Real Housewives Of New York is desperate to revamp and sources say Bravo is going the distance to hire big name socialites that live the quintessential New York lifestyle, like socialite Dorinda Medley who has been filming with the cast!
Dorinda, a close friend of Ramona Singer‘s, has been filming with the ladies since October when she was first spotted attending the Amaranth Restaurant 15th Anniversary Party with Ramona and Heather Thomson. Since then she’s been spotted with the ladies and a Bravo film crew several times.
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A high-end real estate agent, Dorinda is the widow of Richard H. Medley, founder of hedge-fund advisory firm George Soros and chief economist for the US House Banking Committee, who died in 2011. The couple married in 2005. Dorinda also has a daughter, Hannah Lynch, from a previous relationship. Dorinda is wealthy, and well-established in NY society with a bevy of prestigious social connections.
Ramona & Dorinda attend Bloomingdale’s Brunch with Bravo cameras.
During a society brunch hosted by Erika and Debra Wasser for Glam & Go for David Burke at Bloomingdales, Dorinda, who attended the event with Ramona, was overheard telling people she had joined the RHONY cast. Sources tell Page Six that although Dorinda has been filming regularly with RHONY she hasn’t yet been confirmed as a full-time Housewife.
Dorinda also went on a recent RHONY trip to Atlantic City to celebrate Ramona and Bethenny Frankel‘s birthdays. Word on the street is that although Bravo paid Bethenny handsomely to return to RHONY in the hopes of bolstering ratings, they secretly worry she won’t be enough to grab viewers attention since she simply doesn’t have the popularity with fans that she once had. Additionally, Bethenny is restricted in what she can film – her daughter Bryn is blocked from appearing on RHONY by ex-husband Jason Hoppy, with whom Bethenny’s divorce is still on-going.
Dorinda spotted on a RHONY cast trip to Atlantic City
Bravo has been scrambling to find a name that would really resonate with viewers, going so far as to ask former supermodels and NY celebs to join the cast, but since the show started with legit New York socialites who ran in the same circles (except for Bethenny and Alex McCord, of course), they decided to go that route again and cast friends of the ladies. Dorinda also knows LuAnn de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan, but has been close friends with Ramona for years. Dorinda has appeared on RHONY at various parties and events in the past. She even attended the RHONY season 5 premiere party as a guest of Ramona’s!
It seems Bravo is also trying to capture an uptown vs. downtown vibe by casting a friend of Ramona’s to contrast with hiring Kristen Taekman last season, who is a friend of Heather’s.
TELL US – IS DORINDA A GOOD FIT FOR RHONY?
[Photo Credits: IZZY/WENN.com & Instagram]
