Getty Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, and Dorinda Medley in 2019
Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps teased a cast shake-up for Season 13 in a recent August 2020 interview with Extra TV.
During the interview, Lesseps said about Season 13, “There’s definitely going to be some new Housewives…maybe, I don’t know, you didn’t hear it from me.” In July, Lesseps also revealed to Us Weekly that she was “asking some friends” to join the show and help “diversify the cast in New York.”
In the past, The Real Housewives of New York has been criticized for its lack of women of color in the cast. On The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, star Garcelle Beauvais is the first black housewife on the Beverly Hills franchise.
Leah McSweeney Recently Called For More Diversity On The Show
Real Housewives of New York star Leah McSweeney urged the network for more diversity on the franchise recently. “I hope that there’s not only diversity of race, but an even deeper diversity of where someone lives or what their interests are,” McSweeney said in an interview with Page Six, “I hope that there’s just more diversity all across the board because New Yorkers are not a monolith, obviously. I think that it is gonna head in that direction.”
McSweeney also appeared on Bravo’s August 9 special, “Race in America: A Movement Not A Moment,” which featured a conversation between many Bravo stars about race and equality. McSweeney told Page Six, “In terms of being an ally, I think it’s just like, acknowledging racism exists. That’s the other thing — people who say, ‘I don’t see color.’ I’m like, stop. Come on. That’s insane to say. I understand that’s a white person wanting to sound like they’re saying the right thing — it’s actually not the right thing to say — but they have good intentions.”
A Real Housewives Of New York Member Recently Came Under Fire For Her ‘All Lives Matter’ Comment
According to People, in June 2020, Real Housewives of New York member Ramona Singer commented “all lives matter” on an Instagram post amid nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death. McSweeney called Singer out for her comment, posting a screenshot of the comment on her Instagram story, adding an emoji of a woman with her hand over her face. Many fans were upset with Singer’s comment as well.
After a video went viral in July 2020 that showed McSweeney and friend Elyse Slaine claiming that Singer poops during sex, McSweeney replied to Singer’s comment denying the claims in the video. McSweeney wrote, “Ok geriatric Regina George aka Miss all lives matter Don’t worry about the example I set for my daughter. She has an open mind and heart. Treats all with respect. Doesn’t see people or treat people as less than.’ Sees every race, religion, sexuality as equal, Elyse was ur actual friend (no idea why). You don’t deserve Elyse. OH HELL NO B*****!”
However, even though Slaine and Singer are no longer friends, Slaine stood up for Singer when people accused her of being racist. “While she and I have been in this bad place when there were accusations of her being racist, I defended her against those accusations because she’s not,” Slaine said during a June 2020 interview with Heavy, “She’s simply not racist so I would hate to see something like that ruin the career that she’s built over 12 years.”