Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.usmagazine.com
Five years after The Real Housewives of New York City‘s legacy era ended, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley and Kelly Bensimon are back together and better than ever on E!’s The Golden Life.
In honor of the new series, the reality TV icons were named Us‘ Reality Stars of the Year in October 2026, as the group traded New York’s concrete jungle for sunny Palm Beach, Florida — and got candid in their cover interview about love, fame, aging in the spotlight and the moments that nearly didn’t happen.
Scroll below for the biggest moments from their exclusive sit-down with Us:
Related: Meet Us‘ Reality Stars of the Year
Hit pause on whatever you’re doing — it’s time for Us’ annual Reality Stars of the Year issue, celebrating the personalities who brought the drama, stole our hearts and kept the group chats buzzing. After years of friendships, feuds and unforgettable one-liners, Dorinda Medley, Kelly Bensimon, Sonja Morgan, Luann de Lesseps and Ramona Singer are […]
Ramona Singer Reveals a Lower Facelift
Ramona Singer dropped a beauty bombshell mid-interview that even caught her castmates off guard.
“I have no cellulite and am all muscle because I work out regularly. I believe in laser,” she began. “I do a Clear + Brilliant every three or four months, and I had a lower facelift seven years ago.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” Sonja replied.
Ramona countered, “I did. So I’m just looking better because I maintain myself.”
The Bravo veteran also admitted that fame once terrified her. “I sometimes personally never would accept how popular [and] so-called famous we were,” she said. “It kind of frightened me and scared me. But now I can embrace it.”
Viewers can expect a mellower Ramona on The Golden Life — with a caveat. “The viewers will see a different Ramona from the standpoint that I’m really much calmer now,” she shared. “Do I still get hyper? Yes.”
Sonja Morgan Opens Up About Her Sobriety Journey
Sonja Morgan, meanwhile, got candid about her relationship with alcohol, explaining that life on the road had worn her down to the point of quitting drinking altogether.
“After I did so many cities, because it just kept building since before COVID, I’ve been doing my tour. I got to the point where I was like, I can’t get up and fly to four cities in each state,” she told Us. “You get up, you fly, perform, get up in the morning, fly, perform four days in a row. California, you know, Vegas, all across the States. And I said, ‘I’m not going to be able to keep doing this.’”
Sonja further noted that she eased off alcohol before giving it up entirely.
“At first I said, ‘OK, instead of drinking two shots of tequila, go on stage, be a comedian, have fun with everyone. I’ll just cut it down to one shot and then half shots in the drinks,’” she recalled. “And then after I got to no shot and then half shot, [before I thought], ‘It’s not even worth it because I was still waking up tired. Then, I just quit altogether.”
Her reason ultimately came down to exhaustion, noting, “It’s a fear of being too tired, sick and tired of being tired. So I just quit.”
Sonja went into The Golden Life embracing her sobriety.
“When I saw the girls in Palm Beach, I still wasn’t drinking. I was packing a lot of, you know, nonalcoholic drinks,” she told Us. “But you have to be careful with the sugar because alcohol, sugar and the mocktails have sugar. So then I got to a happy medium there.”
Luann de Lesseps Said No to ‘Golden Life’ at First
Luann de Lesseps revealed that she initially passed on appearing on the spinoff.
“Well, at first I said no,” Luann told Us, citing scheduling conflicts before coming around to the idea. “I just wanted to be back with the OGs, with my girls, and to go on vacation in Palm Beach? I’m in.”
Fans will also meet her boyfriend of three years, Michael Riemerschmid, on the new show.
“The ladies love Michael, so they’re very supportive of it,” she gushed, calling the Hamptons-based real estate agent her source of peace and confidence.
Dorinda Medley Is Done With Marriage
Dorinda Medley made her stance about walking down the aisle again clear.
“I don’t want to be married,” she told Us, joking that she already has a “gay husband” (or “gubbi”) in her life. “I’ve done it twice. I think that’s plenty for me. I really love my freedom … and I’m happy. But, you know, you never say never.”
The two-time Traitors star also opened up about the vulnerable side fans rarely see. “I am a warrior. I am a survivor, but I’m very sensitive. If I really get hurt, I retreat,” Dorinda said, revealing she’s channeling her energy into a packed slate, including a DJ career, acting ambitions and her second book, I Know a Thing or Two About a Thing or Two.
Kelly Bensimon Sets the Record Straight on Misconceptions
Kelly Bensimon initially joined The Golden Life after breaking up with her boyfriend, renting her apartment and selling another.
“If I’m going to do this, I’m going to just be with my friends and just be completely open and share so many things I’ve never shared before,” she said, hoping her appearance will dismantle lingering assumptions from her RHONY days. “They think that ‘I’m up here, you’re down there,’ as if it is about finance or where you are in your social structure. It was really about, like, being childish or being an adult.”
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She added, “Anyone who knows me—if you ask any of [my] friends, they’re going to be like, ‘Kelly is the warmest person.’”
For more from the cast, pick up Us‘ Reality Stars of the Year issue, on newsstands this week.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
