One would think being drunk and mean would get a Bravo personality a promotion, but that apparently wasn’t the case for Dorinda Medley!
As fans know, the Real Housewives of New York star announced her exit from the series in a sobering Instagram post on Tuesday, shocking fans and co-stars alike. But now it appears there’s a very specific reason Dorinda won’t be returning to the Bravo series: according to a Page Six source, she was fired for becoming a “mean drunk”!
The insider told the outlet Medley was “blindsided” by the news that she was axed from the series after six seasons, and was filming an episode of ABC’s The $100,000 Pyramid when she got the call.
Now, the outlet clarified that the source did not mean to imply Dorinda had become an alcoholic, but would rather simply become mean when drunk — for example, she repeatedly made fun of Luann de Lesseps for her alcohol-involved arrest — and shocked her castmates by failing to acknowledge she’d been crossing the line.
Related: Carole Radziwill SLAMS RHONY Cast To Defend Dorinda After Shocking Exit!
And while it may seem like Housewives are contractually obligated to dish out drunken insults, an insider said execs are actually aiming to move away from this type of behavior. The confidant told the outlet:
“If she’d have said [at the end of the season], ‘Look — I’ve been depressed and that’s why I’m acting like this,’ or, ‘I miss my [husband, Richard, who died in 2011],’ and said she’d work on it, I think it would have been different… That’s just not where they want the show to go.”
Another source noted that the evolving climate also influenced execs’ decision to can Medley, sharing:
“In this climate of social justice and cancel culture, she was not a good representative of the show or the network.”
On the other hand, Lesseps has publicly struggled with alcoholism, but the source noted that there’s a big difference between the two stars: Lesseps’ drinking didn’t change the dynamics of the show, while Medley’s drunken outbursts have apparently become tiresome for Bravo bosses.
Still, Medley thanked Bravo and NBC for an “incredible ride” in her exit statement posted to Instagram Tuesday, writing:
“To my cast mates for constant stimulation and entertainment. I wish you all health, happiness and success.”
Her post was flooded with support from fans and Bravo-verse stars. Andy Cohen wrote:
“What a ride. Unforgettable.”
Meanwhile, Dorinda’s former RHONY co-star Bethenny Frankel wrote in a tribute post:
“Every woman in this world wears a little sparkle, some in their dress, and some in their eyes. Use each moment to make another’s eyes sparkle and to warm a heart. Don’t let anyone or anything dull your sparkle. Don’t let the insecurities of others dull your sparkle. You will be missed…let the next chapter begin. #RHONY.”
Innerestingly, Andy has spoken before about what it takes to let a Housewife go. Here’s what he said about how production decides to fire the Housewives during a panel at the Tribeca TV Festival in 2018:
“It’s usually a conversation. At the end of every season, we talk to the women about what they have coming up and whether they want to come back. What they see for the future. Then we also look at the show and say, ‘How do we want to change the show?’ I think part of the reason the entire franchise is successful is it’s an ensemble show. It’s all about what’s best for the group. What’s best for the ensemble? How’s it going to be different? Do we want to continue this conversation? Do we want to pivot into a new conversation?”
Oddly enough, Dorinda, who was also on the panel, said that it’s “rarely a surprise” when one of the women leave the show.
Clearly, there are exceptions…
[Image via Bravo/YouTube.]
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