and, and really caring about each other and looking for the goodness in people, because
12:36so many people have like, they, it's so easy to go to like, um, what is it? The trolls on
12:42social media online. Yeah. So just, but if we can stick together, I think we can prevail and,
12:49um, and, and we're going to, we're going to make it, we're going to do it. We don't
12:54have to fight. I think that the, the way to win is by prevailing.
13:00And that's such a big, again, part of the story of your, you know, your life and the
13:04musical. Um, and Kristen Chenoweth sings these, this fabulous number at the end of act
13:09one about, um, you know, how it like, this is, you know, this isn't meant to be because
13:15the, the end of act one happens with the 2008 economic crash and she sings this resilient
13:21up-tempo kind of like spunky song. And that's how act one ends. Um, and it's exactly that,
13:29right? It's, it's, you know, the story of, of prevailing in, in the face of adversity and
13:34overcoming hard obstacles. Um, and as you said, you, you've dealt with, um, quite a bit of those
13:40this year with the, with the good and the bad, like you were saying, what has the last year
13:43of your life looked like with so many highs and so many lows? Here we are on the verge of opening
13:49Versailles, the Broadway show. I mean, I mean, Tom Cruise doesn't even have a Broadway show about
13:56him, does he? Or not yet, but maybe he will. No, no, but I mean, I wasn't even out to seek
14:03any of this stuff. I wasn't out to seek to build the largest home in America. I mean, it was just all
14:09thrown on my, on my plate, but then, but to, then to lose three of the closest people
14:16that I love so much. I mean, I wouldn't trade any of that in the world, like Versailles can't
14:26bring them back. All the money in the world can't bring them back. And it's right now I'm going
14:31through like, it's a big challenge, like, um, you know, um, with my husband passing and
14:36I haven't, I don't, I don't know. I have to put my man pants on. You know what I mean? Yeah. Cause
14:45I, because also when my sister passed, then I inherited my niece. So people asked me how many
14:52kids do you have? So I had seven by birth and then, um, actually David had like, um,
15:00I think five or six stepchildren or that were my stepchildren. And then, um, but then I inherited
15:08two nieces whose mothers both died of a drug overdose. That is horrific. It's horrible. The
15:16drug epidemic has affected my life so dearly. So now I'm back up to eight children because I had seven,
15:22adopted a niece that my daughter died. It was back to seven. And now just six months ago, I have a,
15:30um, another niece now that's now I'm, I'm the mom, I'm the mom figure. So this drug epidemic is just
15:37so horrible. Yeah. It's really horrific. It is. Yeah. I mean, and, and we, um, passed the Halt
15:44Fentanyl Act. Yeah. I was going to say at the white house. Yeah. In July, in July, which the Halt
15:51Fentanyl Act makes fentanyl a scheduled one drug where people can actually be, if they give the drug
15:59dealers, give it to sell it to someone and they die, they can be charged for murder. Yeah. That's
16:06huge. Yes. Right. Yes. It's a major, major milestone. It's a huge milestone. And, um, June 6th this year
16:14was the 10 year mark of when our daughter passed away. So we have the national Naloxone Awareness
16:21Day and Narcan Naloxone. That is like the, um, um, antidote to neutralize, um, Fentanyl.
16:32Right. And if there's such a big push to have Naloxone in schools and, you know, community
16:39centers, every, every college campus should have Naloxone, but now most of the police responders,
16:46um, it's for, um, you can get it for free through the, um, in most States through the, um, health
16:52organization. Um, and, um, I give the Naloxone away, um, all of my charity events. Um, so this
17:03one guy, uh, and I keep gift bags out. I just love giving some. So, so this guy gets the goodie
17:10bag and he says, I don't need Naloxone. I don't have kids. No one's going to overdose. And so,
17:19but anyways, he took the bags. I think it's like queen of Versailles and he was a fan of
17:22mine. So, so he took the bag. Okay. And then, so he, and he, he stuck the Naloxone in his glove
17:31compartment of his car. He completely forgot about it. He goes to a barbecue in the neighborhood,
17:38the next neighborhood over from, um, where Versailles is. And all of a sudden, like this one
17:48kid starts like foaming at the past out and turning blue. And he remembers he has the
17:56Naloxone. He remembered he had it in the car. He ran out to the car, got the Narcan, squirted
18:04it up his nose, the kid's nose and saved that kid's life. Wow. Just from, he didn't even want
18:12to take it. Right. But you just never know because it's not like, um, you like he went
18:20to a barbecue. These people had teenage kids. The teenager had a friend who was doing drugs.
18:30You just never know. No. And in fact, I want to do like, um, like when they do all of these,
18:35um, like Burning Man or all of these huge music festivals, cause you know, they're all like
18:41got their party favors. These kids, you know, they, they, they don't realize they're playing
18:47Russian roulette, but I want to have like a booth at these festivals and I have teenagers
18:52as well. They can man the booths and, and, and give out the Narcan for free. So I want to do like
18:59stuff like that. It's just, I need someone like, like you to help me to go and do all
19:09the, to be boots on the ground. Well, your work with the Halt Fentanyl Act is, is so commendable
19:14and turning tragedy into, you know, a way to live life and kind of making it your mission.
19:20Um, and obviously you were at the white house with president Trump and kind of working with
19:24him on that. But I also want to make it clear. I work with whoever the American
19:29people elect. Oh, a hundred percent. And, um, with the last administration, when my daughter
19:36passed away, um, we, um, we passed the, um, the Kara act, which is the one that, um, I've
19:46got the Narcan available for the American people. So I want to be like, I want to consider myself
19:52like Switzerland and save lives and just spread love. I love that. Right. Mo.
19:57Oh my God. What are your thoughts on the giant ballroom that Trump is adding to the white house
20:05with the demolition of the East wing? Well, you know, the thing is, um, he really wants
20:10to, like the white house is the people's house. Okay. So, um, he really wants to bring, like
20:16be able to do more events there and bring more people in and, um, um, and he's paying for
20:24everything. And in actuality, um, it's going to take several years. Like, so he's not even
20:31going to be able to enjoy the benefit of the ballroom at the white house. He's doing it for
20:37the future generations and the next president, whoever, um, they gets elected and he's doing
20:43out of the goodness of his heart. And, um, I'm thinking about sharing some of my, um,
20:50artisans. Yeah. If he wants to use them for, for the ballroom.
20:55I love that. Oh my gosh. Like the more I love in the show, I know we're jumping around, but
20:59there's just so many good tidbits from the show that come up in my mind when we're chatting.
21:03The, I love in the opening when it's, um, they talk about the marble on the floor and how you
21:08gave away like the amethyst and rose quartz. Oh my God. Yes. And we, you turned to me in the,
21:14when we were seeing the show and you were like, Oh yeah, I have a lot of amethyst and rose quartz.
21:17So I need someone also to, um, I've got so many, like, cause when you do like a, like a little
21:25doily, um, shape for like, um, a tile on the floor, there's so much waste, you know what I mean?
21:32And like the little pieces cutouts and stuff. So I want, yeah, exactly. So I would love to find
21:38the right person to make like pendants. So people, I can just give away and like, um, people can take
21:45a piece of Versailles home and you know, it was crazy. So when Steven Schwartz was at my house,
21:50he actually, we brought a piano in from the warehouse and he performed for us. And, um, he,
21:58we were walking around and my house, it was kind of built like twice now. So the, the, the marble
22:06on the outside of the house, they used indoor stucco on the mark on the outdoor marble. So when
22:13it rained, like pieces were falling off at the house. So we had to remove all the marble from
22:19the house. And this is at Versailles. At Versailles. And then I'm calling it a house. It's a palace, but
22:24I don't like to use that word. I mean, it's kind of feel like. It's pretty spectacular though.
22:30I don't know. But so anyways, so we had to take it down, but in the process of chipping
22:36it off the house, pieces broke. And so we have pieces of marble that we actually, we bought
22:45a quarry in, um, um, I think Florence, Italy, we had to buy the whole quarry because we wanted
22:51all the marble to match. So there's pieces of marble just like laying around. And when
22:55Steven Schwartz was there, I picked up a piece of the marble and I said, here, you want to
23:01be here? Here's like this. I said, what do I want this? It looked like a little rock. Yeah. I
23:06said, Oh, well, it's a piece of Versailles. You can take a home with you. And all of a sudden
23:11I gave that little piece of marble provenance. And then he asked me to sign it. And I had a,
23:18so we got a little marker and I signed my name on there and he's, he still has it. So
23:24now I realized that maybe people will want a piece of Versailles, like, especially with
23:29the amethyst and the rose quartz, like the real gemstone stuff. I love that. I mean, you
23:34would probably want a piece if I had one, right? Yeah. I would put it right next to my
23:38tiara on my desk. Well, I, but I don't, I don't know how to find the person to make the
23:42jewelry. Talk to me about Versailles. Where does it stand today? I think I saw that you
23:47sold the house in Windermere and you're getting ready to, to move into Versailles.
23:52Do you want me to show you something, a picture of the inside? I really haven't been allowed
23:57to show anyone. So I am going to show you this picture of Versailles, but I'm not supposed
24:03to be showing the inside of Versailles. I think just probably for PR reasons, not until the grand
24:10reveal, but I will show you a little sneak peek.
24:15How exciting.
24:16I know, right? Okay. Here's me in front of my house. I got to hold this up to the camera.
24:22Oh my gosh. I love it.
24:24Okay. But look at this. Oh my God. Your producer's going to get so mad because I'm not in front
24:28of the microphone.
24:29No, no, no. You're so fine. You're so fine.
24:30Okay. I want to show you this picture.
24:32Okay.
24:32Because it's kind of like a joke.
24:34Okay.
24:34Okay. I got to come closer to you. Oh my God.
24:37This is my living room. I don't have the railings yet because my railings are in China and the
24:42taxes are so high right now.
24:43Oh my gosh. So they're stuck.
24:44I'm going to have to pay like two or three times the amount. But how do I look in that
24:47picture?
24:48So little. Where are you? Are you under the chandelier?
24:53How does Mochi look in that picture? So this is what you're going to have to get a close
24:58up on the camera.
24:59Oh my gosh.
25:00Okay. Watch. So I showed this to the president and I said, how do I look in that picture?
25:06And after seeing this, there I am. I'm Mochi.
25:11You could not even tell that Mochi was in your arms.
25:12So he says, I want to come see your house.
25:15Oh my gosh.
25:16And maybe use some of my people for the ballroom.
25:20But look at the medallion, like right in the middle.
25:22Basically, it's a reveal of the grandiose staircase as depicted in the musical, The Queen of Versailles.
25:28But it's from the top looking down, which is such a unique angle.
25:33And sweet Jackie and Mochi are standing underneath in the center of the giant chandelier.
25:39But the thing is, to show like the size of the room, I mean, you can't even see that there's a person there.
25:46You really can't. Like you, you can't.
25:48That's unbelievable.
25:50And it's, it's fascinating to see that having seen the show as many times as I have, um, to see that grand reveal at the end, which kind of reveals Versailles where it's at today, which is near completion.
26:01Um, and it's just, I mean, gosh, that's, and that set is stunning beyond belief.
26:07It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on Broadway.
26:09And that doesn't even do that photo justice.
26:11You know, crazy.
26:13I know.
26:13I think my living room is bigger than the theater.
26:16Oh my God.
26:17No.
26:19Oh my gosh.
26:20No, but, um, I, I really, um, I want to use Versailles to, um, do a, like raise a lot of money for a lot of different charities.
26:28I want to do like a big, like a opening party and I hope you can come to that.
26:33Oh, I'd love to.
26:34Do we have a date?
26:35Like a roundabout?
26:36I think I read early next year.
26:39I'm thinking about, maybe I'll, I'll throw like my 60th birthday party or something next spring.
26:44That would be, I mean, gosh, the party of the century.
26:46Your 60th as the grand opening of Versailles.
26:49I don't know how to plan it.
26:50I don't, I need a guest list.
26:53I mean, I'm available.
26:58Okay.
26:59Number one.
26:59I got one taker right here.
27:01Okay.
27:02She wants to come.
27:03Please.
27:03People will be clamoring.
27:04That's it.
27:04I got one person coming to my party.
27:06Lights, camera, action.
27:09We would have so much fun.
27:10I know.
27:11And, and, um, but bring your roller skates.
27:14Cause, um, that's the craziest thing anyone's ever said on the heels of an invite to a party.
27:18Bring your roller skates.
27:20Okay.
27:20Yes.
27:20You're going to need them.
27:21It's, um, it's a, a lot of like, I have a, like a roller rink in my house.
27:28And I was thinking about doing like a retro party, like eighties, you know, where you
27:35can wear your like little, I don't know, shorts or whatever.
27:39Yeah.
27:39Like, like with the, with the leg warmers and a knee pad and like the gold, like little tops
27:49and stuff, you know, headbands, whatever.
27:51Oh, a headband, like the, the teased hair, like all that stuff.
27:56Yes.
27:56Okay.
27:57And a DJ and yes.
27:59Incredible.
28:00I love it.
28:00You can do it.
28:01I'll be there.
28:01Okay.
28:01Let's talk about the show a little more, um, because I'm obsessed and I'm sure it doesn't
28:06get old for you to talk about.
28:08No, it's all brand new.
28:10I know.
28:10It's, it's amazing though, because it's been in development for so long.
28:13Um, so talk to me a little bit about your relationship with Kristen Chenoweth.
28:18How did you meet and how did it feel the first time that you saw her embodying you on, on stage?
28:25Kristen Chenoweth.
28:26I met her actually after like everything, everyone else had joined in.
28:31And then, so she was like at the very end, well, this is like, like eight years ago.
28:38And they said, um, but we would like you, you two to meet if, if you, they want to make
28:43sure that I was comfortable with having her play me.
28:46I mean, they were very cordial.
28:48And so they brought her to Versailles and I actually had, um, well, I had Mochi, my, the
28:56white fluffy dog.
28:58Yeah.
28:58And we, we, um, she toured the house and, um, I'm just there with my flip flops and my
29:05ponytail.
29:05And, and I think she must've been like, um, like really like listening to my accent and
29:12getting my small town upstate New York vibe because I mean, she's really like, um, really
29:21like she's got, she's got it.
29:22Yeah.
29:23She is a true professional.
29:24My God.
29:25I don't know.
29:26She must be like, um, um, a machine or something because she is just, I don't know how she has
29:34time to even sleep because I can't imagine all of the intense rehearsals and some of these
29:41are two performances in a day.
29:44And I mean, I'm doing this one interview and I'm tired.
29:48Yeah, no, that's real.
29:52So I don't, and she has to do all the press on top of it and look beautiful.
29:58That's easy for her.
29:59Just like it's easy for you.
30:00I mean, no, no, it's not easy for me.
30:02For her it is because she's a natural beauty.
30:05I'm not like so natural.
30:06I'm fine to admit it.
30:10So what did it feel like?
30:11So when did you first see the show?
30:13Was it like, did you see workshops before it was in Boston or when was the first time
30:17you actually like, I did see workshops and my husband was able to be there probably about
30:22three years ago.
30:23I think two and a half, three years ago.
30:25And then we were going to go to the opening of the Boston premiere and my husband, he had
30:33bone cancer in his back and he had surgery and he was working so hard.
30:39He was like, like trying to like walk like at least like 30, 40 feet, you know?
30:47And he was able to, we would put a piece of tape on the wall down the hallway.
30:52Like every time he got like, okay, next walk, you're going to go two more feet and we keep
30:56putting the tape and he was going to make it.
31:00And then all of a sudden his leg, the day before the premiere in Boston, his femur just
31:09snapped and you could hear it.
31:12I actually, it sounds kind of morbid, but I have it on videotape because it was the day
31:17before the show when I was showing his progress, it's like, honey, you're going to make it.
31:21You're going to make it.
31:22And in the video, you could hear his bone just like snapped.
31:28It was just horrible.
31:30And so neither of us went.
31:32So I never made it to the premiere in Boston.
31:35Yeah, we were, we had to go for surgery and then he had to get like a rod in his leg.
31:39And so even like I said, all this great stuff is happening.
31:43But you know, when, when you get married, if, if you marry for love, like I did, I mean,
31:48it's for goodness and sickness and in health.
31:51And, and I tell you when, when they're sick, I mean, I know he would be there by my side.
31:57So when he was in the hospital, I was in the hospital.
32:00And when I saw the, um, how hard cancer affects the family, I mean, we have, um, all these like
32:13young children that, you know, he's never gonna, they're never going to have a father
32:17to grow up with.
32:21And, um, but I needed to be by his side.
32:24Like I was afraid to go anywhere because if anything happened when I was out of town,
32:29I could not live with myself.
32:31And, um, it's, it's what you need to do.
32:37And, um, and he's, he's blessed me by giving me this beautiful family and a support system.
32:43So when that time did come, um, that I have so much love in my life and I love my children
32:51so much.
32:51And I don't even know where they got their manners from.
32:54Cause everyone tells me how polite they are.
32:56Like they open the doors for women.
32:58And you're like, I didn't teach them that.
33:01I don't know.
33:02Like they just do it.
33:04And so I don't know where that came from, but they, they do.
33:08And they give me like, you know, respect as a mother.
33:12And, and I think they're really proud of, um, everything that's happening, the path that
33:18we're taking and, and they are the next generation.
33:21I don't know if you have children or not.
33:23Oh no, not me.
33:24No.
33:24Oh no, no, no.
33:26And I'm like, oh gosh, no.
33:27You'll leave the making babies up to.
33:29Yeah, that's right.
33:29You can do all that.
33:30You've done a beautiful job.
33:31I will leave that responsibility to you.
33:34So were your kids all with you last night for the opening?
33:36All of the, all of my kids were there.
33:38We walked the red carpet, but I have so many of them.
33:41We weren't all there at the same time because of the traffic.
33:44Yeah.
33:44That, I mean, that makes sense.
33:45You know, um, what did they think of, uh, F.
33:48Murray Abraham plays David in the musical?
33:51Oh, he's fantastic.
33:53So when I saw F.
33:55Murray Abraham, I saw him after the show, he came up to me.
33:59I think he was like looking for me and gave me a big hug and I hugged him back and, and
34:04I, I started crying and I said, thank you for bringing my husband back to life.
34:11That's beautiful.
34:12Yes.
34:13And the show was just so emotional for me because, you know, like a lot of the people
34:19in the show are like no longer like alive.
34:21And I felt like that they brought them back to life.
34:26It's really, really crazy in some strange way.
34:29But the emotion that these actors, um, are in there, even the nanny that plays Melody.
34:36Melody.
34:36Yeah.
34:37Um, she, like her emotion, like you, I could feel like from her heart, like she's as an
34:45actress, she's got the emotion that radiates to the audience.
34:50And my nannies went and they were crying, the Filipino nannies.
34:56They were, um, um, I mean, they, they were just really nailed it.
35:02The talent that they have in the show.
35:05Um, but I really want people like, so the show is actually, I mean, parts of it make,
35:12it makes it seem like I'm a materialistic and stuff and I'm not, maybe I could have been
35:17at one time at maybe some point in my life, but a hundred percent not now, but, uh, the,
35:24the show is inspired by my story.
35:27Right.
35:27And they, they, some things had to be that kind of dramatized probably a little bit.
35:32I'm just suspecting.
35:33I'm not.
35:34Right.
35:34Um, cause you weren't involved creatively.
35:36No.
35:37In fact, um, everyone's like thinking like I want, like, it seems like I wanted to build
35:43Versailles and that's totally not the case.
35:46And what I found out, I mean, before my husband's passing, this first wife was the love of his
35:53life besides me.
35:54And so he was married to her 27 years.
35:57Wow.
35:57Yeah.
35:57The high school sweethearts, they built this like 67,000 square foot home on Lake Butler
36:05in near Disney.
36:06Right.
36:07Right.
36:07Where Versailles also on the same lake, they ended up getting divorced.
36:11Okay.
36:12And then she, she remarried of like a man, 15 years younger than her, but she, um, ended
36:21up with like, at the time it was the largest settlement in history for a divorce, like $200
36:28million.
36:28So she got like the full, like his whole company got the, the biggest home in America at the
36:36time.
36:37In fact, Michael Jackson offered to buy his house.
36:41He was there with Lisa Marie Presley for a hundred million dollars back then.
36:46And she didn't want to sell it.
36:47Well, this is while they were still married.
36:49And, um, and he says, well, let me sell my half.
36:53I'll take the 50 million.
36:55So you're, but she wouldn't do it.
36:57She was obsessed with the house.
36:59So when, um, then they got divorced and a few years later is when he met me.
37:07And then when he decided he wanted to build Versailles, first of all, I thought it was
37:12crazy that he was giving a house a name.
37:14I mean, the name's a house.
37:15I mean, I grew up in a $20,000 house and he would always tell me the story that the building
37:23of the mansion with his ex-wife broke up their marriage because he said, this house is getting
37:29out of control.
37:31Prove to me that you love me and stop construction on the house.
37:36And she looks at him and she says, I can't.
37:39And she finished the house and gave up their marriage.
37:42So I wasn't going to let that happen to me and my husband.
37:46So we just never finished construction.
37:48I mean, just like, I don't know.
37:51I let him do it.
37:52No.
37:52So, so, um, so any case, so this was his baby and now, um, that, well, he's here as my guardian
38:01angel.
38:01I realize this house is because it was a lover's quarrel.
38:08Like when, when they both passed away, like you ever hear the story with those wall street
38:13guys, he who dies with the most toys wins.
38:16He wanted to be the one with the biggest house at the end, not, not his ex wife.
38:22Cause he didn't want her to win on his dying deathbed.
38:25So that's really what Versailles, uh, why, why it's, why he made it.
38:31And I just happened to be like the beneficiary of it.
38:35And, and so it was never in my plan, but that's why I want to, um, use this house to, um, to
38:43give back, to do, do events.
38:45I can, I can do book signings for people.
38:48I mean, we have, I mean, we can do seminars.
38:51We can do, there's so much to do with this house and that's the only thing I want to do
38:55by doing more good.
38:57It helps me with my healing and helps you with my soul.
39:00And I want like my casa is su casa.
39:04I love that.
39:05I hope you come visit me, but you're the number one on my guest list right now.
39:08So I only have one person on my invitation list for the opening and it's you.
39:12Wow.
39:13I mean, so far, so far, so far.
39:15And we were seeing the show together and you and your posse came in with these tiaras
39:20and I was like, Oh my gosh, they're fabulous.
39:21And halfway through the opening number of the show, you gave me one.
39:24And I was like, I'm royalty.
39:26Like I have to wear this.
39:27And now it sits at my desk and we took pictures on stage after the show, like with our programs
39:32and our tiaras.
39:33It's great.
39:33But you said you would do it on camera.
39:35Yes.
39:37Part of the funny parts in the show is the, like one of the lines in there, the nanny says,
39:43Oh, um, Miss Jackie, she's the queen.
39:47She's American royalty.
39:48Yeah.
39:49And, and they said, well, why is this?
39:51Cause she says she is.
39:53So only in America.
39:55So I want to make you American royalty here on camera from the one queen to another.
40:07Oh my God.
40:14I want to do queen parties.
40:25I want to do queen parties.
40:25I want to do queen parties.
40:27I want to do queen parties.
40:27I want to do queen parties.
40:28I want to do queen parties.
40:29I want to do queen parties.
40:30I want to do queen parties.
40:31I want to do queen parties.
40:32I want to do queen parties.
40:33I want to do queen parties.
40:34I want to do queen parties.
40:35I want to do queen parties.
40:36I want to do queen parties.
40:37I want to do queen parties.
40:38I want to do queen parties.
40:39I want to do queen parties.
40:40I want to do queen parties.
40:41I want to do queen parties.
40:42I want to do queen parties.
40:43I want to do queen parties.
40:44I want to do queen parties.
40:45I want to do queen parties.
40:46I want to do queen parties.
40:47I want to do queen parties.
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