‘RHONY’ Season 13 reunion on hold amid low ratings and fan backlash
“The Real Housewives of New York” is getting ready to take a nap in the city that never sleeps.
Sonja Morgan, Leah McSweeney, Ramona Singer, Eboni K. Williams and Luann de Lesseps were set to film the Season 13 reunion on Aug. 5 but were told that the taping is on hold until at least September amid a decline in ratings, a source confirmed to Page Six on Wednesday.
A source told the Daily Mail that “all hell is breaking loose behind the scenes” of the show right now and, “While the cameras are down, the drama is continuing.”
While “RHONY” typically films in the fall and winter months, a source told the Daily Mail that the women were told that they would not begin filming again until early 2022 — months behind schedule.
While it is unclear what is prompting the delay, ratings have reportedly hit an all-time low as some fans have been expressing their upset over how the current season is playing out.
Last week’s episode was the lowest-rated one ever, according to the Daily Mail, with 764,000 live viewers.
The decline in viewership comes as some fans expressed via Twitter that they aren’t happy with the season for a multitude of reasons — including accusations that newbie Williams can come off as “preachy” as she tries to educate her co-stars on issues related to race.
“Leah and Eboni are not a good fit for this show. #Rhony used to be my favorite franchise. Now all they do is bickering and talking about race. It sucks. I miss the old days with Bethenny or Carol or even f***ing Jill Zarin…,” one fan tweeted.
Another chimed in, “@BravoTV There is a time and a place for discussions of race & racism and, I’m sorry, ‘Real Housewives’ just ain’t one of ‘em. Don’t be dumb; stick to the formula. Keep it fun.”
Williams, who is the show’s first black cast member, said this week that she knows she can appear “preachy” but that she wants to have “authentic” conversations as she gets to know the other cast members.
“My answer is simply this. A — I’m a little bit of a preacher and I wear that as a badge of honor,” she affirmed. “And I’m a little bit of a teacher too.”
Other fans said the group doesn’t mesh well this season compared to past seasons — following the departure of fan favorite Dorinda Medley last year and Bethenny Frankel a few seasons ago.
“#RHONY isn’t working because it’s 5 co-workers, not 5 friends,” one person wrote alongside the shrugging emoji.
“I used to have some sense of admiration for these women, years ago. The older I get, the more I realize what a mess they are. I’m not even 30 and I don’t act this way. There’s so much more to drama than yelling and dancing. This is boring!!!! #RHONY,” one user tweeted.
Rumors began to circulate that there was trouble in “RHONY” paradise on Tuesday when reports surfaced that original cast member Singer was in talks to be axed by producers.
A source close to production told us at the time that no decisions regarding Season 14 of the show have been made yet as Season 13 is currently airing.
“These are all rumors and there’s no discussion about next season — which hasn’t even been announced — yet,” the source said.
Bravo does not typically comment on casting or contracts and declined to comment for this story.