The original cast of Bravo’s hit show “The Real Housewives of New York City” has defected to a rival network with Pino, a Page Six investigation has learned.
Sources say Luann de Lesseps, Sonya Morgan, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon and Ramona Singer have signed deals with E! And the new show is scheduled to air by the end of the year.
The same gang was trying to sign a deal with Bravo for the “Real Housewives of New York: Legacy” show in 2023, but as we reported at the time, negotiations broke down over money.
This news comes as the current model of “RHONY” is struggling.
Bravo wiped out a clean slate in 2022, firing the entire cast and hiring a whole new battalion of women to compete, this time led by former J.Crew executive Jenna Lyons. (The original intention was to split the show in two and have both “RHONY” and “RHONY: Legacy” air simultaneously).
However, the project hit a snag as viewers were unable to get used to the new staff.
“RHONY” is not on Bravo’s schedule for the first time since its inception, while its creators search for a formula to restore its former magic.
Bravo and E! add wrinkles to the story! Once part of NBCUniversal, the media giant created E! It was discontinued as of this month and is now owned by a new company, Versant. Therefore, Bravo will be competing with cast members created by rival companies’ broadcasts.
Bravo has virtually ruled reality television for the past decade. But with Netflix investing heavily in “Housewives”-style shows and this new “RHONY” show in exile on the way, it looks like Bravo is no longer the only game in the game.
A source said, “This cast truly represents the golden age of RHONY.” After Bravo fired Jill, Kelly, Alex (McCord), and Cindy (Barshop), ratings dropped by about 40% and never recovered. On the other hand, viewers are not happy with the new version and are begging for the old cast to return. ”
In the initial cast, only Alex McCord and Bethenny Frankel are missing. McCord lives in Australia, and Frankel has vowed to step away from reality TV.
De Lesseps, Morgan, and Singer survived until the final season, but a dramatic purge occurred at the end of the 13th season.
Eh! Didn’t comment.
