The Real Housewives franchise has won over countless fans after it began in Orange County in 2006. One reason for that is the compelling and personable cast members who have been chosen over the years. With such big personalities and so much going on, it's not hard to tune into each new season and get psyched about the storylines that are going to happen.
But in the same way fictional characters who leave comedies and dramas, there are cast members on the Real Housewives who are fired or decide their reality TV time is up. That has happened quite a lot in the NYC entry of the franchise. Here is every former cast member on the Real Housewives of New York, ranked.
Cindy Barshop
Cindy Barshop isn't one of the most well-known housewives of the New York entry. She was on the show for such a short amount of time, and she was on Season 4, after Bethenny Frankel left for the first time.
Cindy has twins and is also a businesswoman, and while she had some tension with Ramona Singer (but really, every cast member has at one point or another), she didn't bring a ton to the table that fans are going to remember years later, hence her last-place ranking on this list.
Heather Thomson
Heather Thomson is talkative, has a big grin, and seems pretty ambitious. But was she ever a perfect fit on this show? Not really, which is why she's ranked at number nine on this list of former cast members from RHONY.
It's honestly tough to recall any moments with Heather that stand out among the rest, which is saying something since this is such a high-drama type of series.
Jules Wainstein
Jules Wainstein only appeared in Season 8 of the show, and her scenes were always pretty awkward. She won the sympathy and compassion of fans when she opened up about her eating disorder as that was super brave, and it was great that she got so candid since hopefully, her words helped someone who was struggling.
But Jules, who is now divorced from her husband Michael, always seemed to have a marriage that was crumbling. That wasn't very pleasant to watch, and seeing the chaos of her life wasn't very fun, either. She has also had some legal trouble since leaving the show.
Kristen Taekman
Kristen Taekman has made headlines in recent years because while she's no longer on the popular reality show, her husband Josh was on the list of high-profile names leaked when the Ashley Madison scandal happened.
While Kristen is a fantastic mother, and it was always sweet to watch her play with her kids in her home, she and Josh were often fighting or getting snippy with one another, and that didn't make for the kind of drama that fans want. She wasn't the best cast member, and she's thus ranked at number seven.
Alex McCord
Fans will remember Alex McCord from Season 1 through 4 of RHONY. She and her husband Simon always seemed a bit strange because fans could never figure out exactly what their money situation was.
In one episode, they would go on an absolutely wild shopping spree and would rack up thousands in seconds, making it seem like they were dripping in millions. But then they would let TV cameras into their home, and it didn't seem like they had enough funds to fully renovate their townhouse. Alex is ranked at number six on this list because she just didn't fit the fun, dramatic vibe of the show.
Aviva Drescher
Aviva Drescher appeared in Season 4 and 5 of the show, and while she wasn't a likable cast member because she seemed to spread rumors and say very negative things about people, she's a bit more interesting than the housewives behind her on this list. Therefore, she's ranked right in the middle.
Part of the drama surrounding Aviva is her former marriage to Harry Dubin. The other women know him, too, and seem super fascinated by the fact that she was actually married to him. Aviva is known for one major moment: when she threw her prosthetic leg.
Jill Zarin
Jill Zarin was a staple of the series for the first four seasons. She's loud, friendly, and her epic fights with Bethenny Frankel are super memorable.
Jill is ranked at number four on this list of former RHONY cast members as she was a really solid part of the series. It was sad to watch her friendship with Bethenny crumble, and Jill could come back tomorrow and fans would be totally cool with it. It seemed like her break-up with Bethenny is why she left the series, because besides that, she really fit in with everyone.
Carole Radziwill
For Season 5 to 10 of Real Housewives Of New York City, Carole Radziwill was a big part of the show. Every version of the show (and every season) needs someone who is a voice of reason or breath of fresh air. This was totally Carole, and while fans definitely wanted to know what was up with her relationship with younger guy Adam, as they were pretty on-again, off-again, she was still an outstanding cast member.
Carole and Bethenny were also super close, and when that relationship started falling apart, it was tough to watch — but also the kind of drama that the show thrives on. It's too bad that she isn't on the show anymore, and she's ranked at number three because she was a unique housewife. She lives on her own, renovated her apartment so she didn't even need to use her kitchen, and is also a super talented writer.
Kelly Killoren Bensimon
Kelly Killoren Bensimon was on Season 2 and 3, and she'll forever be known as the person who seemed to have a public breakdown in the "Scary Island" episode, and also someone who fought with Bethenny Frankel.
Kelly is ranked at number two because while she had her moments of not being a very nice person, she was honestly flawless reality TV material. She knew how to get fans interested in her, she provided tension when necessary, and she got people talking.
Bethenny Frankel
It's difficult for fans to gear up for Season 12 of RHONY knowing that Bethenny Frankel won't be on it, telling the truth about every situation and being super ambitious. She's prime reality TV material: brave, bold, honest, and hilarious.
Bethenny appeared in the first three seasons of the show, took a break, and came back for Season 7 to 11. She's always got a million things going on in her professional life, so it's not a massive shock that she has chosen to leave the show, but fans will definitely miss her when the new season comes out. Bethenny is always the best housewife on RHONY, and that will continue to be true no matter how many new cast members are added.