As the Real Housewives franchise constantly evolves, every once in awhile there is a new housewife cast that completely changes the trajectory of the already established and successful cast. The Real Housewives of New Jersey brought on the maven behind the Macbeth collection, Margaret Josephs, while The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast soap siren Lisa Rinna several years ago. The Real Housewives of Atlanta totally changed the trajectory of the show with trow new Housewives in one season, Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore, while The Real Housewives of New York City brought on recently widowed socialite Dorinda Medley during Season 6. Already a friend of the majority of the cast (& asked to join the show previously) Medley blended beautifully with the ladies, while clashing with a few others. She bonded with fellow widow Carole Radziwill, while battling with old friends Luann De Lesseps and Ramona Singer. We fell in love with Dorinda’s quick wit, stunning Berkshires home, and ability to cut directly through the bullshit. Today however, we are one more beloved Housewife down on the beloved East Coast franchise; with the departure of newly engaged (and Medley foe) Tinsely Mortimer mid season this year, Dorinda Medley announced her departure from the decade plus long franchise.
US Weekly reports that as far as a reason, “Dorinda had a meeting with Bravo where they talked about possible shakeups in the cast, how Dorinda was feeling after this very hard season for her and they both agreed it would be best for her to step down,” the insider tells Us. “Friends around Dorinda are hoping she takes time to focus on herself and making herself happy in this next chapter of her life.” Medley will be missed on #RHONY for a multitude of reasons, but she immediately showed her dedication to the LGBT community from the moment she joined the show during Season 6. She is a consistent donor to LGBTQ-centric charities like The Ali Forney Center and the Born This Way Foundation (she counts Cynthia Germanotta as a personal friend).
Medley’s departure garnered immediate and swift commentary from the online community, with Andy Cohen himself commenting on Medley’s Instagram announcement, simply stating “What a ride. Unforgettable”. Medley also garnered lovely tributes from former co-stars as well as one who she has been fond of sparring for the past several seasons. Former castmates Carole Radziwill & Bethenny Frankel spoke out, as did current castmatee Luann De Lesseps on social media;
“The Real Housewives of New York City” airs Thursday’s on Bravo (check local listings)