‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ Season 13: Everything We Know

Credit: Sophy Holland/Bravo

'The Real Housewives of New York City' Season 13: Everything We Know

Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New York City is shaping up to look a little different. “We’re working on next season,” Andy Cohen teased to Us Weekly in August 2020. “I’m excited for what we have planned.” The long-running reality TV show first saw changes during the summer of 2019 when Bethenny Frankel opted not to return for season 12 just before filming began. While fans often ask the Skinnygirl CEO to come back via social media, Bethenny’s made it clear that she’s done with the franchise. “I haven’t been watching. I saw the first episode and part of another one, so I don’t know what’s going on there. There’s a lot of talk about what’s going on there, and I read comments that people say to me, ‘Please come back,’ and ‘Please save the show,’” she told Fortune in July 2020. “It’s all flattering, and I wish the girls well. I’m doing other things, though, and I just don’t know how that really would fit into my life as is.” Later that month, Bethenny simply tweeted, “I AM NOT COMING BACK.” As the season played out, fans saw Tinsley Mortimer quit after she got engaged to off-again, on-again love Scott Kluth and moved to Chicago. “I, of course, am going to miss my new friendship with Leah and Sonja’s crazy antics with me,” Tinsley said during her final episode, referring to Leah McSweeney and Sonja Morgan. “I have changed so much since coming back to New York and moving into Sonja’s townhouse. … It’s taken me a little bit of time, but I finally feel like myself again. I feel confident again.” [jwplayer R5W4gPGg-l3ahXupL] News broke in August 2020 that Dorinda Medley was the next RHONY star to exit the series. Cohen acknowledged at the time that Dorinda struggled during season 12. “She was in a bad place, her house had been flooded, her dad was sick. We lost Bethenny right as filming began and we lost Tinsley halfway through the season. So maybe Dorinda didn’t feel like she could take the year off,” the Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host said on Radio Andy. “Sometimes taking a pause is a good thing and I am really hopeful that this is indeed a pause and that she would rejoin the show at some point. … I think a pause is a good thing and she will come back renewed and refreshed.” While Dorinda may be back in the future, she won’t be included on the upcoming season. Scroll through for everything we know — so far — about season 13: Hear the Us Weekly editors break down the most surprising celebrity births during the pandemic in under 2 minutes!

Credit: Sophy Holland/Bravo

'The Real Housewives of New York City' Season 13: Everything We Know

Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New York City is shaping up to look a little different. “We’re working on next season,” Andy Cohen teased to Us Weekly in August 2020. “I’m excited for what we have planned.” The long-running reality TV show first saw changes during the summer of 2019 when Bethenny Frankel opted not to return for season 12 just before filming began. While fans often ask the Skinnygirl CEO to come back via social media, Bethenny’s made it clear that she’s done with the franchise. “I haven’t been watching. I saw the first episode and part of another one, so I don’t know what’s going on there. There’s a lot of talk about what’s going on there, and I read comments that people say to me, ‘Please come back,’ and ‘Please save the show,’” she told Fortune in July 2020. “It’s all flattering, and I wish the girls well. I’m doing other things, though, and I just don’t know how that really would fit into my life as is.” Later that month, Bethenny simply tweeted, “I AM NOT COMING BACK.” As the season played out, fans saw Tinsley Mortimer quit after she got engaged to off-again, on-again love Scott Kluth and moved to Chicago. “I, of course, am going to miss my new friendship with Leah and Sonja’s crazy antics with me,” Tinsley said during her final episode, referring to Leah McSweeney and Sonja Morgan. “I have changed so much since coming back to New York and moving into Sonja’s townhouse. … It’s taken me a little bit of time, but I finally feel like myself again. I feel confident again.” [jwplayer R5W4gPGg-l3ahXupL] News broke in August 2020 that Dorinda Medley was the next RHONY star to exit the series. Cohen acknowledged at the time that Dorinda struggled during season 12. “She was in a bad place, her house had been flooded, her dad was sick. We lost Bethenny right as filming began and we lost Tinsley halfway through the season. So maybe Dorinda didn’t feel like she could take the year off,” the Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host said on Radio Andy. “Sometimes taking a pause is a good thing and I am really hopeful that this is indeed a pause and that she would rejoin the show at some point. … I think a pause is a good thing and she will come back renewed and refreshed.” While Dorinda may be back in the future, she won’t be included on the upcoming season. Scroll through for everything we know — so far — about season 13: Hear the Us Weekly editors break down the most surprising celebrity births during the pandemic in under 2 minutes!

Credit: Scott Eisen/Bravo

Tinsley’s Out

“Thank you mugshot, thank you Sonja, thank you townhouse, thank you everybody else I met along the way. It’s been a great ride and I’m just so happy with where I am right now and so excited for my future,“ Tinsley, who joined the cast of RHONY during season 9, said on the June 2020 midseason finale.

Credit: Sophy Holland/Bravo

Dorinda’s Out

Dorinda announced her departure in August 2020. “What a journey this has been. I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice,” she wrote via Instagram the time. “But all things must come to an end. This was a great outlet for me to heal when my late husband Richard passed away. I have met so many interesting people and learned so much about myself, about life and about women along the way.”

Credit: Courtesy Ramona Singer/Instagram

Elyse Is One and Done

“In response to many of your inquires, the answer is no, I will not be returning to #RHONY,” Elyse Slaine, who was featured in a “friend” role on season 12, tweeted in September. “Thank you for the support, laughs, and friendship. I adore so many of you. I value you, and I am always available to chat.”

Credit: Heidi Gutman/Bravo

Leah Is In

While Leah’s status was in question in September 2020 when fans noticed she removed “RHONY” from her IG bio — and TMZ reported that she was struggling to strike a deal with Bravo — she later confirmed that she wasn’t done with the series.

“I’m comin back,” Leah replied to a social media user. “My work here isn’t done yet!”

Credit: Sophy Holland/Bravo

More Diversity

“Bravo is planning to shake things up with The Real Housewives of New York next year,” one insider told Us in August 2020. Another source added at the time, “There’s going to be some changes. … A handful of white women doesn’t necessarily represent what New York City is all about.”

Leah, who joined during season 12, has also made it clear she wants more representation on the show. “I hope that there’s not only diversity of race but an even deeper diversity of where someone lives or what their interests are,” the fashion designer told 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.”

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Eboni Williams Joins

The TV host confirmed she will be a full-time cast member on season 13 in October 2020. "NYC is filled with successful and dynamic Black women. I'm excited to join this legendary franchise as the first Black housewife," she said in a statement to TMZ. "Can't wait to share a slice of life in this city that hasn't been seen before. Anyone who's aware of my work knows I don't hold back. I'm going to keep it just as real here as I do everywhere else."

Leah later shared a selfie with Eboni via Instagram, writing, "Let the games begin."

Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/Shutterstock

Andy Cohen Chimes In

Shortly after news broke of Eboni's casting in the upcoming season, the Bravo producer weighed in on the exciting development on Sirius XM's Radio Andy. "She's so great," he said in October 2020 of the Housewives newbie, who has already been "hanging out" with a few of the current cast members. "She's got a lot going on personally, she's incredibly smart. She seems — from what I can tell — to be absolutely no shrinking violet whatsoever, which is exactly what we would need for someone stepping into that group of very dominating women."

Credit: Courtesy of Ramona Singer/Instagram

Holla, Heather’s Here

Heather Thomson, who was a full-time Housewife from season 5 to season 7, was spotted filming season 13 in October 2020, according to social media users. Heather has made several cameos on the Bravo show following her 2015 exit. While the network has yet to publicly comment on her season 13 role, Eboni reshared a fan's Instagram Story that included Heather in the cast, implying that she is back.

Credit: Courtesy of Bershan Shaw/Instagram

Bershan Shaw Is Heading to the Big Apple

Us confirmed in October 2020 that Bershan, a motivational speaker and business coach, filmed scenes for season 13. Five months later, E! News reported that she is joining the Bravo show as the newest Housewife. Bershan and fellow newbie Eboni are the first Black stars to be part of the RHONY cast.

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

The OGs and the Newbies

Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan and Luann de Lesseps will all be back for season 13. Luann even teased new blood, telling Extra in August 2020 that there will “definitely” be “some new Housewives” added to the mix.

Credit: Scott Eisen/Bravo

Filming Schedule

According to TMZ, production on season 13 is set to begin by the end of September 2020. RHONY typically follows the women from Labor Day through Christmas or early January.

Credit: Courtesy Eboni K. Williams/Instagram

Eboni Talks The Hamptons

"I can tell you after this trip in The Hamptons, there's enough foundation with every single one of them,” Eboni dished on RealiTea With Derek Z in October 2020, noting she’s already bonded with Leah and Ramona. “Leah McSweeney and I have a really special relationship already because we have a lot of organic things in common beyond the age stuff. It's just shocking how much Leah and I connect. … But in addition to Leah, you know, there's some really amazing things I have in common with Ramona Singer. There's some pretty cool things that Luann and I share by way of background."

As far as Sonja is concerned, Eboni told host Derek Zagami that she “surprised” her. “I'm going to say that about me and Sonja is you got to watch that. … Y’all got to watch this season. I can guarantee you, and I promise I'm not saying this because I'm on it. I'll halfway wish I wasn't just so I could sit back and be popular with y'all and drink wine and watch this play out,” she said.

Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo

Leah's Tease

“I think that season 13 is going to be the most polarizing, real season of The Real Housewives of New York City," Leah teased on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in December.

When asked about her first impression of newcomer Eboni, the designer added, "She hasn’t disappointed me. We’re actually very close and I love having her on the show with me. … You’ll be surprised by who she clashes with.”

Credit: Courtesy Ramona Singer/Instagram

Filming Is Done

While production was forced to shut down in early 2021 because a cast member had COVID-19, producer John Molloy confirmed on February 14, 2021, that season 13 wrapped.  

“That’s a wrap on S13 of #RHONY 🍎 Shooting a show during a pandemic was no joke, but this was SO worth it,” he wrote via Instagram. “These ladies always bring it and I can’t wait for everyone to see. It’s NUTS! #turtletime @bravotv.”