The Real Housewives of New York City cast feels relief after Brynn Whitfield announces her departure amid fallout from season 15 drama.
The Real Housewives of New York City is facing major changes—and it looks like not everyone is mourning the loss of one of its most controversial stars. Following Brynn Whitfield’s surprise announcement that she is leaving the show after two seasons, her castmates are reportedly feeling more than just indifferent—they’re relieved.
A source tells Page Six that the RHONY ladies have “largely distanced themselves” from Whitfield and welcomed the news of her exit. “Whether or not any of the girls get to hang on to their apples, they’re elated that Brynn has dropped hers,” the insider says. “Honestly, they’d be scared to film with her again after the mess she made last season.”
Whitfield, 39, made her departure official on Monday, posting to her Instagram Story that she’s “walking away from reality TV” and will instead focus on her professional ventures—specifically her role as Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of the dating app Hoppy.
“Last week, Hoppy hit a massive download milestone,” she wrote. “I can’t even put into words how surreal it feels. All I want to do now is pour every ounce of energy into building Hoppy into the #1 dating app in the world.”
Despite the dramatic end to her time on the series, Whitfield called her run “one of the most fun, chaotic, and magical chapters” of her life. She expressed gratitude for being part of rebooting an iconic franchise, saying, “From day one, I’ve believed RHONY is a fan’s show — we’re just temporary custodians of something that truly belongs to the viewers.”
Whitfield joined the revamped RHONY cast in 2023 alongside Jenna Lyons, Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, and Jessel Taank. But her final season ended in turmoil after a shocking accusation against co-star Ubah Hassan during the explosive Season 15 finale.
Whitfield claimed that Hassan had called her a “whore,” despite knowing she was a survivor of sexual assault. She alleged she had shared her traumatic past—including being raped—with Hassan prior to BravoCon in November 2023. Hassan, however, firmly denied knowing about Whitfield’s past, and the situation erupted into an emotional on-camera confrontation.
In the aftermath, some cast members came to believe Whitfield had lied about the exchange—further deepening the rift between her and the group.
Amid the ongoing drama, Bravo announced in May that it was pulling The Real Housewives of New York City off the air “for the foreseeable future” as the network works to reconfigure the franchise. Still, there may be hope for the series. According to reports, network executives are actively working on the show’s future, and Andy Cohen confirmed the casting process is “heavily underway,” with producers already meeting with ten potential new Housewives.
As the franchise regroups and looks ahead, one thing is certain—RHONY is closing the chapter on Brynn Whitfield, and her castmates don’t seem to mind one bit.
