As rumors continue to swirl about The Real Housewives of New York City’s spinoff series — dubbed RHONY: Legacy — Andy Cohen is speaking out.
The Bravo producer seemingly shut down a Page Six report that the network rescinded offers to OG cast members of the New York franchise due to plans to scrap the idea completely.
“Don’t believe everything you read #RHONYLegacy,” the 54-year-old Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host tweeted on Monday, January 30.
Cohen originally announced plans to split RHONY into two shows in March 2022 after season 13 of the show — which starred Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, Leah McSweeney and Eboni K. Williams— failed to impress viewers.
“We talked about everything. There were people who really wanted: ‘Let’s just totally start over.’ And then there were people who were like, ‘Wait a minute, but what about this group that we’ve invested 13 years in?’ I think that’s why this is really listening to everybody,” Cohen told Variety. “We have a pretty active research department at Bravo. So I will say when research comes to the programming execs, it’s usually not that surprising given what we’re already hearing.”
He admitted that it was a “big red flag” for ratings to decline each week amid “disenchanted” social media feedback.
“Because this is a beloved show. And that’s part of the reason why it’s taken a bit for us to just sit with this and figure out how we want to make this right, and make it a gift to the fans, which I think this will wind up being,” he said.
Months later, Cohen announced the new cast for season 14 of RHONY — Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Dana Lichy, Lizzy Savetsky, Jessel Taank, Jenna Lyons and Brynn Whitfield — at BravoCon in October 2022. (Savetsky quit the reboot in November 2022.) The network has yet to officially confirm any cast members for RHONY: Legacy, but Singer has confirmed she was not part of the show.
“I’m 60 something now, I worked hard my whole life. It’s time for me just to enjoy myself,” the 66-year-old told Daily Mail last month. “And doing the show is not easy. I mean, people think it’s easy. [But it’s] very stressful, very stressful.”
Cohen, meanwhile, last told Us Weekly in November 2022 that the Legacy cast was “close” to being official.
“She seems like she’s in a place where she’s really happy with where she’s at,” he added of Singer’s decision.
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