The second season of Netflix’s real estate drama Owning Manhattan has sparked a major controversy among viewers, leading the show’s star and executive producer, Ryan Serhant, to speak out. The issue centers on a tense office confrontation where agents Jess Taylor and Eric accused their new colleague, Genesis Suero, of misconduct.
Ryan Serhant addressed the situation directly with fans. In an Instagram video posted on Monday, December 8, he explained that despite his role, he saw the finished episodes at the same time as the public.
“I know I am an executive producer and I saw a lot of it when we finished filming in May, but I didn’t see the final cuts like the rest of you guys,” Serhant stated.
He admitted that watching the final edit changed his understanding of the events. “So the actual context of these scenes and how they went down has taken me a minute to process,” he said, adding, “There’s definitely some things… that I would have handled differently”.
What Sparked the Office Confrontation
The conflict unfolded in Season 2, Episode 3, titled “There’s No Business Like Chlo Business”. Jess Taylor claimed that Genesis Suero broke a fundamental rule of their real estate firm, SERHANT., by emailing a client who was already officially listed with Jess and her partner, Eric.
Jess described this as the “number one rule of the real estate community” and called it “bad for business”. When confronted, Genesis defended herself, stating she stopped all communication the moment she learned the client was already represented by the company. She argued that Jess and Eric approached her aggressively without having all the facts.
The Situation Escalates and a Co-Star Intervenes
The disagreement quickly became heated. According to the show, Jess and Eric approached Genesis while she was seated, standing over her to demand an explanation. This prompted fellow agent Nile Lundgren to step in and defend Genesis.
“You never come up to a woman in a business scenario, stand above her, and say ‘We need to talk,’” Nile fired back at Eric. “You don’t talk to her like that!”
The situation nearly turned physical between Nile and Eric before Jess and Eric left the area. Nile later explained his actions in an interview, saying, “I’m proud that I protected a woman on my team who was falsely accused of something. I felt a moral obligation to Genesis”.
Viewer Backlash and Accusations of Microaggressions
Since the season premiered on December 5, a significant number of viewers have reacted strongly on social media. Many have come to Genesis’s defense, criticizing Jess and Eric’s behavior and describing it as intimidating and containing microaggressions.
Comments online have called out the “micro-aggression that Genesis is facing” and pointed to the power dynamics at play, with one viewer noting the scene was “really awkward and not nice to watch”. This public reaction is a key reason Ryan Serhant felt compelled to address the controversy.
Ryan Serhant’s Deal with Reality and Drama
In discussing the show, Serhant has been open about the challenge of balancing his role as a CEO with the demands of a reality TV series. He told Us Weekly that he made a clear agreement with Netflix and his company to show the unfiltered reality of their high-stakes world.
“If we’re going to make this show, we’re going to put it all on the table. We really make sure that people know when they’re watching it, ‘Holy s***, this is real. This is authentic. This is uncomfortable at times,’” Serhant said.
He revealed that this season includes serious fallouts with three main cast members, acknowledging it was “brutal” but necessary to film because it was real.
Cast Reactions and Past Controversies
This is not the first time an Owning Manhattan cast member has been at the center of controversy. In the first season, agent Jessica Markowski faced backlash for participating in a podcast where she and co-star Jonathan Nørmølle disparaged a colleague.
Markowski later expressed regret, stating she left the office “in tears” after recording it and was “not proud” of her actions. She hopes the show’s second season will allow viewers to see a different, more professional side of her.
As for the current season’s controversy, Jess Taylor has not publicly responded to the online criticism. Genesis Suero has not made a formal statement either, but the show highlights her success, noting she has closed 13 properties.
Owning Manhattan Season 2, which includes eight episodes, is available to stream globally on Netflix.
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