The Real Housewives of New York remain arguably the strongest franchise outof all the Real Housewives (unarguably if you ask me) but with the recent exit of Queen B Bethenny Frankel, fans wondered what was up next for the women of the Big Apple.
Speculation remained strong in the Bravo Universe, fueling even more talk about who would be the next Housewife to join the cast. Everyone from Anthony Scaramucci’s wife to none other than Wendy Williams were tossed around.
But now the wait is finally over, with The Daily Dish reporting that Leah McSweeney was announced at BravoCon as the newest member of the crew. Is Leah ready to be passed the iconic apple to hold? Shortly after the announcement, she posted, “It’s MOST OFFICIAL, BITCHES!” on her Instagram, along with the hashtags #staytuned and #goldenapple. I would say she sounds ready. Fellow cast mates Luann de Lesseps and Dorinda Medley got in on the fun, with Dorinda telling the BravoCon crowd, “Well, we always make it nice,” and “I think it’s an exciting season.”
Now that Leah is confirmed, we can all throw out the speculation of another potential Housewife, Elyse Slaine joining the cast as a full-time cast member. However, Elyse did film some scenes for Season 12 and showing up on Ramona Singer’s always entertaining Instagram.
RELATED: Leah McSweeney Spotted Filming With Tinsley Mortimer
So what do we know about Leah so far? Considering I’m not exactly on the up and up about New York City’s rich lady scene, I did some digging. I found out that Leah is no one-trick pony. Aside from having her own clothing line, Married to the Mob, which she apparently funded with money she won a lawsuit from the NYPD, she writes a monthly advice column for Penthouse Magazine, co-hosts a podcast called Improper Etiquette and dedicates her philanthropic efforts to mental health awareness. Whew. She must be one busy gal (are you listening, Tinsley Mortimer?).
Speaking of good ole Tins, Leah is apparently being brought on as Tinsley’s friend, although the connection there is unclear. Either way, Leah’s addition to the show is not without some (much-deserved) controversy. After an alleged spat with SNL’s Michael Che, Leah was accused of racial insensitive and homophobic remarks. She’s also written about what she calls “Toxic Femininity” where she weighs in (not so nicely) on the #metoo movement. Is a “You don’t support other women” call from Ramona Singer in Leah’s future? Guess we will just have to watch and find out.
RELATED: Luann de Lesseps & Tinsley Mortimer Are Fighting With New Cast Member Real Housewives Cast Member Leah McSweeney
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LEAH JOINING THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK?
[Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images]
