Massive news about the future of The Real Housewives of New York City dropped on March 23. Bravo officially announced that RHONY — which didn’t even film the season 13 reunion show due to low ratings and negative fan responses — will absolutely be coming back. But there’s a catch! The network is rebooting the popular franchise with a brand new cast that won’t feature season 13 stars Sonja Morgan, Leah McSweeney, Ramona Singer, Eboni K. Williams and Luann de Lesseps. Plus, there’s gonna be a second series featuring former stars.
“You know that we’re at a crossroads for RHONY,” Andy Cohen told Variety. “We’ve spent a lot of time figuring out where to go. And the plan that we’ve come up with, I think, is a real gift to the fans.”
Here’s a little more clarity on how this will all work, per Variety. The main RHONY series will drop its season 13 cast and welcome all new women to the franchise. “There are thousands of stories to tell here,” Andy said. “This is the most multicultural, diverse, and energetic and exciting city in America: We are searching for a multicultural group of friends who really best reflect the most exciting city in the country. We’re looking for a group of women who are real friends, and who are of diverse backgrounds, races and religions.”
The spinoff series, meanwhile, will include all ex-cast mates of the franchise, Variety confirmed. It’s being referred to as RHONY: Throwback or RHONY: Legacy (for now) and may include any of the season 13 women, as well as former stars such as Dorinda Medley, Tinsley Mortimer, Kelly Bensimon, and Jill Zarin, among others. The new series, which doesn’t have a finalized cast yet, will still film in the Big Apple. Andy did not confirm to Variety if the spinoff will air on Bravo or Peacock, which is home to The Real Housewives of Miami and the Ultimate Girls Trip shows.
“Our loyal fans have spoken as to what they want to see and what they don’t want to see — and we’ve taken that all into account,” Andy told Variety. “And this is a series where you’re going to expect to see fan-favorites from the show’s great history.”
Andy also specifically addressed if Bethenny Frankel may be on the spinoff series. “Listen, I go back with Bethenny since the beginning. She’s moved to Connecticut, but she’s still in the Hamptons. Her life is now evolved to another place, so I can’t imagine her wanting to do it. But of course, you know, I never turn down a conversation with Bethenny about coming back,” he said.