‘Members Only’ star fires back at Palm Beach critics, says they’re ‘exactly the people’ the show exposes

A new reality show is pulling back the curtain on the inner workings of Palm Beach and the elite who live there, including who gets in, who gets judged, and who decides what "belongs."

Ro-Mina Ustayev, a breakout star of Netflix’s "Members Only: Palm Beach," and often referred to as the "Palm Beach Kim Kardashian," said locals who argue the show embarrasses the elite enclave are "exactly the people" the series exposes.

"I think the people that think that this show embarrasses Palm Beach are exactly the people who act the way that they act in the show," Ustayev exclusively told Fox News Digital. "It’s just like a perfect explanation of how difficult it is to really be a member of society in this city."

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The show gives an inside look at Palm Beach’s elite social scene — one defined by private clubs, whispered judgments and unspoken rules — and Ustayev said that honesty, not optics, is what’s making longtime insiders uneasy.

Palm Beach, she said, operates less like a beach town and more like a tightly controlled hierarchy.

"I think it’s about keeping certain people in your circles and out of your circles," she said, comparing exclusive clubs to sororities where access is closely managed.

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That dynamic, she added, fuels constant scrutiny — especially for newcomers who don’t fit the traditional mold.

"When people whisper that you don’t belong, they’re judging you for your money, your behavior, and anything that they’d like to judge," Ustayev told Fox News Digital.

Ustayev knows that judgment firsthand, and her presence alone may disrupt Palm Beach expectations.

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Born in Uzbekistan, she immigrated to the United States as a child refugee with her family, arriving with little money and not understanding the English language. She later built businesses across real estate, fashion and music — success that doesn’t always translate into social acceptance in a town where lineage still matters.

That tension exploded when Ustayev declared herself "the new Palm Beach" — a phrase she said rattled longtime insiders. "I think when I say that ‘I am the new Palm Beach,’ the people that are from there and have lived there for many years kind of get upset about it," she said. 

"Palm Beach has always been a certain way … and here I am coming in with my pleather. It’s just not something they’re used to, and a lot of people are usually afraid of change." 

Change, Ustayev said, is already underway.

"I think Palm Beach is definitely changing whether the local residents like it or not," she told Fox News Digital, pointing to an influx of new residents drawn to Florida’s lifestyle. "They just need to get with the program." 

One of the most closely watched aspects of "Members Only" is its repeated references to Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club.

"I think Mar-a-Lago has been repeatedly talked about in the show because it is the main members-only club that is in Palm Beach," she said. "When you come to Florida, one of the first things that someone you meet will ask you is what club membership you have."

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Along with being an entrepreneur, Ustayev is a mother of three. She and her husband manage a growing real estate portfolio with more than 200 rental units, while Ustayev continues to release music and run her clothing brand.

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As "Members Only" continues to stir debate inside Palm Beach’s tight social circles, insiders say the friction unfolding onscreen reflects a much deeper — and long-standing — reality.

Maria, known professionally for her music work as DJ Tumbles, has spent years working inside Palm Beach’s most exclusive spaces, spinning at private parties, country clubs and billionaires’ mansions. From her vantage point, Palm Beach isn’t just about wealth — it’s about hierarchy, discretion and knowing when to blend in.

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"There is a set of unspoken rules," Maria told Fox News Digital, describing a social order where respect and self-awareness matter more than being flashy. "You’ve got to decide whether you want to play the game. It’s the price of doing business." 

According to Maria, blacklisting doesn’t always happen loudly — but the behavior that leads to it often does. Unwanted attention, breaking protocol or failing to read the room can quickly put someone on the outside looking in.

WATCH: ‘MEMBERS ONLY: PALM BEACH’ STAR SAYS BREAKING ELITE ‘UNSPOKEN RULES’ GETS YOU BLACKLISTED

Palm Beach, she said, operates less like an open playground for the rich and more like a "high school lunch table," where power isn’t always visible — and the biggest players are often the ones no one recognizes.

"Members Only: Palm Beach" is available to stream on Netflix.