Has Bravo already agreed to put White House crashers on 'Real Housewives'?

By Eriq Gardner

This morning, NBC's "Today" host Matt Lauer scored a big get by interviewing Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the couple who infamously crashed a White House party last week.

Word has been floating around that the Salahis demanded "a payment in the mid-six figure range" in exchange for an interview, so Lauer opened the interview by having the couple confirm they hadn't made any financial deal to appear.

Gossip website Gawker is skeptical, saying that the contract the couple signed with NBCU's Bravo may have prevented them from giving interviews on other networks. Gawker cites a TV industry source with second-hand information confirming that NBC was muzzling the Salahis, and points to a contract signed by participants in Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey."

In the contract—assuming the Salahis actually signed one—participants agree to "be reasonably available, if so requested, to participate in press and marketing for the Series as required by Producer and/or the Network." Bravo also makes those under consideration for "Real Housewives" agree to an exclusive holding period if they appear on the show. But for our money, here's the contract language that NBC could theoretically waive over the Salahis head:

Producer and the Network shall have the exclusive rights in perpetuity and throughout the universe, to depict, portray and represent me and my life, and all episodes, exploits, events, incidents, situations and experiences contained in or associated or related to my life which occur, will occur or have occurred beginning on the date that I sign this Agreement and continuing through one (1) year after the initial exhibition of the final episode...

All of these conditions are arguably predicated on the couple appearing on the show, of course. If NBC brass is taking the unique step of using a reality TV show contract to score an interview for its news division, the move would seem to indicate that Bravo has implied or represented to the Salahis that they made the cut and will be appearing on the show.  

Bravo says it hasn't made any casting decisions yet, but maybe the Salahis can put the entertainment lawyer they just hired to good use.