NBCU has officially shifted the format of its “The Real Housewives of New York: Legacy” to an “Ultimate Girls Trip” format to stream on Peacocok, featuring former Housewives Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer and Kristen Taekman.
After a low-rated 13th season and an influx of conflict, Variety broke the news that the “RHONY” would be revamping its format in a two-part strategy. First, Andy Cohen revealed that Bravo was focused on rebooting the flagship show with a brand-new cast, and the network would eventually launch a spin-off “Legacy” series that would cast original and former New York Housewives.
However, the network was unable to come to a financial agreement with several of the projected “Legacy” housewives and put the series on pause — which apparently led to a shift in strategy: revamping the series in an “Ultimate Girl Trips” style, not to air on Bravo, but to stream on Peacock.
Season 5 of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy” will feature Bensimon, de Lesseps, Medley, Morgan, Singer and Taekman. They will all travel to the infamous house on Saline Beach in Saint Barthélemy that the “RHONY” cast visited in the show’s fifth season.
Jill Zarin, an OG “RHONY” Housewife who was expected to join the “Legacy” series, is noticeably missing from the “Girls Trip” cast. Zarin revealed that when in talks with Bravo for the series, all cast members were not going to be paid the same amount, something she wasn’t comfortable with.
“I just wanted everyone to get paid the same,” said Zarin on Jeff Lewis Live. “We started together. In fact, I cast the show. I brought on Bethenny [Frankel], I brought on Luann [de Lesseps], I brought on Ramona [Singer]. So, for nothing else, I should definitely get paid the same as everybody else, or I’m not doing it.”
One of the most notable castings for “The Real Housewives of New York: Legacy” is Singer — one of the most polarizing Housewives in the Bravoverse. During the 13th season of “RHONY,” Bravo launched an internal investigation to look into formal complaints made about Singer by fellow Season 13 Housewife Eboni K. Williams and an additional crew member.
Singer has been a source of controversy throughout the years, she appeared to be done with the franchise, which was confirmed by Andy Cohen last year. Nonetheless, Singer has now joined the cast for “Legacy” despite her contentious past.
