‘RHONY’ Stars’ Move to E! Is ‘Straight-Up Betrayal’ of Andy Cohen, Insider Says
Andy Cohen is not happy that several Real Housewives OGs have ditched Bravo for E!
In February, it was announced that RHONY alums Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, and Kelly Bensimon would star in a new show, The Golden Life, on the rival network. (Jill Zarin was originally part of the cast, but she was cut following her racist comments about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.)
‘RHONY’ alums are ‘dead’ to Andy Cohen
For Cohen – the mastermind behind the Real Housewives – the new series is a major stab in the back.
“He sees this as a straight-up betrayal,” an insider recently told Radar Online. “Andy built that franchise. As far as he’s concerned, they’re dead to him.”
“You don’t take the brand he created, slap on a new logo and cash another check. He won’t forget it,” another source said.
Cohen is “fiercely protective” of the Housewives brand, a network source told Radar. “Cross that line, and the door doesn’t just close – it locks.”
Over 10 episodes, The Golden Life (WT) will follow the quartet of New Yorkers as they start fresh in the Sunshine State.
“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,” E! shared in a press release. “With their signature humor and non-stop 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.”
The show, which does not yet have a premiere date, recently began filming in Palm Beach, Page Six reports.
Bethenny Frankel weighs in on ‘The Golden Life’
One RHONY icon who won’t appear in the new show is Bethenny Frankel. In an Instagram post, she said some of the other woman asked if she would return to TV. But Frankel said she’s moved on and is focused on her various business ventures.
“The amount of money it would take for me to come back — that E! could presumably never pay — would make the other Housewives resent me so much, which did happen before,” she said.
Nonetheless, Frankel said she was rooting for her former co-stars and impressed by E!’s willingness to take on Cohen’s reality TV crown, calling it a “savage, amazing move.”
“I’m really happy for these women and I want them to thrive [and] succeed,” she said. “and I want the show to do well.”
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