A cast member from Netflix’s New York real estate series Owning Manhattan is facing backlash after making comments about homeless people that many viewers described as deeply upsetting.
The show follows the agents at Serhant, one of the biggest real estate brokerages in New York City, as they navigate the city’s luxury property market.
Among the agents featured is Jade Shenker, who has come under fire over remarks she made about unhoused people in the city.
Shenker appeared in a street interview filmed by social media account Ohana NYC, which focuses on subletting content.
The video featured a series of quick interviews with people in New York sharing their opinions on camera, and Shenker’s response quickly drew criticism online.
During the interview, she was asked how much money a person would need to make in order to live in New York City, along with a question about her own rent.
Shenker said she does not personally pay rent because her boyfriend covers it, estimating the monthly cost at about $8,000.
When asked what salary someone would need to live in NYC, she said:
“I feel like the homeless people on the street are pretty comfortable.”
She then added:
“So you don’t have to make anything.”
The clip quickly spread online, drawing millions of views on TikTok, with many people condemning the comments as insensitive and disconnected from reality.
One response read:
“This is so dystopian. I’m genuinely afraid,”
Another person wrote:
“She is out of touch.”
A third viewer described the moment as ‘horrifying’ and criticized Shenker as ‘so tone deaf’.
Shenker later addressed the controversy in a statement shared on Instagram, where she apologized and said she had reflected on what she said.
“Over the past couple of days, l’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on a comment I made in a recent street interview,” she wrote.
“I was asked how much someone needs to make to live comfortably in New York. The point I was trying to make was that I don’t believe a person’s worth or whether they deserve to live in this city is defined by how much money they make.
“Unfortunately, I expressed that in a way that was insensitive and I completely understand why so many people were upset.
“Regardless of my intention, my words came across as dismissive of an issue that affects thousands of people every day, and for that, I’m genuinely sorry.
“This experience has reminded me that words matter, and that intent doesn’t erase impact.
“I’m not asking anyone to excuse what I said. I’m taking responsibility for it, I’m learning from it, and I’ll do better moving forward.”
The backlash comes amid a stubborn homelessness crisis in New York City. The city’s annual HOPE street survey estimated 4,504 unsheltered people on a single night in March 2026, while official city data has shown more than 86,000 people in the Department of Homeless Services shelter system at points this year. Advocacy groups say the number of New Yorkers relying on shelters remains far higher than the number sleeping outdoors, and that many people experiencing homelessness cycle between streets, subways and the shelter system.
Owning Manhattan, which follows Ryan Serhant and his team at SERHANT., returned to Netflix with Jade Shenker among the agents featured on the series.