Rebooting the Real Housewives of New York was a risky decision. Bringing in an entirely new cast would either reinvigorate the franchise or possibly end it.
Many fans were surprised when Jenna Lyons joined the Season 14 cast. She was the creative director, and then president, of J. Crew from 2010 until 2017. Jenna was an established fashion icon already. And she was the first gay housewife on RHONY. Jenna was an interesting change of pace. She was witty, quirky, vulnerable, and a bit introverted. And Jenna brought a hatred of dill and a love of gift-giving to the franchise.
But signs started to emerge that Jenna might be a one-and-done housewife. Will Jenna Lyons return for RHONY Season 15? Let’s look at all the clues that Jenna dropped about her RHONY future.
Jenna Wanted To Keep Her Love Life Private
While filming Season 14, Jenna refused to reveal the identity of her girlfriend. She felt that her significant other didn’t sign up to be in the spotlight. But after they broke up, Jenna told her co-stars about their split. She never shared her former girlfriend’s identity, which rubbed some of her co-stars the wrong way.
Then Jenna appeared on Watch What Happens Live. Host Andy Cohen asked her if she was engaged to Cass Bird, which a recent Instagram post seemed to suggest. Jenna was seen wearing a large ring. And the comments were flooded with congratulatory messages.
After Andy’s intense grilling, Jenna stated, “I’m very happy.” Jenna’s desire to keep her love life under wraps is understandable. Yet, it is also nearly impossible to do on a reality show.
She Enjoyed Being Friends With Some of Her Co-Stars
Jenna went on her first girls’ trip on the show. She seemed open about these new experiences, even if she felt uncomfortable at first. Jenna also formed genuine connections with Brynn Whitfield, Jessel Taank, and Erin Lichy. In fact, Brynn was supposedly crushing hard on Jenna.
She Was Ganged Up on by Her Co-Stars
During the cast trip to Anguilla, Jenna was confronted by her co-stars. And the reason why still blows my mind. She confided in Erin that she was traveling to Anguilla early. Jenna wanted to avoid flying coach and needed to tan.
Erin told the group that Jenna didn’t want to fly coach. So, when Jenna arrived, she walked into an angry hornet’s nest of housewives. They slammed her for being too good to fly coach.
Poor Jenna arrived early to tan because she has incontinentia pigmenti. This genetic condition is also called Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome. Incontinentia pigmenti causes issues with teeth, hair loss, and scarring of the skin.
She felt self-conscious about her skin and wanted to tan before the other ladies arrived. The way that her co-stars treated her, especially Erin, who started this chaos, was horrible.
Jenna Dropped a Hint About Quitting
The fashion maven posted a photo on Instagram in September 2023 of herself next to a piece of art. The word “Quit” was written in white letters.
In the caption, Jenna wrote, “@themuseumofmodernart @edruschaofficial Tempted.” Well, that certainly could mean that exiting RHONY was on Jenna’s mind. Or it could just be a coincidence and she liked the artwork.
Is Fiming RHONY a “Thorn” for Jenna?
According to People, Jenna appeared on Watch What Happens Live and gave an unexpected response to one of Andy’s questions. Andy asked Jenna for her rose and thorn of the season. She said her “thorn” was “the whole show.” Yikes!
“I really thought I was going to have an easier time. It was hard!” Jenna explained. “It’s shocking how when the camera’s actually on you…I thought I could handle it and, you know, I couldn’t.”
While that sounded like Jenna wasn’t returning for RHONY Season 15, she didn’t give a definitive answer.
Jenna Skipped BravoCon
Missing out on the celebration of all things Bravo seemed to be an ominous sign. Why else would the show’s break-out star miss the festivities?
Jenna told Entertainment Tonight that she had other commitments. She stated, “I [said] some really important things to do like twiddle my thumbs. No, I had an event and I had some other things that I had to do that were personal,” Jenna explained.
“And I’m preparing for—I have to leave tonight, I have to be on a flight, so I just couldn’t. It didn’t work out,” she added.
When asked how she felt after RHONY wrapped, Jenna replied, “No, no, it was fun. It was a lot though. Different than my normal life,” she added.
Entertainment Tonight also asked Andy about Jenna ditching BravoCon. “Her not being at BravoCon is not any great statement on her relationship to the show or with us. We have a great relationship and I hope she comes back,” he said. “You know, I hope she comes back.”
Will Jenna Lyons Return For RHONY Season 15?
I am a huge Jenna Lyons fan. I love that she wore jeans to the reunion and diamond bracelets to a casual breakfast. Her attitude and personality were refreshing.
But, given that Jenna had a tough time filming with the cast and opening up to them, I feel like she is over the experience. And ready to move on from the show. I truly hope that I am wrong. Fingers crossed that Jenna will be eating fondue next season with the RHONY Season 15 cast.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THAT JENNA WILL RETURN FOR RHONY SEASON 15? WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CAST MEMBER?
