The Real Housewives of New York City Season 14 will return with a completely new look, as rumors that Bravo has “lost interest” dog the RHONY Legacy spin-off.
During a WWHL “Ask Andy” Q&A, executive producer Andy Cohen teased RHONY Season 14.
“They’re super fashionable,” he said of the new RHONY cast. “The things that they are arguing about are as ridiculous as early RHONY. I think it’s going to be a different show. It’s so hard because everyone is going to compare it to RHONY, which was so perfect. And I hope this is perfect in a totally different way.”
Bravo planned to focus on ‘RHONY’ Season 14 first, Andy Cohen said
Cohen introduced the new RHONY Season 14 cast at BravoCon, with many of the original RHONY cast members in attendance. Knowing that viewers have loyalty and love for many of the RHONY originals, Cohen and Bravo also announced that the network would create a Legacy-type series.
But he explained that the RHONY reboot would be a priority. “I hope that [fans are] happy with both. That’s all I can say. The truth of the matter is we have not spoken to any of our classic RHONY women about Legacy yet,” Cohen told Page Six at BravoCon.
“We really were waiting to get the RHONY reboot right, and we really wanted to tell new stories, and we wanted to capture the energy in New York City, and I’m really happy with where we’re at,” he added.
Why is ‘RHONY Legacy’ possibly on ‘pause’?
Meanwhile, a rumor that RHONY Legacy may have been shelved started circulating. Page Six reports that Bravo put the Legacy spin-off on pause due to a stalemate in contract negotiations. An “insider” told Page Six that the cast believed, “they should make what the cast of Friends made in their heyday.” The ensemble cast of Friends made $1 million per episode at the height of the show’s popularity.
As a result, Page Six reports that the network has “lost interest in pursuing the Legacy edition.” A source close to the cast shared, “It’s not worth it. And it’s insulting. These are the women that have made the show a hit in the first place. They don’t deserve to be nickel-and-dimed.”
Fans anticipated the return of Kelly Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Jill Zarin, and Dorinda Medley. Tinsley Mortimer was also a possibility.
Bravo is focusing on ‘RHONY’ reboot over ‘Legacy’
An unnamed production source told Page Six that the RHONY Legacy salaries were sizable.
“They are generous offers but a few of the women now believe they should make what the cast of Friends made in their heyday,” the source said.
“The network seems to have just lost interest in pursuing the Legacy edition at this point. It seems producers are more focused on the RHONY reboot which we are hearing is fun, funny, and aspirational.”
Ramona Singer bowed out before the RHONY Legacy cast was finalized. Singer claims that walking away from the franchise was a positive move for her. “I’m happier now and actually I’m calmer,’ she told Daily Mail. “I don’t miss it at all. It was a great experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“It’s time for me just to enjoy myself. And doing the show is not easy,” she added. “I mean, people think it’s easy. Very stressful, very stressful.”
