Carole Radziwill Joining ‘RHONY’ Season 16 as ‘Friend’ of the Cast, Filming to Begin This Week (EXCLUSIVE)
Carole Radziwill — who was on “The Real Housewives of New York City” from Season 5 through Season 10 — will be rejoining the cast in the role of “friend” for the 16th season of the Bravo series. Filming begins in New York City this week. Radziwill, an author and journalist, distinguished herself during her years on “RHONY” with her dry wit, and of late has been appearing in public and on social media with Erin Lichy, who has starred on the reality series since its Season 14 reboot. Lichy, Sai De Silva and Jessel Taank are the only three cast members from the “RHONY” reboot who will continue on with the show: Brynn Whitfield and Ubah Hassan, who were central figures in the controversial final episodes of Season 15, have left, and Racquel Chevremont also won’t be returning. Designer Jenna Lyons announced in November of last year that she also would not be coming back, nor will Rebecca Minkoff, who was a “friend” during Season 15 and never really connected with the cast.
On Monday, DeuxMoi posted about Lichy, De Silva and Taaank’s returns, and that filming will begin this week. The gossip site also posted that the new additions of the cast are Daisy Toye (who works with Martha Stewart); Hailey Glassman (whose name you may recognize from the tabloids when she dated Jon Gosselin shortly after the Gosselins split); and celebrity trainer Erika Hammond. The DeuxMoi source also leaked that Lori Gordon, the former showrunner of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” will be taking over the reins at “RHONY.” (Both shows are produced by Shed Media for Bravo, so that would make sense.)
Representatives from Bravo declined to comment on the DeuxMoi report.
Radziwill left “RHONY” after a difficult season in which she and then-Bravo star (now anti-Bravo activist) Bethenny Frankel feuded intensely. In announcing her departure in July 2018, Radziwill said in a statement, “My original curiosity about reality television has waned over the years and I am focusing on TV and writing projects that better suit my more steady temperament.”
Her split from Bravo had certainly seemed permanent until recently. During a Season 10 reunion episode, Radziwill, while arguing with Frankel, accused “Real Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen of being afraid of Frankel, producing an all-timer of a moment. “You’re so full of shit, Andy,” Radziwill said to Cohen. “Are you kidding me? You’re afraid of her too?” Cohen responded sarcastically, “Yeah, I’m afraid of her.”
In the years afterward, Cohen and Radziwill exchanged jabs in social media and in interviews. Cohen even went as far as to accuse Radziwill of being a critical anonymous source who was quoted in a New York magazine profile about him, saying the show had turned into cast members “doing opposition research and making up false story lines and leaking stories on each other and trying to get one another fired.” Cohen said on his SiriusXM show “Radio Andy” that it wasn’t “even a question” that the source was Radziwill, leading her to respond saying “there’s always one short-ish dude waiting to be offended” about a “truthful observation.”
You get the picture: Bravo, Cohen and Radziwill seemed to be done forever. Miraculously, though, Cohen said in fall 2024 that he and Radziwill had been in touch, and then in August 2025, Cohen brought her to his nightly talk show “Watch What Happens Live” to surprise his guests Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. Her appearance proved to be hugely popular, and from there, Radziwill was welcomed back into the Bravosphere, appearing at BravoCon in November 2025 in Las Vegas. Speaking with this reporter in a casual conversation in the press room, Radziwill seemed stunned to be there, but said that the fans had always been so welcoming that she was having a lovely time.
Notably, Radziwill will not be appearing on the E! series “The Golden Life,” which will reunite “RHONY” legacy castmates in Palm Beach, Florida, and begins shooting this spring. (Except for Jill Zarin.)
On Monday, DeuxMoi posted about Lichy, De Silva and Taaank’s returns, and that filming will begin this week. The gossip site also posted that the new additions of the cast are Daisy Toye (who works with Martha Stewart); Hailey Glassman (whose name you may recognize from the tabloids when she dated Jon Gosselin shortly after the Gosselins split); and celebrity trainer Erika Hammond. The DeuxMoi source also leaked that Lori Gordon, the former showrunner of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” will be taking over the reins at “RHONY.” (Both shows are produced by Shed Media for Bravo, so that would make sense.)
Representatives from Bravo declined to comment on the DeuxMoi report.
Radziwill left “RHONY” after a difficult season in which she and then-Bravo star (now anti-Bravo activist) Bethenny Frankel feuded intensely. In announcing her departure in July 2018, Radziwill said in a statement, “My original curiosity about reality television has waned over the years and I am focusing on TV and writing projects that better suit my more steady temperament.”
Her split from Bravo had certainly seemed permanent until recently. During a Season 10 reunion episode, Radziwill, while arguing with Frankel, accused “Real Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen of being afraid of Frankel, producing an all-timer of a moment. “You’re so full of shit, Andy,” Radziwill said to Cohen. “Are you kidding me? You’re afraid of her too?” Cohen responded sarcastically, “Yeah, I’m afraid of her.”
In the years afterward, Cohen and Radziwill exchanged jabs in social media and in interviews. Cohen even went as far as to accuse Radziwill of being a critical anonymous source who was quoted in a New York magazine profile about him, saying the show had turned into cast members “doing opposition research and making up false story lines and leaking stories on each other and trying to get one another fired.” Cohen said on his SiriusXM show “Radio Andy” that it wasn’t “even a question” that the source was Radziwill, leading her to respond saying “there’s always one short-ish dude waiting to be offended” about a “truthful observation.”
You get the picture: Bravo, Cohen and Radziwill seemed to be done forever. Miraculously, though, Cohen said in fall 2024 that he and Radziwill had been in touch, and then in August 2025, Cohen brought her to his nightly talk show “Watch What Happens Live” to surprise his guests Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. Her appearance proved to be hugely popular, and from there, Radziwill was welcomed back into the Bravosphere, appearing at BravoCon in November 2025 in Las Vegas. Speaking with this reporter in a casual conversation in the press room, Radziwill seemed stunned to be there, but said that the fans had always been so welcoming that she was having a lovely time.
Notably, Radziwill will not be appearing on the E! series “The Golden Life,” which will reunite “RHONY” legacy castmates in Palm Beach, Florida, and begins shooting this spring. (Except for Jill Zarin.)