This Sudden ‘RHONY’ Exit Is the First Step in a Much-Needed Cast Shakeup

We all suspected that there were going to be some big changes to the cast of The Real Housewives of New York City, and it looks like the first domino has already fallen. Marketing and communications consultant Brynn Whitfield took to Instagram to announce her departure from the series. She wrote in part, “After a lot of thought, I’ve made the decision to walk away from reality TV. For now.” Brynn added that she is instead going to focus all her energy on her dating app, Hoppy.

Brynn was just one of the housewives a part of the reboot RHONY cast after the OG’s all got booted from the show following Season 13. Although she was only part of the franchise for two seasons, Brynn added in her statement that “It was the honor of a lifetime to be able to reboot such an iconic franchise.” Now that we know she's given up her apple, I have a feeling her exit is only the first step in a much-needed cast shakeup for the series.

Brynn Whitfield and Castmate Ubah Hassan's Massive Feud Took Over 'RHONY'

Fans had pretty much given up on The Real Housewives of New York City. To be honest, Season 15 was a bore. When the world tuned in for the finale, the expectations were low. However, the drama that was to come made Scary Island look boring. Ubah Hassan and Brynn already had a toxic friendship. They were stuck in the cycle of breaking up and making up. But their friendship was unsalvageable after their feud in Puerto Rico.

It all starts when the ladies go to dinner, and Brynn begins questioning Ubah if she's going to be “here” at dinner, or whether she was just going to be on her phone. Ubah clapped back, saying that she was "here" because she was hired to be "here", and Brynn should understand that “unless maybe she slept with someone to get this job, that’s a different story.” That struck all the wrong chords for Brynn, and the two exchanged insults before Ubah was ushered out of the room. Brynn told Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, and Racquel Chevremont that Ubah’s comments were unforgiveable because she revealed to Ubah before BravoCon that she was in support groups for sexual assault. The group was shocked that Ubah would be so insensitive, knowing that Brynn had trauma from being sexually assaulted.

The real question was, did Ubah actually know? When Jessel revealed to Ubah what was said, she had such a red-hot reaction that she had to be moved to a different hotel. Brynn told Sai De Silva that she told Ubah on a phone call, which was mostly venting about a friend’s suicide attempt. The sudden change in Brynn’s memory led the group to believe that Brynn wasn’t being totally honest, and was trying to make Ubah look worse.

Although the two shared a positive moment of forgiveness at the reunion, there was no way the show could move forward with the two of them. The accusations were too sensitive and too deep. How can the show continue filming after that? The feud irreparably fractured the whole cast, which led to fans calling on the series to make some major changes.

The Future of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' Is Up In The Air

After the tumultuous ending to Season 15, fans were certain that The Real Housewives of New York City was going to be canceled. Articles online began publishing that the show was going on a hiatus, heavily relying on reporting from Page Six. However, executive producer Andy Cohen entered the chat to clear the air. On his radio show Andy Cohen Live, he shut down the hiatus rumors, saying that "Bravo execs met with 10 potential new Real Housewives of New York." He explained that "This is called the casting process between seasons, and it’s heavily underway. And that’s why nothing has been announced..." You would think fans would be happy to hear the news, but if anything, it made them even more upset.

'The Real Housewives of New York City' Was Never The Same After Season 13

The Real Housewives of New York City imploded following a controversial Season 13. With the addition of Eboni K. Williams during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, race was at the forefront of conversation. It led to a number of controversial comments from a number of the housewives, most notably Ramona Singer. Eboni allegedly filed a complaint over a racially insensitive comment Ramona allegedly made to her.

Although an investigation was launched and Ramona was cleared of any wrongdoing, her behavior throughout the entirety of the season, alongside her castmates, left production no choice but to axe the entire cast. With representing New York City's diversity and youthful energy at the forefront, Bravo went ahead and recasted the entire show. However, fans widely disliked the new cast, leaving the show in a position where they need to shake up the cast yet again.

Brynn Whitfield handing in her apple was the first domino that needed to fall in order for a much-needed major cast shakeup to come to fruition. Fans are crossing their fingers that some of the OG’s will come back (which unfortunately isn’t likely), and that some familiar faces from Summer House, notably Lindsay Hubbard, will make their RHONY debut.