Season 13 of the Real Housewives of New York City premieres in less than a week, and it’s already shaping up to be another exciting and drama-filled season with the RHONY cast.
In addition to the familiar faces of Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, and Leah McSweeney, RHONY is making franchise history by welcoming their first Black Housewife to the group.
Eboni K. Williams is bound to bring a new layer of complexity to the RHONY group along with a new perspective that may shake up the current ladies.
While fans are eagerly awaiting the season in order to watch the drama unfold, longtime RHONY Housewife, Luann de Lesseps, hinted that it wasn’t smooth sailing for the newbie.
During a recent chat with the Daily Mail, Luann reveals that Eboni’s transition into the group came with some bumps in the road.
RHONY filmed during a ‘tumultuous year’
Season 13 of RHONY had a hard time getting off the ground thanks in part to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Not only was filming put off by weeks after a member of the production crew contracted COVID-19, but a RHONY Housewife also contracted the virus as well. Although there was never a confirmation about which Housewife tested positive for the virus, there were whispers that it was either Ramona or Leah.
According to Luann, the pandemic, in conjunction with the other current events at the time, forced the ladies to get closer and fans will see this happen throughout the season.
“You know, this season is a powerful one because we got through a lot. You know, we got through a pandemic, you know, we got through an election. You know, Black Lives Matter was happening as well,” she said.
“It was a very tumultuous year needless to say and we were filming while this was happening,” Luann pointed out.
Eboni had a ‘rocky’ start with the cast
With all the excitement happening around them, things were bound to get tense at some point. And as seen in one of the trailers for Season 13, Luann and newbie, Eboni, butt heads during a meal.
“It was a very bonding experience, too, because it was just the five of us,” Luann shared. “We got very tight. We have a lot of fun and, of course, when you throw that many women into the mix, there’s always going to be conflicts.”
The sneak peek had fans wondering how that interaction impacted Luann’s ability to foster a friendship with Eboni and vice versa.
“She comes into the show – and she’s new. It’s not an easy cast,” Luann admits. “As you know, we’ve been around for 13 years. So, it’s not an easy place for her to walk into and that starts off a bit rocky. And, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
However, Luann also shared that Eboni’s confidence is admirable and gives hope that the two do end up finding common ground.
“It’s a group of very strong women. Eboni is a strong lady. She’s a lawyer and she’s smart,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for her. So the relationship progresses and, I’m happy to say, in a good way.”
The Real Housewives of New York City airs Tuesday, May 4 at 9/8c on Bravo.