After 13 seasons, ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ are adding a Black woman to the cast.
Bershan Shaw is set to film for season 13.
via Us Weekly:
While the network has yet to publicly comment on Shaw’s role for the upcoming season, she is expected to be featured alongside cast members Ramona Singer, Leah McSweeney, Sonja Morgan and Luann de Lesseps. Tinsley Mortimer left in the middle of season 12, and Dorinda Medley announced her departure in August after six seasons on the reality show.
“What a journey this has been. I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice,” Medley, 55, wrote via Instagram. “But all things must come to an end. This was a great outlet for me to heal when my late husband Richard passed away. I have met so many interesting people and learned so much about myself, about life and about women along the way.”
More recently, Medley opened up to former costar Bethenny Frankel about her departure, admitting that she wasn’t asked back by Bravo.
“I was ready to go back. I was excited about going back. I was planning on going back, and I thought I would have a great year,” she said on the Tuesday, October 6, episode of the “Just B” podcast. “I wasn’t given that option. … “I’m an old-fashioned girl. If you’re not waitressing and getting paid, you’re not waitressing, OK? You know what I’m saying? So at the end of the day, was it mutual? No.”
The Massachusetts native went on to acknowledge that she had a tough season 12.
“I probably should have taken a year off,” she told Frankel, 49. “I had a rough season, but that’s what we do as Housewives. We have good seasons, we have bad seasons. We come back, and we change it up.”
While Medley may be gone, Andy Cohen has said more than once that he hopes she returns in the future. The producer has also made it clear that the network wants to add more diversity to RHONY.
“We’re working on next season. I’m excited for what we have planned,” Cohen, 52, teased to Us in August.
McSweeney, who joined during season 12, also revealed that she wanted to see different faces on season 13.
“I hope that there’s not only diversity of race but an even deeper diversity of where someone lives or what their interests are,” the 38-year-old fashion designer told Page Six. “I hope that there’s just more diversity all across the board because New Yorkers are not a monolith, obviously. I think that it is gonna head in that direction.”
Bershan is coming in as a friend of newbie Leah McSweeney. It’ll be interesting to see how she blends with the rest of the RHONY ladies.
