The cancellation of RHONY: Legacy has sparked speculation about the role Andy Cohen’s words played in the decision. Here’s a closer look at what he had to say.
Cohen Reacts To Rumors
Following reports that RHONY: Legacy had been canceled, Andy Cohen took to Twitter to react. “Don’t believe everything you read,” he tweeted without additional details.
Rumors Of Rescinded Offers
A new report on the cancellation of RHONY: Legacy suggested that Bravo had rescinded its talent offers and that it has no plans to continue with the show.
Cohen’s Joke
Last year, Andy Cohen made a joke on his show about former Real Housewives of New York City star Jill Zarin , suggesting she was desperate to get back on the air.
Cohen Lists Cities
Cohen said on his show that Zarin was closing on homes in several cities that serve as locations for the show. “Just kidding! I love you, Jill,” he added.
Zarin’s Take-It-Or-Leave-It Attitude
Sources say that Zarin’s take-it-or-leave-it attitude to Cohen’s Legacy edition of the show sank it entirely. She played hardball during the negotiations and walked away when execs wouldn’t meet her demands.
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Negotiations Fell Apart
According to a source close to Bensimon, negotiations fell apart because “[Zarin] pushing for a big payday was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Zarin Wanted Equal Pay
A source close to Zarin said that it wasn’t about the money. Instead, Zarin wanted all the women to be paid the same, as they started at the same time and built the show together.
Overestimating Their Value
Production insiders said that all the women seemed to overestimate their value dramatically.
Legacy Needed Fan Favorites
RHONY: Legacy needed everyone on board to make up the numbers, including Zarin, as there isn’t a huge list of “fan favorite” New York City Housewives in the first place.
Splitting The Show In Two
After the show’s thirteenth season went off the rails, the network had to call off the standard reunion episode. They then announced a plan to split the show in two, rebuilding the cast of the Real Housewives of New York City from the ground up while launching the Legacy version with a cast of fan favorites from previous seasons.
Pursuing Current And Former Stars
For Legacy , they pursued current stars Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan, as well as veterans Zarin, Bensimon, Medley, and Tinsley Mortimer.
Zarin’s Exit
After Zarin’s exit, execs “lost interest” in the Legacy edition and called off the negotiations entirely.
RHONY Season 14 Cast Revealed
The cast of RHONY season 14 was presented at BravoCon 2022 and included Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Dana Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, and Brynn Whitfield.
Ramona Singer Not Interested
Ramona Singer had previously announced that she was not interested in the show since it was not the main show.
Teasing Season 14
Cohen recently teased season 14 of RHONY , telling his WWHL audience, “They’re super fashionable. The things that they are arguing about are as ridiculous as early RHONY.
Legacy Vs. New Cast
RHONY: Legacy came about after the cable network opted to completely reboot the flagship series and recast it with a more diverse group of women.
Cast Members Allegedly Lowballed
According to reports, negotiations with the cast of RHONY: Legacy stalled over contract disputes, with cast members feeling they were getting lowballed.
Bravo Pauses Negotiations
Bravo reportedly paused contract negotiations with the cast after they felt they were getting lowballed. The network appeared to have lost interest in pursuing the Legacy edition amid the deadlock.
Unclear Future
It’s unclear whether RHONY: Legacy will be revisited in the future, but for now, it seems that Bravo has opted to focus on the new cast of RHONY for season 14.