The new season of RHONY has started with a brand cast each unique in their own ways but where are the OG’s and what has been happening with them? If you recall RHONY began in 2008 with some really interesting ladies from Manhattan, New York.
Season1 introduced us to Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer, and Luann de Lesseps. At the time, who would have thought we would end up with scandals, wonderful cast trips, and some embarrassing moments? There are memories that last them a lifetime and we along with them will remember them.
As the seasons wore on it became apparent that fans had begun to get bored with the same old cast and with their relationships with one another. Due to in-cast fighting filming became a chore. Season 13 was the first season to not have a reunion show, that’s when Andy Cohen decided a new cast was needed.
There was supposed to be a spin-off show to begin in early 2023 but due to certain aspects was decided to be turned into Luann de Lesseps, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Dorinda Medley, and Kristen Taekman doing a fifth season of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. So people may ask where the original ladies of the show are and what they have been doing lately.
Ramona Singer was part of the show for 13 years and was one who had gone through many trials and tribulations during her tenure. She was married to Mario Singer for 22 years and had divorced in 2016 due to Mario supposedly cheating. There were news reports that the exes along with their daughter Avery had been confined in the same house during Covid-19. This was revealed on Avery’s Instagram and during a PEOPLE interview said this about her father, “He’s a really great father.”
November 2022 Ramona decided that enough was enough and said she was retiring from the show following the announcement that there would be a new cast added for season 13.
In her interview with Daily Mail Ramona told them that she was “happier and calmer” since departing from RHONY. Ramona now runs her own Jewelry company and Pinot Grigio line and is also a real estate agent.
Luann de Lesseps also one of the OG’s showed us her lavish lifestyle when she was married to Count Alexandere de Lesseps who was not shown on screen. They had two children together and in 2009 decided to call it quits. This point of her life was not shown on camera. In her interview with PEOPLE, she spoke about why her private life was not shown. She said, “I never brought my private family life onto the show because, you know, the show lives on — a moment is gone forever, but the film lives forever.”
In 2016, Luann had announced her relationship with Tom d’Augostino who had also perhaps dated a few of the ladies of RHONY. Luann and Tom were married in 2016 and then soon divorced the following year. That relationship took over much of season 9. After her divorce, Luann started dating Her agent Richard Super and also had a Covid -19 tryst with her trainer Garth Wakeford.
2017 Luann was arrested in Palm Beach and charged with DI, battery on an officer, resisting arrest, and threatening a public servant. She then went on to a rehab facility. In 2018 she went back to rehab and finished her probation a year later. She let fans know that she was trying to maintain her sobriety during the pandemic. She stopped drinking again and in 2021 had begun a business showcasing a non-alcoholic wine called Fose Rose.
In 2022 Luann fell off the wagon once again and called it a mistake due to her being at a party.
Now Luann is sober and says that her cabaret show motivates her to stay sober. She is currently starring with Sonja Morgan on a new Bravo show called Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake.
Bethenny Frankel was part of RHONY for the first three seasons then took some time off and returned in season 7. While she was part of the show she launched her SkinnyGirl business in 2019 she sold part of it and then began her disaster relief program BStrong. and had a few romances that did not last very long.
Back in 2010, Bethenny married Jason Hoppy and they had a daughter Bryn. IN 2012 it was decided they separate, their divorce took 5 years before it was finalized and the custody of their daughter was also involved, In 2021 their divorce was finalized. During her divorce proceedings, Bethenny had dated Dennis Shields who had died in 2018 due to a suspected drug overdose.
In 2019 Bethenny called it quits with the show and was dating at the time she thought the love of her life Paul Bernon. They had met on a dating app and their relationship only lasted 3 years. then they split for a while and then they were engaged in 2021.
Even though Bethenny quit the show she says that she still has a good relationship with Andy Cohen. even though the latter accused her of bad-mouthing the show. Fans felt she left the show “because of money.” Bethenny of course denied any wrongdoings when she said, “If I stayed, it would have been because of the money. I left because I wanted to leave. I was ready to leave, and I used a technicality as my excuse.”
Since leaving the show Bethenny has starred in a few spinoff shows for Bravo. Bethenny Ever After( 2010-2012) And Bethenny and Fredrik in 2018.
Jill Zarin came aboard the show during season 4 and was let go soon after due to a cast shakeup. She was having trouble juggling 2 lifestyles. She spoke with People at the time and spoke about why she left the show while managing her anxiety and depression. She said, “It would cause this circular thinking that I couldn’t break out of it. When I was on RHONY, I would constantly talk about the show. If something was bothering me — say I was getting hate from the fans and I was upset about it — I would talk to Luann, I would talk to Ramona, I would talk to my mother, my friend, my agent, my late husband, my daughter; it was 24 hours a day.”
Jill had said the time was right for her departure and she would be able to spend more time with her family. Her husband Bobby Zarin. In 2009 had been diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer he later passed away in 2018. Jill has her own home goods brand called Jill Zarin home. She and her daughter Ally also created their own luxury home brand Jill and Ally in 2020.
2018 Jill told PEOPLE that she was dating Menswear executive Gary Brody. The next year Jill announced that “Gary’s just the best thing that ever happened to me” and wedding bells were soon to be rung. Fans were excited when Jill made her Housewives return to RHUGT season 2. She and Dorinda have a few spats, in one Jill was being accused of being “thirsty for fame” to which Jill said she was “hungry for success, not thirsty.”
Sonja Morgan was first introduced to fans in season 3. She had established friendships with Luann and Bethenny and also had many arguments with them. Her final season with RHONY was met with a few obstacles. She launched her label Sonja by Sonja Morgan in 2014. She had a deal with the department store Century 21 which soon met its decline when bankruptcy was filed in 2020.
Sonja now has moved on and has her own spin-off show with Luann de Lesseps called Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake. Last July Sonja relisted her 5-story Upper East Side townhouse for $8.75 million. The home was featured on the show and once been on the market before in 2013 when her ongoing divorce from John Adams Morgan, who was J.P. Morgans’ heir was finalized. They have one daughter Quincy Morgan.
The Original ladies from RHONY will always be remembered even many more years down the road. Hopefully, the new cast can fill some of these awesome women’s shoes. It is also great to look at where their lives are now after being on the show.
Photo credit Instagram, Bravo
