Jenna Lyons, known for her role in the Real Housewives of New York, has announced her departure from the series.
In a statement shared on her Instagram Friday, Lyons expressed that she has “made the difficult decision” to leave the Bravo show.
Lyons, who previously served as the president of J. Crew, quickly garnered a fan following after she joined the revamped cast in 2023, which replaced the original RHONY cast.
Recently, Andy Cohen revealed that a new cast for season 16 has been selected, and filming is expected to commence in the near future.
When contacted by The Daily Mail, a spokesperson for NBCUniversal, Bravo’s parent company, declined to comment on Lyons’ departure.
Lyons addressed the speculation, saying, “The rumors… are true. Here’s the backstory: I was honored to be invited to join season 16 of RHONY ‘as a friend of,’ understanding that my personal life wasn’t open for filming, we agreed it made sense.”
Real Housewives of New York star Jenna Lyons (center) has announced she is quitting the show
Lyons is the former president of J. Crew and founder of lash company LoveSeen
‘And after thinking it through I have made the difficult decision not return to the show.
‘I would be the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show and feel like this is an opportunity for a new dynamic to emerge.
‘I LOVE THE GIRLS @erindanalichy @jesseltaank @saidesilva @ubah @racquelchevremont.
‘I have so much respect and gratitude to the Entire BRAVO team who produced the show with grace and care. I am so grateful to @bravoandy for the opportunity and support
‘I am grateful to Sezin for always treating us with so much respect and kindness. I am grateful to the entire team at SHED who handled all of our nonsense and egos with patience.
‘And most importantly to all the fans who have said hi on the street, asked for a photo, supported me here on instagram. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!!- it’s so incredibly meaningful. I will be watching and b***hing from the sidelines with love and outfit judgement.’
Lyons quickly became a fan-favorite among viewers, not only for her level-headed attitude but also for her chic style and fabulous clothing.
She even gave viewers a peek into her giant, walk-in closet, which was stuffed with tons of her famous pieces from the archives.
She was a member of the all-new cast replacing RHONY’s long-term legacies
The news comes after Andy Cohen revealed a cast has been assembled for season 16 of RHONY
Lyons quickly became a fan-favorite among viewers, not only for her level-headed attitude but also for her chic style and fabulous clothing
To top it all off, the star famously wore jeans to the season 14 reunion, which garnered plenty of buzz from the Bravo community, as typically, many of the ‘wives go in head-to-toe glam.
RHONY first premiered in 2008 with Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Alex McCord and Bethenny Frankel.
The series went on hiatus after season 13 in 2021, before returning last year with an all-new cast for season 14.
But the show appeared to have been put on pause after it was noticeably absent from a Bravo announcement revealing new shows and renewals earlier this year.
RHONY appeared to have been put on pause after it was noticeably absent from a Bravo announcement revealing new shows and renewals earlier this year
However, Cohen revealed at BravoCon that they had assembled a cast for season 16 – with production set to begin in the next few months.
‘We have a cast for The Real Housewives of New York City,’ he said at his Ask Andy panel over the weekend, according to Us Weekly. ‘We are gonna be filming in the next few months. Very excited about that. More to come about that.’
When pressed for specifics about the cast by the audience, Cohen declined to elaborate.
Lyons isn’t the first member from the rebooted RHONY cast to quit.
Brynn Whitfield announced she would be stepping away from reality TV ‘for now’ over the summer while fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff decided to depart after one season.
