Dorinda Medley Tells All About Battling Anorexia, Life Before 'RHONY' in New Memoir (EXCLUSIVE)

Known for her epic one-liners and Tudor-style estate in the Berkshires, Dorinda Medley became an all-time Bravo fan favorite during her six-season run on The Real Housewives of New York City. 

Now, one of her most infamous quotes from the show is the title of her book: Make It Nice. 

Dorinda may have let viewers in on her relationship and subsequent breakup with John Mahdessian, her experience as a divorcee and a widow, and her life as a mom on the show, but there's still a lot that fans don't know about her. 

From her modest roots to her rise both professionally and socially in New York City, and even the advice she would give her younger self, Dorinda is finally sharing her full story. 

The TV star spoke exclusively with Distractify about getting to "tell [her] truth," no matter how hard it proved to be.  

After all, as Dorinda told us, "Being faulted is so interesting. No one wants to be vanilla ice cream."

When viewers found out that Dorinda would not be returning for Season 13 of RHONY in August of 2020, many were shocked and devastated (her announcement post on Instagram earned nearly 27,000 comments).

They couldn't have known that Dorinda had actually gotten a book deal shortly before, and that her break from filming would allow her to focus on writing, "like a job."

Though the title of the memoir draws on when she notably said, "I cooked, I cleaned, I made it nice," on the show, it's really how Dorinda lives her life.

"We've all been at that moment when you've tried so hard, you put your heart into something, you've given it your best, and somehow, it’s not well received. You just lose it... In life, you just have to try to make it nice, regardless," she said. "Your growth happens when you keep trying."

As she started the writing process, Dorinda looked through photos from her childhood, her marriages, and her life before the show to remind herself of her journey. The end result is a collection of stories, some of which were more difficult to write than others.

Dorinda chose to be as "honest" as possible. 

"It's about learning lessons, growing, and taking chances," Dorinda exclusively shared with Distractify. "It's about your quilt of life, which is filled with all different fabrics and colors. Some are more beautiful than others but, collectively, it's your life." 

Dorinda did not shy away from the hardships she's faced in her life and wrote about moving to New York without any money or opportunities, and about her past battle with anorexia. Her daughter, Hannah Lynch, hadn't known about the latter hardship until her mom showed her the chapter in writing. 

"[Hannah] was very surprised that I suffered with anorexia," the Bravo star told us. "She never knew that. I forgot it, and we worked through that chapter together. She understood it, and she said that most women work through body dysmorphia at some level. We label it as one thing, but back then, we didn't label it at all."

Throughout her tenure on RHONY, Dorinda mourned her late husband, Richard Medley, and showed the ups-and-downs in her relationship with John. She didn't often mention her first marriage to Ralph Lynch, with whom she shares daughter Hannah. 

While she was married to Ralph, Dorinda spent about a decade living in London. This time in her life will be featured in Make It Nice, as will her second marriage to Richard. 

A few years after Richard's passing, while Hannah was off at college, Dorinda signed up for the reality series. Fans did get to know her from her time in front of the cameras, but she hopes that Make It Nice allows them to see another side of her. 

"I'm not just Dorinda from RHONY. I had a fulfilled, full, interesting life that was complete when I went on the show. My life wasn't made from it," she added. "The cake was baked, I just gave people a piece of it."

Make It Nice comes out on Aug. 17 in print and as an audiobook (which will be read by Dorinda herself).

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.