Former “Real Housewives” star Dorinda Medley has offered some explosive insight into the drama that Bravo fans can expect when the series’ newest franchise, “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” drops in April—after witnessing firsthand some of the most shocking behavior of its cast members when they visited her personal home.
Medley, 61, who spent years starring in “The Real Housewives of New York City,” opened up about her first impressions of some of the cast of the Rhode Island installment—which will feature Alicia Carmody, Rosie DiMare, Ashley Iaconetti, Liz McGraw, Rulla Nehme Pontarelli, Kelsey Swanson, and Jo-Ellen Tiberi—during a recent appearance on the SiriusXM show “Reality Checked.”
The “Traitors” star explained that she met some of the Rhode Islanders while filming “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th,” which she hosted at her personal home, Bluestone Manor, in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.
While Medley refused to divulge too much about their meeting ahead of the show’s April 2 premiere, she did confess to being left stunned by the less-than-pristine way in which some of the stars behaved while spending time in her home.
Describing Bluestone Manor as a place “where you must exercise some decorum,” the mother of one revealed that several of the “RHORI” stars did anything but.
“I got to have the pleasure of meeting them, and I have to say, I was thinking at the time, ‘My God, if these girls at Bluestone Manor—where you must exercise some decorum—are acting like this and they don’t even know me and they’re in my house, I can only imagine what the show’s going to be like,'” she shared.
Medley went on to recall witnessing a furious display from one unnamed cast member, telling co-host Kiki Monique: “At one point, one—I won’t say which one—was screaming, ‘I don’t f—ing get, f—ing get the f—.’ I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.'”
Describing the women as being very “verbal,” she added, “These girls are not going to hold back a thing. I said to Kyle Richards, ‘If they’re in this much tension now and the show hasn’t even dropped, they’re going to have to have security guards.’”
According to Bravo, “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th” will follow several iconic housewives as they walk through several beautiful locations featured in the Bravo franchise over the years.
“Starting where it all began in Orange County and culminating in an epic East Coast grand finale, each stop will feature appearances by fan favorites from different cities to pay tribute to the past, embrace the present and look toward the many miles still ahead,” Bravo’s description noted.
When asked about the show, Medley said that it will feature a very different format from the traditional series that “Real Housewives” fans might be used to.
“We’re thinking of TV,” she said. “Don’t think of reality, think of TV world.”
Although “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” will premiere in April, a release date for “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th” has yet to be revealed.
However, it has previously been revealed that the “grand finale” of the show will take place at Bluestone Manor, the Gilded Age estate that Medley received as a wedding gift from her second husband, Richard Medley, who died in 2011.
Realtor.com® records show that it was purchased by the late financial consultant for $2.1 million in 2005. Estimates indicate that it could be worth upward of $4 million if placed on the market today.
Medley, who regularly filmed at the property during her time on “RHONY,” opened up the property more recently in an October 2024 tour filmed for Open House TV.
She joked that, while many people knew the home because of its prominent appearances on the Bravo show, she “owned the house for years” before she ever stepped in front of a “Real Housewives” camera.
However, she admitted that her relationship with the property has been somewhat complex, confessing that she didn’t know whether she wanted to keep the historic abode after her second husband died at the age of 60.
Eventually, she chose to put her roots down in the property, even selling her New York City apartment in 2022 for $2.5 million.
The “Make It Nice” author appeared on “Real Housewives” from 2015 to 2020, and has since turned her focus to the country retreat.
Built in 1902, the seven-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom, Tudor-style mansion is an eye-popping marvel.
The whole house has gone through a top-to-bottom renovation, with no blue stone untouched. The 1902 build is a “very old lady,” Medley explained to Open House TV, while revealing how she embarked on a thoughtful redesign with her friend and interior decorator Marshall Watson.
The 11,000-square-foot space includes custom millwork, a grand entryway with an elaborate fireplace, vibrant colors, plush fabrics, heavy drapes, and a library with a coffered ceiling. Divine details include candelabras, birds of all kinds, a hidden wet bar, and a fanciful floral “tree.”
On her website, Medley called attention to the impressive TV history of the home, noting that it was the site of many a dramatic moment on “Real Housewives,” not least some of the show’s most iconic cast feuds.
“Dorinda Medley’s home in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, Bluestone Manor, is famously where Luann fumbled an olive branch to Carole; Carole went head-to-head with Bethenny in costume; and Bethenny called Luann, among other things, a liar, a hypocrite, and a snake,” the website reveals.
“Tears have been shed, friendships broken, and fires started. Even Ramona’s dog Coco has lost her cool. All this despite the valiant efforts of their host, who—lest we forget—cooked, decorated, and made it nice!”