Rebecca Minkoff Joins RHONY and More Hirings and Firings In the Bravoverse

By Emma Chance | TV | April 17, 2024 |

By Emma Chance | TV | April 17, 2024 |

It was a busy week for Bravo, with news of hirings and firings and breakups and engagements and pregnancies breaking seemingly every day. The biggest, however, is the latest addition to The Real Housewives of New York City, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff.

The news comes from a source close to production, and it’s yet to be confirmed by Bravo whether Minkoff will appear as a full-fledged cast member or merely a “friend of.” Were it the latter, it would most likely be that of Jenna Lyons, former J.Crew executive and breakout star of the reboot.

This casting choice, along with that of Lyons, is an interesting step in a new direction for Bravo. Casting celebrities instead of wealthy nobodies opens the Housewives franchise up to new themes and narratives more complex than the typical bad privileged people schadenfreude. Who’s to say which version will be more entertaining at this point, but we also learned this week that we could have had a version of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills starring Christina Applegate.

Applegate admitted on her “MeSsy” podcast the other day that she was asked to join the show a decade ago but turned it down, saying she would have been a boring Housewife.

“I wouldn’t have shown up to any dinners. I would’ve been in my sweatpants, and I’d be lying in bed. What fun is that?” she said.

Well, there might be room for her after all, as Crystal Kung Minkoff announced via Instagram yesterday that she will not be returning to ROBH.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Crystal Kung Minkoff 孔令华 (@crystalkungminkoff)

This is sad news, as I was always a fan of Crystal, but it’s not surprising because she just never really connected with anyone on the show. This last season—where she made her feelings known for newcomer Annemarie Wiley, who had such a disappointing first season that she wasn’t asked back—felt like we were finally seeing who she really was. But, alas, realness is, ironically, not exactly the goal of reality shows.

Meanwhile, over in Potomac, Maryland, long-time cast members Robyn Dixon and Candiace Dillard Basset are exiting The Real Housewives of Potomac. Dixon confirmed the news on her podcast “Reasonably Shady:”

“Yes, I will not be returning for season 9…It’s a reality. The network did not invite me back. I was fired, for lack of better words.”

Basset, Dixon’s co-star and frenemy, then announced she was leaving before revealing she’s pregnant.

“As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with The Real Housewives of Potomac, I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth and moments of introspection that have defined this journey…With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from RHOP,” she told People, though she added “This is not a farewell, but a ‘see you later.’”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CANDIACE (@therealcandiace)

Dixon and Bassett both exit following a couple of hard seasons for their friendship specifically, in which Dixon made allegations against Bassett’s husband of cheating and various other nebulous slights. Add Dixon’s bestie, Gizelle Bryant, into that mix, and the whole thing made for some bad, sad television.

“The flaw of this season is that there are women who aren’t able to find any common ground with some of the other women, so there are all these pockets of women that just won’t even acknowledge each other—which is not a recipe for, you know, [good TV],” Andy Cohen said on his radio show Andy Cohen Live.

Between Beverly Hills, Potomac, and Atlanta, maybe it’s time for more RHONY-style reboots.