Leah McSweeney is joining The Real Housewives of New York City as a main cast member now that Bethenny Frankel has left the show. The announcement came on the very first night of BravoCon, which confirmed all of the rumors that have been swirling.
Back on August 21, the Real Housewives Of New York City all-star made it official once again, announcing she would be departing from the hit show. Frankel detailed her reasoning behind the move, saying she wanted to focus more on her Skinny Girl franchise and spend quality time with her daughter. The reality star wanted to focus on being a mom, which she could now do because of her financial stability and flexible schedule. She did make sure to thank her fans and express her gratitude for the chance to star on such a great show.
While lights still shine low on Broadway due to Frankel’s departure, Bravo announced this week that Leah McSweeney would officially step into the vacant spot. The announcement came at the very first BravoCon during a Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen taping. McSweeney is a 38-year-old found and CEO of her fashion label Married to the Mob will be joining Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Tinsley Mortimer, Ramona Singer, and Sonja Morgan. The fashion guru said that her first impressions of her other castmates were that they were all very 'badass" women.
The rumors began when People revealed that McSweeney was seen filming with some of the housewives for the upcoming 12th season. The network did have other women test for the spot before McSweeney - such as Barbara Kavovit - but found she did not mesh with the group of ladies very well, making for boring television. The network could also decide to bring other women onboard well, such as fan-favorite Carol Radziwill who had been greatly missed since her exit. Most viewers understand that Bravo never ignores the idea of a possible comeback. Known for the gift of gab, de Lesseps teased back in August about the addition of McSweeney to the cast saying that Bravo had cast really great women for the role. Some Big Apple fans may recognize McSweeney from Millionaire Matchmaker and her quick appearance on Love and Hip Hop: New York, so the CEO is no stranger to the limelight.
The other surprise to fans of the show was that Jill Zarin, who was the O.G. of NYC opened up that she had taped with the cast for the upcoming season. Zarin left after only four seasons but had made appearances’ sporadically in the past couple of years. Even though Frankel may not be returning, it looks like Bravo has gone above and beyond to create a cast list that will make for an interesting season. Fans can catch McSweeney in season 12 of The Real Housewives of New York City, which is expected to premiere in 2020.
Source: People