The Real Housewives of New York City: Legacy show looks like it may not be happening. Rumors have been circulating that the show may never happen due to pay disputes and backstage drama.
Last year, execs announced a massive overhaul of the RHONY franchise by splitting the long-lasting franchise in two.
Bravo announced it would revamp the main show with a completely new, racially diverse cast, while launching a second show, known as Legacy, which would star fan favorites from previous seasons.
Cast members that were allegedly in talks to join the Bravo spinoff series included Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, Kelly Bensimon and Jill Zarin. Ramona Singer had previously announced she was not interested in the reality show since it was not the main programme.
Some sources have reported that the spin-off has been canceled, whilst others are saying that it's still going strong. So what is happening to Real Housewives of New York City: Legacy?
8 Why Was The RHONY Spinoff Canceled?
A source told the U.S. Sun that offers were rescinded because Bravo and the cast couldn't come to an agreement since the network was "offering lowball salary offers."
The source continued: "They were p***** off and refused the offers, so negotiations were taking a while and they couldn't come to an agreement everyone was happy with."
Another source revealed: "The women and their teams were working to get top billing. This is nothing out of the ordinary. The same situation happened with Ultimate Girls Trip.
“They are generous offers, but a few of the women now believe they should make what the cast of ‘Friends’ made in their heyday," a source close to the production team has explained.
7 Is Jill Zarin To Blame For RHONY: Legacy Not Happening As Originally Planned?
RadarOnline reported that Jill Zarin was holding out for more money, refusing to move forward if she didn't get what she wanted.
Related: Exclusive: Jill Zarin Opens Up About Managing Her Mental Health While Filming RHUGT
The outlet spoke to sources revealed that the RHONY stars who signed on for the spin-off would have faced a drastic pay cut for their services despite their loyal fanbases.
Jill was reportedly "pushing for a big payday." which according to Page Six was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
6 Cast Were Upset At How Many RHONY: Legacy Episodes They Would Appear In
It wasn't just the money that the cast are upset about. There was also an argument about the number of RHONY: Legacy episodes it’s willing to guarantee each cast member per season.
Generally, main cast members are guaranteed somewhere around 12 episodes per season. Insiders have revealed that Bravo is only willing to promise around four episodes to each cast member for the first season of the Legacy series.
“It’s not worth it,” a source close to the cast stated, adding, “And it’s insulting. These are the women that have made the show a hit in the first place. They don’t deserve to be nickel-and-dimed.”
5 Luan De Lesseps Said The Real Houswives Legacy Show Was On Pause
In a recent cabaret performance, Luan De Lesseps hinted at where they all stand with the legacy spent off.
Related: Does 'RHONY' Star Luann De Lesseps Still Talk To Ex-Husband Alexandre De Lesseps?
"We talked about how that we may be 'on pause,' but Bravo is like our family," de Lesseps says. "We are like family, and so we're going to figure it out."
She has also spoken about reuniting onstage with her co-stars Dorinda Medley and Ramona Singer. "Until we start up '(RHONY) Legacy,' we felt like we want to see our fans, and our fans want to see us," the countess explained.
4 What Andy Cohen Said About RHONY: Legacy
“Don’t believe everything you read,” Andy Cohen tweeted.
The Watch What Happens Live host didn’t give further details about what he was referring to. However, the tweet came days after Page Six posted an article where they stated that negotiations with potential RHONY: Legacy stars had stalled.
A source told The U.S. Sun that the spinoff could be "revisited down the road" and that "Andy could want discussions again sooner than later depending on feedback from fans."
3 Kelly Bensimon Teased The Future Of RHONY: Legacy
Kelly Bensimon was expected to join the spinoff after years away from the franchise.
"I mean, you know, you never say never. You never know what's going to go on. Luann, Jill and I are really strong and so who knows," Kelly told The U.S. Sun in an interview in early February.
"I think it'll be really exciting to know where we are, what we're doing and everyone's got such great lives now."
When Kelly, who now works as a realtor, was asked about the contracts, the former model explained that she had a "great lawyer" who she's been working with for years who handles all her deals. "Everybody has their own contracts and I'm not really privy to what they do or how they do it," she said.
"At this point, it's not really about the money anymore because the money isn't really that great in all these deals. It's really just about the optics and the opportunity and how you really maximize on it."
2 Ramona Singer Had No Interest In Returning To Real Housewives
The ever-opinionated Ramona Singer has been forthright in her lack of desire to join what she coined the "loser show," saying she did “not want to do the show any longer.” She was fired from Real Housewives after appearing in all 13 seasons of the franchise.
The former housewife didn't hesitate to insult her former castmates. “But I also feel like the ‘Legacy’ [show], how could it be really good? The people they are gonna bring back are the people they didn’t want to renew anyways," she stated.
Related: Who Has A Higher Net Worth: Ramona Singer Or Her Ex-Husband Mario Singer?
She explained to the Daily Mail that now that she “can control [her] own narrative,” she’s “happier” and “calmer.”
She also added “I don’t miss it at all. It was a great experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Looks like it won't be turtle time anytime soon.
1 Is RHONY Still Happening?
While the Real Housewives of New York City: Legacy spinoff appears to be on the backburner, the main season of RHONY is still set to air.
“The network seems to have just lost interest in pursuing the ‘Legacy’ edition at this point,” says a production source. “It seems producers are more focused on the ‘RHONY’ reboot, which we are hearing is fun, funny and aspirational.”
Andy Cohen teased RHONY Season 14 telling his WWHL audience, “They’re super fashionable. The things that they are arguing about are as ridiculous as early RHONY. I think it’s going to be a different show. It’s so hard because everyone is going to compare it to RHONY, which was so perfect. And I hope this is perfect in a totally different way.
The decision has been made to move forward with the idea for RHONY: Legacy but shifting to the UltimateGirls Trip format and streaming on Peacock, featuring former Housewives Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer and Kristen Taekman.
