Getty Dorinda Medley and Jill Zarin
The only thing better than one “Real Housewives” franchise is four “Real Housewives” franchises in one. The “Real Housewives All-Stars” cast currently includes Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga (RHONJ), Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer (RHONY), Cynthia Bailey, Kenya Moore (RHOA), and Kyle Richards (RHOBH). The muched-talked-about spinoff will film for one week and will air four to six episodes on Peacock.
The ladies are all currently living it up in Turks and Caicos, and they haven’t been shy in posting glamorous bikini pics. But in true Bravo fashion, a major cast shakeup may be on its way. An eighth cast member will arrive halfway through filming as part of a “twist,” an insider told The Sun.
Fans immediately started speculating who the mysterious cast member could be. Some names that circulated included Lisa Rinna (RHOBH), Tamra Judge (formerly RHOC), Sonja Morgan (RHONY), Jill Zarin (formerly RHONY), Dorinda Medley (RHONY), and more. The source originally told The Sun that Zarin was a “top pick” for the mystery Housewife.
After all the rumors, many of these ladies are setting the record straight. Zarin addressed the rumors on her Instagram Story sharing that the rumors were just that: rumors. “They didn’t invite me,” Zarin joked. “Maybe next time!”
Medley also went on her Instagram Story sharing a similar sentiment. “Hey, I know there’s a lot of people on the internet thinking it’s me the eighth Housewife going on the Turks and Caicos trip, but it’s not me,” Medley posted on her Instagram Story with a smile. “I’m on pause, ask Andy [Cohen], right here on pause, so no it’s not me.”
Sonja Morgan & Tamra Judge Also Addressed the All-Stars Casting
Zarin and Medley are the most recent Housewives to address the spinoff show, but they aren’t the only ones. RHONY’s Morgan also dished on seeing her friends vacation in Turks and Caicos together.
On April 25, Morgan responded to a tweet from a Bravo fan that lamented how much they would miss seeing Morgan on the show. “Honestly I’m having a hard time imagining #RHAllStars without @Sonjatmorgan’s light, care free, fun energy,” the fan wrote. “I also feel like she’s actual friends with a lot of the women from other franchises so she would’ve been the glue and peacemaker they might need. #RHONY.” Morgan retweeted it and added the caption, “Love you. Next one baby. #rhony #bravotv.”
Former RHOC star Judge also confirmed that she nor RHOC alum Vicki Gunvalson had been asked to join the show. “Neither one of us [is going],” Judge shared on the S’More IGTV show “S’More Live Happy Hour” on April 26. “I don’t even know if it’s true. I do know that I’m getting text messages, like, ‘Are you going to Turks and Caicos?’”
She added, “[I] said, ‘What’s going on? I’m getting these weird messages from people.’ He’s like, ‘We all are.’ Something happened, and everyone in the cast is getting these messages. But no, I’m not [joining].”
The Cast Was Smaller Than Expected Due to COVID-19
With only seven ladies, not everyone’s favorite Housewives made the All-Stars cut. An insider shared with The Sun that due to COVID-19 protocols, the current cast wasn’t the original idea.
“The cast size had to be cut down to seven, as the largest-sized house the show could book is seven bedrooms due to Covid protocols,” the source told the outlet. “This is not the ideal cast that Bravo wanted but due to scheduling conflicts with current seasons filming and Covid, everyone is just excited they are going through with this.“
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