The Real Housewives of New York City – as we know it, at least – may be over for good.
Bravo has reportedly cancelled RHONY: Legacy, a spin-off of the network’s second-longest-running Real Housewives franchise that would have brought back cast members from past seasons of the show.
The fan-favorite New York Housewives in talks with the network were reported to include Countess Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Jill Zarin, and Kelly Bensimon, among others.
After its disastrously unpopular last season, Bravo announced plans to divide the franchise in two, rebooting RHONY with an all-new lineup while relegating veteran cast members to RHONY: Legacy.
But this week, contract negotiations on the Legacy edition apparently collapsed. According to Page Six, Bravo has officially rescinded its offers to the Housewives who had been set to star.
Sources told the outlet that Bravo “never says never,” and that the Legacy spin-off could be revived at some point in the future. But they also confirmed that the network currently has “no plans” to air RHONY: Legacy.
RHONY: Legacy cancelled amid contract disputes
On Sunday, the outlet first reported that contract negotiations had stalled on RHONY: Legacy.
One of the main sticking points was money, as sources close to the cast said they felt that Bravo was “low-balling” its stars, while sources close to the production said the Housewives had vastly overestimated their own worth to the network.
There was also disagreement over screen time. Main cast members are typically guaranteed that they will appear in around 12 episodes each season, which usually run to around 24 episodes total.
But insiders said that Bravo wouldn’t promise more than four episodes to each Housewife on the first season of Legacy.
“It’s just not worth it,” a source close to the stars told the outlet.
“They are generous offers,” countered one Bravo insider, “but a few of the women now believe they should make what the cast of Friends made in their heyday.” (At the height of the NBC sitcom’s popularity, the cast was famously raking in $1 million per episode.)
The source said that as the negotiations continued to drag on, the network seemed to have “just lost interest” in pursuing Legacy.
Bravo officially rescinded its offers to the cast via email on Monday evening.
What’s next for RHONY?
Meanwhile, the network remains focused on its revamped RHONY.
Season 14’s completely new lineup of Housewives includes former J. Crew president Jenna Lyons along with home renovation guru Erin Dana Lichy, model Ubah Hassan, creative director Sai De Silva, communications professional Brynn Whitfield, and fashion publicist Jessel Taank.
The Real Housewives of New York City is currently on hiatus.