Dorinda Medley put on a brave face on The Real Housewives of New York City when Bravo famously put her on "timeout" in August 2020, but She was shocked. She's had a rough year. Her father was ill and her Berkshire estate, Bluestone House, was flooded.
"I don't even want to say the word ['pause'] right now because everyone is making such a fuss about it," Dorinda tells Bustle. "They should have my face next to them in their dictionary. I'm one of the few housewives who can say, 'I didn't leave on my own.' I want to stay! That's hard."
The timing ultimately worked in her favor, she said, crediting the pandemic with allowing her to pivot quickly. Within a year, she published a memoir, Make It Nice , Bourbon whiskey brand. Luckily for Dorinda, her time away from the franchise didn't last long.
By 2022, she returned to television for the second season of Peacock 's Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip , a spin-off series in which current and former housewives take turns vacationing together for a week. Last month, she returned for Season 4, Ends January 4th, and a cast member of St. Barth's in New York, her longtime home.
As for Ronnie, Bravo rebooted the show last summer with an all-new cast. Dorinda only watched one episode, "for no personal reason," she said.
"It's hard to bring in a whole new set of [Housewives] and say, 'Okay, it's the same name and now picks up where they left off,'" Dorinda said of the reboot. "It can be difficult for them because maybe they're living in our shadow."
She was keen to bring the two actors together. "If it wasn't a spin-off, it would be fun to do another Ultimate Girls Trip where you take some old girls and some new girls from New York, bring them to Bluestone Manor, and let the games begin!" she said.
While Dorinda most wanted to film with Jenna Lyons ("I think she's more old-school"), she met Brynn Whitfield, whom she called "thug" and said she liked it too Uba Hassan. But she did have a problem with Eileen Leach, who said she wanted to "redo Bluestone Manor."
“That didn’t go very well,” she said. "You can't mess with my Bluestone Manor, okay?"
Below, Dorinda talks money, unfair editing, and whether she inspired the infamous Sex and the City character.
When RHONY Legacy came together, there were talks over money. How much of an impact did salary play in your decision to continue signing on for more Housewives ?
I mean, I love money. Who doesn't love money? I'm not stupid. That’s a week’s worth of work and they pay you a pretty penny, so who wouldn’t take it? And, for us, it’s not even work. It's like spring break for middle-aged women. And the afterglow of all the opportunities it brings. It keeps you relevant.
People think we walk around with confidence all the time, but, believe me, there are times when I wake up and think, “What am I doing with my life?” We all feel worthless. It's great to be back on TV and see people falling in love with you again. Who wouldn't like that?
On the show, Ramona says, "I don't want money anymore," and on the other side of the coin, Sonya says, "I need money." Where do you fall on the spectrum?
I'm not like Ramona. [My daughter] Hannah always asks me, "When do you think you're going to retire?" I think I'm one of those people who's going to go on forever. I'm not the kind of person who likes to retire.
I also don’t think I’m in Sonia’s position, because Sonia does [need the money]. Thank God I manage my life well from this perspective. I'll do as much as they want me to do. I like it! I can go back to being myself and they pay me and send me to beautiful places.
Luann's French Eggs: What's your honest review?
We always make eggs with French eggs and I always thought of them as scrambled eggs, right? There are some things you have to agree to. This is part of Luann. Like she always has to sing at least once when she travels. She also had to speak French—for those who didn’t speak French, of course.
Which housewives song do you listen to the most?
"Money can't buy class." [Singing] Money can't buy class. Money can't buy you class. Grace is learned, my friends.
Have you ever felt like you were treated unfairly by your editor?
There's a lot going on in my life that viewers don't see. Bluestone Manor was flooded and my damage exceeded a million dollars. They never really showed that part, which is huge.
If you want to be a great housewife, you can't microdo everything because you'll drive yourself crazy. I just do it and hope the audience will accept me. A down-to-earth, long-term, love-making housewife, good and bad, good and bad, but in the end, [Fans] Are loyal to you and they love you. I think they've shown me that.
You have a lot of Dorinda styles, but what's your favorite Bravo eyeliner or shade?
"I'll tell you how I did: not very good, asshole." I love saying this to Candace Bushnell, but she has no idea what I'm talking about.
Now that you're Candace's friend, compare your actor to the character in Sex and the City . Who are Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte?
Okay, we know Luann is Samantha, right? Who do you think I will be?
Aren't there rumors that Candace created a character based on you?
The girl who fell out of the window? People say that all the time! I don’t remember falling out of the window, but it was okay.
So isn't it true?
No, I don't think that's true. I don’t think our team is exactly like Sex and the City . Here's my take: We felt the same way when we saw Sex and the City come back [ like that... ], and I think people felt the same way about Girls Trip . It’s that feel-good factor, that good, old-fashioned camaraderie between women.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
