UPDATE — 2/3/26, 11:45 a.m. ET: The original Real Housewives of New York City are officially coming back to TV.
E! confirmed on Tuesday, February 3, that the network has greenlit a new docuseries following Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon and Sonja Morgan as they reunite their formerly NYC-based friend group in Palm Beach, Florida.
The 10-episode series, tentatively titled The Golden Life, is set to start filming this spring in South Florida.
“Bound by decades of shared history, fallouts and friendship, this fan-favorite group of New Yorkers are starting fresh together in the Sunshine State,” read a press release for the new show. “In this new ‘golden’ era of life, the longtime friends are thriving in and around Palm Beach with fabulous second homes and a bustling social scene. With their signature humor and nonstop hijinks, the series will follow the group as they navigate dating, family and career milestones. Though skies are bright in Florida, unresolved drama looms as they reconnect after years of highs and lows.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome reality TV royalty to E! for a reunion fans have been waiting for,” Val Boreland, president of entertainment at Versant, said on Tuesday. “The energy within this group has always been electric, and we’re excited to watch it unfold in a new chapter of life by the beach.”
The former Housewives further confirmed the news with a video shared via Instagram.
“We’re back, darlings,” Luann, 60, said in the clip, with Jill, 62, adding, “The OGs of New York City are back.”
Original story:
The original cast of The Real Housewives of New York City will be reaching for their apples again — with an exciting new twist.
A source tells Us Weekly that Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon and Ramona Singer have signed with E! and anticipate their new show to premiere by the end of the year.
Us has reached out to E! for comment.
RHONY premiered on Bravo in 2008 as the second city in the Real Housewives franchise, following The Real Housewives of Orange County. Season 1 featured de Lesseps, Singer, Zarin, Alex McCord and Bethenny Frankel. Ramona, now 69, was the longest-serving New York City Housewife, starring on all 13 seasons before the series was rebooted in 2023. (Luann, 60, also appeared on the first 13 seasons but was featured as a “friend” on season 6.)
RHONY’s Erin Lichy and Sai de Silva Reveal Why Hybrid Season Wouldn’t Work
Other notable RHONY cast members through the years include Bensimon, Morgan, Carole Radziwill, Dorinda Medley and Tinsley Mortimer.
Following RHONY’s rocky 13th season, producer Andy Cohen confirmed in 2022 that the network was looking into “rebooting and recasting” the show.
“You know that we’re at a crossroads for RHONY,” Andy, 57, told Variety at the time. “We’ve spent a lot of time figuring out where to go. And the plan that we’ve come up with, I think, is a real gift to the fans.”
The series returned in 2023 with an entirely new cast, with Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield starring in season 14. Bravo later renewed RHONY for a 15th season, which added Rebecca Minkoff and Racquel Chevremont to the mix.
While rumors have swirled about the franchise’s future — Brynn, 40, announced her exit last year following a blowout fight with Ubah, 42 — Us Weekly confirmed that RHONY was not on Bravo’s chopping block.
“Nothing is official,” a spokesperson for the network told Us in May 2025. “The show hasn’t been canceled.”
As questions continued to emerge, Andy shared a major update on the show’s progress at BravoCon in November 2025.
“We have a cast for The Real Housewives of New York City,” he said during an “Ask Andy” panel. “We are gonna be filming in the next few months. Very excited about that. More to come about that.”
Jenna Lyons Leaving ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ After 2 Seasons
While Andy didn’t name any names, he shut down speculation at the fan convention that there would be a hybrid cast of returning OGs and newbies.
An official cast has yet to be revealed for season 16, but along with Brynn, fans won’t be seeing more of Jenna, 57, who confirmed her exit last fall.
“The rumors ….. Are true. So here’s the backstory,” the designer wrote via Instagram. “I was grateful to be asked to join season 16 of RHONY ‘as a friend of’ — knowing my personal life was not really available to be filmed, we agreed that made sense. And after thinking it through, I have made the difficult decision [to] not return to the show.”
Jenna emphasized that she had love for her costars, but she noted, “I would be the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show and feel like this is an opportunity for a new dynamic to emerge. … THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!!- it’s so incredibly meaningful. I will be watching and bitching from the sidelines with love and outfit judgement.”
