'The Real Housewives of New York City' Star Brynn Whitfield "Walking Away" From Reality TV

Is 'The Real Housewives of New York City' returning for season 16?

Despite swirling rumors that The Real Housewives of New York City is over after season 15, Andy Cohen confirmed that producers were casting season 16 as recently as May. On May 13, 2025, during an episode of Andy Cohen Live, he said, "What's so interesting is, last week when I was here, the Bravo execs met with 10 potential new Real Housewives of New York. This is called the casting process between seasons and it's heavily underway. That's why nothing has been announced."

So while we don't have an official RHONY renewal for season 16, it seems safe to say that something's cooking at Bravo!

If 'The Real Housewives of New York City' returns, who will be in the cast?

Potential The Real Housewives of New York City cast members who could return include:

 
• Sai De Silva
• Ubah Hassan
• Erin Lichy
• Jenna Lyons
• Jessel Taank
• Racquel Chevremont.

Bravo has yet to confirm any contracts for season 16, though, and a casting call conducted by the network suggests some fresh faces might be coming to the show.

On March 27, Racquel Chevremont confirmed that they were all still waiting to see what would happen, and when asked whether everyone would return, she admitted, "I don't think so." She also teased how fans could potentially expect "maybe one or two" newcomers next season.

"We already lost Rebecca, so we definitely have one more," Racquel noted.

But again, nothing is set in stone, and as casting rumors continue to swirl, some fans are hoping that certain RHONY alums, like Bethenny Frankel, Dorinda Medley, or Carole Radziwill, might join the rebooted cast.

If 'The Real Housewives of New York City' returns, who WON'T be in the cast?

On June 9, 2025, Brynn Whitfield posted on her Instagram story that she "made the decision to walk away from reality TV." This announcement comes after a tumultuous season 15 for Brynn where she and Ubah Hassan had a massive falling out.

The marketing professional and Hoppy app co-founder said, "The Real Housewives of New York City will always be one of the most fun, chaotic, and magical chapters of my life. It was the honor of a lifetime to help reboot such an iconic franchise."

Brynn noted that she plans to focus on her podcast and her dating app, Hoppy. And in a cheeky reference to her stint on the iconic franchise, she closed her statement with, "We're done dating his dad. It's time to steal his inheritance. 😉"

Sources told Page Six, this exit was "a relief" for most of the existing RHONY cast. They said, "Whether or not any of the girls get to hang on to their apples, they’re elated that Brynn has dropped hers. Honestly, they’d be scared to film with her again after the mess she made last season."

So far, we also know that 44-year-old Rebecca Minkoff won't be making a comeback. The fashion designer, entrepreneur, and author is a wife and mother of four who created a $100 million brand and "continues to push boundaries, lead the fashion industry, and galvanize communities of women by promoting confidence, fearlessness, and authenticity," according to her bio on Bravo's website.

Despite her impressive resume, it seems that Rebecca wasn't dramatic enough for the show. An insider close to the production of RHONY reportedly told OK Magazine the "word on the street" was that the show's producers found Rebecca to be "relatively boring."

If you recall, Rebecca had entered season 15 as a friend of the housewives following a lunch with Erin Lichy and Ubah Hassan. The other wives reportedly joked about her being boring, but to her credit, Rebecca did come up with an intriguing way to pinpoint which person in the group was spilling their secrets (which involved a lie about Rebecca expecting another man's child and her husband being okay with it).

Nonetheless, she didn't leave much of a mark on the rest of RHONY, and Rebecca has since confirmed she'll be leaving the show. As for why, she claimed she wanted to focus on her family and her business.

Where can I watch 'The Real Housewives of New York City'?

While we wait for the ultimate fate of the beloved Bravo franchise, you can stream all episodes of The Real Housewives of New York City on Peacock.