‘RHONY Legacy’: Bethenny Frankel’s Idea to Revive the Concept — ‘Blondes Have More Fun’
The Real Housewives of New York City is in the midst of a reboot as the show’s cast members are replaced by a new crop of women for its fourteenth season. To continue to spotlight old cast members, Bravo floated the idea of creating The Real Housewives of New York City: Legacy. But for a number of reasons, talks on the show have stalled, and the show appears to be dead in the water. RHONY alum Bethenny Frankel has a plan to change that.
Bethenny Frankel’s idea for ‘RHONY: Legacy’
Part of the reason RHONY: Legacy hasn’t been moving forward is allegedly because of salary demands on the part of the housewives. To remedy the issue, Frankel proposed an idea for the show that will save Bravo money on paying the housewives as well as make for an entertaining show.
“I propose this will solve the financial problems. I have a proposition for Bravo to solve the financial challenges of the housewives’ Legacy. And my proposal is: Real Housewives of New York: Legacy — Blondes Have More Fun,” she said on a March 2023 episode of her podcast ReWives. “Now, my pitch to Bravo is, you had a problem with Jill [Zarin] wanting more money and it broke down the house of cards. So I have chosen blondes that will all take whatever money is really out there. They want back in, coach, and they will do it in a way that will be economical for you, Bravo. Because I know Bravo paying Luann [de Lesseps]’s rate and Sonja [Morgan]’s rate and Ramona [Singer]’s rate and all those rates going up for over a decade through that system is going to be high. So I’ve chosen blonde housewives that I think will be affordable and make for an entertaining cast, so Bravo gets to not spend too much money.”
“These women get back on the field, and it’s an entertaining season. It’s even better than the season with Luann and Jill and everybody, in my opinion,” she added.
Bethenny Frankel’s blonde dream cast for ‘RHONY: Legacy’
Frankel went on to describe her casting choices for this dream show of hers. “Dorinda [Medley]’s entertaining, she was a good housewife, she can be unfiltered and unedited, she will say something or make a mistake,” Frankel said. “And she was let go/paused and wants back on the field.”
“Ramona’s number two,” she continued. “She was very sort of out of date [and] out of touch. Ramona aged like rotten milk on the housewives, but there are women who have her views.”
“Sonja also is humble and wants and needs the gig. She always admits she likes to work, she wants to be working, and she wants and needs the gig. She likes the action. She likes the relevance, and she, too, would definitely agree to the same rate at Dorinda and Ramona if it was decent and not insulting,” she went on.
Tinsley Mortimer was another blonde whom Frankel chose for her show. “She’s sweet, she’s fun, she likes to wear her fun clothes, she’s a good balance for the rest of these women,” she said. “I think she would be ready to come back.”
She called Alex McCord “another good balancer” who was “sage” and had “words of wisdom” to bestow.
The state of ‘RHONY: Legacy’ today
As of right now, RHONY: Legacy remains in a will-they-won’t-they situation. Instead, Bravo’s focus for New York appears to be relaunching The Real Housewives of New York City with a fresh cast of faces for its fourteenth season.
Only time will tell if Frankel’s vision comes to life, and if RHONY: Legacy will actually come to fruition one day.
