Andy Cohen has explained why Bravo passed on The Golden Life, E!’s new series featuring the original Real Housewives of New York City cast. He believes their story had already reached a natural ending.
The longtime executive says the Housewives had already reached the end of their “arc”
According to Entertainment Now, Cohen discussed the decision while appearing on the “Morally Corrupt” podcast in 2026. Host Rachel Lindsay brought up The Golden Life and asked why the show, which had been pitched to Bravo, was not picked up by the network.
Cohen recalled that Bravo had previously planned a series called RHONY: Legacy. However, those plans changed after the network decided to reboot The Real Housewives of New York City. He also discussed Jill Zarin’s involvement in the earlier plans, saying, “I will say, Jill was part of a big reason why ‘RHONY: Legacy’ didn’t happen and then, not to kick a woman when she’s down.”
Cohen explained that after watching the former RHONY stars together on Ultimate Girls Trip, Bravo felt the group had already reached the right point to close that chapter. “We really felt watching that show that it was kind of in a weird way a great kind of ender to that arc with that group,” Cohen said.
“And that’s where we left it,” he added.
The original RHONY cast has since returned to television together through The Golden Life. The E! series features Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley and Kelly Bensimon, giving the women another opportunity to share the screen outside of Bravo.
During an episode of “Andy Cohen Live” on SiriusXM in February 2026, he said he was looking forward to seeing the women back together. “You know what, I’m excited for them,” Cohen said. “I texted the ladies yesterday. I think it’s gonna be a great show.” He also made it clear that Bravo’s decision did not mean he was against the cast’s new project.
