Andy Cohen on How He Really Feels About Ramona Singer Exiting ‘RHONY: Legacy’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Updated Nov. 21 2022, 3:02 p.m. ET
It’s the end of an era for one of The Real Housewives of New York OGs. After being with the show for 13 seasons, Ramona Singer announced her departure from the series amid its revamped format. In 2022, Bravo shared that RHONY would split between the seasoned cast members (RHONY: Legacy) and a batch of newcomers.
As the buzz continues surrounding the latest shows, many want to know how The Real Housewives EP Andy Cohen felt about Ramona’s departure. In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Andy shared why he agreed with Ramona's reasoning for not being a part of the Legacy cast.
What happened to Ramona Singer? She quit ‘RHONY: Legacy’ in November 2022.
Ramona joined the RHONY during its first season and has seemingly remained loyal to the network. In addition to her time in New York, Ramona also joined the Real Housewives spinoff The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip Season 1 with Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Cynthia Bailey, Luann de Lesseps, Kenya Moore, and Kyle Richards.
However, Ramona recently told Page Six that her time in the Housewives universe is over.
“I do not want to do the show any longer,” she said in November 2022. “It’s not for me at this time.”
(l-r) Sonja Morgan, Leah McSweeney, Ramona Singer, Eboni K. Williams, Luann de Lesseps
Ramona didn’t elaborate on what led her to exit RHONY ahead of its revamp. But while promoting his new partnership with Fresca Mixed, Andy shared his thoughts exclusively with Distractify on why she may have opted out of the Bravo show.
"I think Ramona is at a really great place in her life," he told us. "And we spoke a week or two ago and she is ... if you follow her on social media, she's really living her best life."
"She's not in New York very much these days," he continued. "She's spending a lot of time in Florida. And so I'm just really happy for her."
Was Ramona Singer fired from ‘RHONY’? Where is she now?
Before her official exit announcement, rumors had begun swirling that Ramona wouldn’t receive an offer to appear on RHONY. A few sources reportedly told Page Six that the RMS Fashions founder quit before Bravo fired her.
According to the outlet, the network’s execs felt that Ramona made shady comments about RHONY: Legacy in multiple interviews. In one specific interview on former Bravo EP Carlos King’s podcast, Reality With the King, Ramona stated that she didn’t think the new RHONY format would be as successful due to the casting decisions.
“I’ve been there for a long time,” Ramona told Carlos King about her RHONY: Legacy future, adding, “I mean, never say no, never say never. But I also feel like the Legacy [show], how could it be really good? The people they are gonna bring back are the people they didn’t want to renew anyways.”
Andy told Page Six in October 2022 that “we have not spoken to any of our classic RHONY women about Legacy yet” and was prioritizing the “new stories” they want to tell in the reboot. However, the outlet reported in November the network tapped Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, Dorinda Medley, Luann de Lesseps, and Sonja Morgan to join the Legacy cast.
Although the Bravo boss didn’t confirm the cast lineup with Distractify, he said he’s happy for Ramona’s journey as she builds her new life in Florida, where she’s been living since 2020.
"I can't wait to see what she does next," he added.
RHONY: Legacy and the RHONY reboot are set to air on Bravo in 2023.