'RHONY' Tinsley Mortimer Breaks Down Talking About Her Late Father

Things are heating up on tonight’s episode of The Real Housewives of New York. The drama continues during the infamous seasonal girls' trip to Dorinda Medley’s house in the Berkshires. With explosive fights, name-calling, and drunken antics, fans of the reality series will surely enjoy every second of the upcoming episode.  

However, in a more somber clip for the Bravo show, Luann de Lesseps and Tinsley Mortimer are seen having a serious one-on-one conversation. The New York socialite starts to breakdown to Luann about her late father and reveals, "My dad chose drinking over his family.” 

Luann replies, "You know, drinking is a disease..." This prompts the 43-year-old to burst into sobs, claiming, "I didn’t see it like that." 

Tinsley’s father, George Riley Mercer, Jr., passed away at the age of 68 in March 2015. The socialite and her dad seemingly had a good relationship. 

For Father’s Day last year, the reality star posted an old picture with her pops. "This pic of me looking up at my dad at our childhood home is my most favorite," she captioned the image. "Happy Father’s day Daddy! We all miss you so much!" 

Two seasons ago, fans also watched as Tinsley's mom travelled to New York with her late father's ashes, prompting some viewers to feel uncomfortable. 

Tinsley went on to clarify the situation on her Bravo blog. "I had not seen my mom since Thanksgiving in Palm Beach, so I was very excited when she came to NYC to see me. We are extremely close, so I always love being with her. It was hard to see her tearing up over my dad who died two years ago, but my sister Dabney, my mom, and I still can't believe he's not here," she explained. 

"It might seem strange to some, but we really like having his ashes with our family. We simply are not ready to bury him yet. Dad travels to Palm Beach for the winter and to Newport for the summer with occasional stops in Virginia. It's just nice still having him around." 

Not much else is known about Tinsley's dad, but her mom continues to make regular appearances on RHONY.  

Dale Mortimer is not shy when it comes to sharing her opinions about her daughter’s life and the choices she makes. And, when this woman shows up on our screen, we know things will certainly be interesting. 

Let’s not forget about the time she showed up wearing shoes designed by her daughter’s ex-husband’s current wife, Tabitha Simmons. Yes, the shade is real! 

Mama Mortimer especially loves to give her opinion about her daughter’s dating life. In a recent episode, the interior designer, Tinsley, and Sonja Morgan were on a rooftop having drinks talking about the reality star’s then-boyfriend, Scott Kluth. 

"He’s a great guy, but I would prefer him to be a son-in-law rather than just some guy," Dale told her daughter. "This is my thing, when you're your age and his age, you know, six months is enough to know. You don’t need two years... six months is plenty of time."  Basically, she wants a ring on her little girl's finger ASAP.

Catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of New York on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.