May 2019 saw the launch of a brand-new reality TV show, and this time, it’s bigger, bolder, and more enthralling than ever before. Texicanas follows the lives, loves and dramas of a group of Mexican-American women living in San Antonio, Texas. The show explores how the 6 material girls juggle their hectic social lives with the trials of raising a young family… standard fare, you might think, but what sets this show apart from the many, many reality TV shows that have come before it (and more than likely the many, many reality TV shows that will come after it) is that the entire story is told from the perspective of just one woman, Penelope “Penny” Ayarzagoitia. Find out more about the star with these 10 little known facts.
1. She’s adapting well to the realities of realty TV
In May, Penny (along with the rest of the cast of perfectionist Mayra Farret, social butterfly Lorena Martinez, daddy’s girl Anayancy Nolasco, entrepreneur Karla Ramirez, and unconventional Luz Ortiz) exploded onto our screens in Bravo’s latest addition to its reality TV show arsenal, Texicanas. Some people may have struggled with the overnight fame, but not so Penny, who seems to have taken to the limelight like a duck to water. “You’d be surprised — it doesn’t take very long to get used to [the cameras]!” Ayarzagoitia told ET Live. “I think this was just natural for me and the rest of the girls to be part of a show because all our personalities are totally different.”
2. She has the full support of her family
Penny isn’t the only Ayarzagoitia to feature on Texicanas… she’s dragging her whole family along for the ride. While some families would have balked at being thrust so suddenly onto center stage, the Ayarzagoitia’s are clearly made of firmer stuff. Both Penny’s husband and her two young sons were 100% behind Penny’s decision to join Texicanas, which finished filming last summer. “My husband said if I don’t do it, that I’d be crazy. They’ve been very supportive and I’m very lucky, very blessed to have that support,” Ayarzagoitia told ET Live.
3. She has a stripper pole in her living room
Bravo may describe Penny and the rest of the cast of Texicanas as residents of a “conservative” community, but the fiery diva is as far removed from conventional as can be. Want evidence? Then look no further than the 6-foot stripper pole that takes front and center of her living room. Penny has, admittedly, considered taking the odd choice of décor down on a few occasions, but is always deterred by her husband, who claims to like having it around. We wonder why?
4. She’s always the center of gossip
If there’s any gossip circulating, you can bet your bottom dollar who’ll be at the heart of it. According to Bravo, Penny has a reputation for always being at the center of any “chisme” (the Spanish world for gossip). Why, we’re not yet sure (although two guesses it has something to do with that stripper pole…).
5. She’s proud to represent both Texan and Mexicana culture
Penny is part Texan, part Mexican, and fully and uniquely herself. Sharing her pride in the duality of her cultural heritage, along with helping others who have perhaps experienced some of the same things she has, is a large part of why she agreed to take part in the show. “I feel blessed that I’m able to portray my life and hopefully help somebody else out,” she shared with ET Live. “There’s things in our culture that aren’t accepted, but yet here, they are. And so it’s OK to blend the two, it’s OK to mix the two”.
6. Her marriage is unconventional
Traditional Mexican families may follow the age-old convention of having the man as the breadwinner and the woman as the stay at home little wifey, but that’s not how things work in the Ayarzagoitia household. ‘I actually work. Raul would never let me stay home and watch novelas all day,” Penny told Distractify. “I think people judge our marriage… I mean, I don’t care.”
7. She owns a real estate business
Wondering how Penny finances her fancy cars and even fancier clothes? The answer lies in real estate. Both Penny and her husband Raul have worked hard to build up their small real estate company, Avenue Realty, into a flourishing business… and all that effort has clearly paid off, as Penny recently showed when she posted an Instagram selfie of herself holding her brand new, much coveted Amex Black Card… or so we thought. Turns out, it was just a purse. Still nice, though.
8. She’s not shy on social media
Penny is clearly aware of the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”, at least if her frequent postings on social media are anything to go by. Penny regularly floods Instagram with snaps of herself and her fam (including her 2 exceptionally cute sons, who followers will already be more than aware of thanks to the almost constant stream of loving pics and messages Penny posts about them).
9. Her business remains her top priority
Reality TV may be all well and good, but Penny is all too aware of the fleeting nature of fame. Don’t expect her to be giving up her real life for reality TV life anytime soon- she’s worked hard to get where she is and has no intention of letting things slide now. “Of course, my business is my top priority,” Penny told Express News. “That’s my baby. I built it, from the ground up. And it’s been sweat and tears.”
10. Texas is her home
Penny grew up in the Mexican border town of Welaco alongside her mother, a retired teacher, her father, an attorney, and her older sister and younger brother. Penny moved to America while still a child, and to San Antonia around 20 years ago, after her husband Raul was offered a job in the city while the happy couple were on their honeymoon. While she’s proud of her Mexican heritage, Penny considers the Alamo City her true home, telling Express News. “This is home to us. I don’t tell my parents that because they get offended.”
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