Bravo made one of its biggest updates on “The Real Housewives of New York” on March 2 when it announced that Carole Radziwill was set to return to the series. Shortly after, they confirmed the full cast, including the returnees. Sai De Silva, Erin LichyAnd Jessel Taank. Now, a day later, the former “RHONY” star has broken her silence to mark her return to Bravo.
Article continues below advertisement
Carole Radziwill Says Bravo Fans Protested Her ‘RHONY’ Return
Bravo announced Radziwill’s return on its official social media channels. They posted a collage of four photos of the “RHONY” alum taken over the years, captioning the message: “In the marathon of life, loyalty is everything. And thanks to the loyalty of Bravo fans, Carole Radziwill is returning to #RHONY as a friend of for Season 16!!!” So far, the post has received over 41,000 likes on Instagram.
Following the announcement of her return to “The Real Housewives of New York,” Radziwill took to the comments section. She said on March 3, “Well, Bravo fans, you really showed it. I hope I live up to your expectations! I’m happy to join this incredible group of women to have fun and make great TV. Stay tuned. And as always, thank you for your loyalty and support.
Article continues below advertisement
Bravo also announced the rest of the season 16 cast
While fans were still reeling from the Radziwill news, Bravo social media revealed the full cast for “The Real Housewives of New York City” season 16. The network said in the caption, “We’ll be here in New York in a minute. Meet the official cast of #RHONY season 16! Start spreading the news…cameras start rolling THIS WEEK.”
In addition to De Silva, Lichy and Taank, the newcomers Hailey Glassman, Erika HammondAnd Daisy Toye will be full-time housewives on the show.
Regarding newbies, Glassman is a PR professional who has previously dated Jon Gosselin from “Jon and Kate Plus 8”. Hammon is a former wrestler and founder of Rumble Boxing. Finally, Toye is a well-known makeup artist who has worked with artists like Martha Stewart.
Article continues below advertisement
Fans are mixed on Radziwill’s return
Make no mistake, the Bravo community as a whole is excited to see Radziwill return to “The Real Housewives of New York City.” In fact, some fans admitted that she was their favorite “RHONY” star. However, a significant portion of the fandom isn’t too sure about this. This is mainly because, according to The Independent, she is mentioned in the Epstein files. It is not so much a link with Jeffrey Epstein himself, but rather to Ghislaine Maxwell.
One person noted that she was considered a friend of the show, saying: “Friend of Ghislaine Maxwell.” Someone else said: “The same Carole Radziwill who was Ghislaine Maxwell’s best friend.” Another Instagram user said: “A friend of Ghislaine Maxwell? Who asked for her to come back?”
Article continues below advertisement
Another “RHONY” fan commented, “Oh we’re letting Carole Epstein on the show? Good thing I wasn’t going to watch her anyway.” In support, someone else wrote: “WE PRAYED FOR DAYS LIKE THIS. Finally, someone else joked: “May this decision be the spark that leads to true world peace.” »
Article continues below advertisement
The former ‘RHONY’ star previously discussed her relationship with Maxwell
Maxwell is known to have photographed the cover of Radziwill’s 2004 memoir, “What Remains.” Recently, in September 2025, the former “RHONY” star responded to a fan on X who asked why this was the case instead of using another photographer.
Radziwill said: “I knew her socially, she had a real camera (this was 2004, no one carried a camera). Anyway, I had a professional photoshoot done, but the photos were bad. I asked her if she would take the photo and she said sure. Looking back, was it strange that she had a camera? I guess, but who knew?! Subscribe to my Substack!
It should be noted that Radziwill was allegedly found in other sections of the Epstein files, including his address book information.
Bethenny Frankel defended her former co-star
Radziwill appeared on four seasons of “The Real Housewives of New York City” alongside Bethenny Frankel. Amid recasting the connection with Maxwell, Frankel defended his former co-star despite past issues. According to US Weekly, she said: “What I do know is that Carole has been friendly with many notable women.”
She added: “I know Carole took many opportunities to hit me, to blame me, to speak negatively about me in a post…[RHONY]world, which means when the show starts, it’s fair game. But in a post-show world, she certainly went for it, and I’m not going to do the same.”
She added: “It’s none of my business.”
