Ramona Singer doesn’t think being in the public eye is as glamorous as others imagine.
“I never liked being famous. Isn’t there a saying, ‘fame isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be?’” the Real Housewives of New York City alum, 67, exclusively told Us Weekly while attending the 26th annual Angel Ball in New York City on Monday, October 28. “I don’t think I was really famous, but I guess I was sort of.”
Singer added that she sympathizes with superstars like Brad Pitt who always capture the attention of everyone wherever they go, recalling one time when she was on a getaway with ex-husband Mario Singer. (The exes, who share daughter Avery, 29, were married from 1991 to 2015.)
“I was on vacation once with my ex-husband, and [people] were in the trees, taking photos,” she said. “I don’t think fame is great, but I guess you have to get famous to be successful in entertainment.”
Singer added that being successful in the industry feels like a “paradox” at times.
The socialite rose to fame in 2008 when she joined the RHONY cast. She remained on the series for all 13 seasons before it was rebooted with a brand-new cast.
In October 2022, a Vanity Fair exposé accused Singer of using the N-word in conversation with a Black crew member while on set of Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy. The following year, Singer appeared to use the slur a second time while texting a Page Six reporter about the claims made against her, according to screenshots of the messages.
Following the scandal, Singer’s name was removed from the BravoCon 2023 lineup and she did not attend the event. (Avery was present for the convention as well as the rest of the RHONY Legacy cast.)
A source told Us at the time that Singer was “very upset” over the situation and was laying low at the time.
“Ultimately, she made the choice that she didn’t want to go, and Bravo thought it was a good idea given everything going on,” the insider explained.
Earlier this year, Singer raised eyebrows again for a controversial New Year's post. The TV personality wished her followers a "blessed and happy new year" while posing in front of a fireplace in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Above the mantle, a portrait of a Native American was on display.
Singer’s former RHONY costar Luann de Lesseps commented on the post, “Have you no self-awareness😮.”
While Singer has kept a relatively low profile following her scandals, she attended the Angel Ball which raises funds for cancer research. Singer told Us she was there on behalf of her mother who died of leukemia.
“She gave me her positive energy. She believed you can do anything you want to do, as long as you think positive,” she gushed of her late mom. “And I think I became very successful in my life with my career, financially, in business, working for major companies, on TV, because I always had a little voice in my head: ‘You can do it!’”
