The Real Housewives of New York, a reality series about the city’s rich WASPs, is in flux at the moment. Per orders from the Bravo network, the show will be split into two: a reboot of the original with a new cast and an “all-star” spinoff. This news has led to quite a lot of speculation about who will be cast in each iteration. One notorious alum made an argument, in fact, for what would be an Inventing Anna and Real Housewives crossover – and wow.
Specifically, on a recent live episode of Andy’s Girls with Sarah Galli, Anna Delvey’s name was brought up as a potential casting option for Real Housewives of New York. Like, the real-life Delvey, the infamous socialite scammer/fake heiress who became the subject of Netflix’s limited series Inventing Anna. As a guest on the podcast, Bravo alum Kelly Bensimon (ex-RHNY cast member-turned-real estate agent) was totally enthusiastic about the prospect, saying:
She would be amazing. She would be so nasty to everybody, and they would be like, ‘How could you be nasty to me? I’m famous!'
It’s certainly an… interesting idea. Actress Julia Garner, who played the lead character on the show, found out from meeting the purported con artist in person that she was actually “likeable” but could go from one extreme to the next “in seconds.” Add that kind of personality to a typical RHONY girls trip? Then add an even more difficult personality to the mix, say a Leah McSweeney or a Bethenny Frankel? And the Berkshires could go up in flames…
Nevertheless, the pitch might not be totally possible. Anna Delvey got a huge payout from Netflix for her life story but didn’t exactly get to keep it to fund a Real Housewives of New York lifestyle. And if you've finished Inventing Anna in its entirety and are keeping up with the latest updates on Delvey’s case, you’ll know that living in NY might be a hard sell for her at this point anyway.
Supposedly, though, Kelly Bensimon’s friends tell her that she actually knew the real Anna Delvey when she was running free all those years ago. The New York vet, however, denied the possibility, saying on the podcast that she “would’ve remembered meeting her.” Apparently, Bensimon thinks she would’ve spotted Delvey’s tell-tale ways immediately:
When a person’s really wealthy, the last thing a wealthy person would want to feel is that they don’t know what they’re talking about. And that was her strategy with wealthy people to get power over them. I would’ve remembered that. I would have been like, ‘Ding!'
As it stands, no one is officially confirmed for The Real Housewives of New York’s spinoff or reboot. Luann de Lesseps has expressed some keen feelings. Bethenny Frankel has said she’s been approached for the spinoff but indicated that she’s keeping it on-brand going forward in terms of her involvement. A big name being thrown out there, too, for the reboot is none other than Julia Fox, ex-girlfriend to Kanye West.
Now that combination on The Real Housewives of New York – Julia Fox and Anna Delvey? I might just pay Bravo top dollar to see that… Be on the lookout should fantasy turn into fact. And as we await more on the future of RHNY, check out our list of what to watch if you liked Inventing Anna and the other best shows to binge on Netflix right now.
