New Real Housewives of New York City Announced: Aviva Drescher, Carole Radziwill and Heather Thomson Offcially Join Cast

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Over half a year since Cindy Barshop, Alex McCord, Jill Zarin and Kelly Bensimon were fired from Real Housewives of New York, their replacements were officially announced on Wednesday night.


During a Watch What Happens: Live All-Star party in Manhattan, Bravo's Andy Cohen introduced the new ladies onstage: Aviva Drescher, Carole Radziwill and Heather Thomson. All three women had been rumored as new Housewives shortly after the September 2011 ouster of Barshop, McCord, Zarin and Bensimon.


The new trio will join surviving cast members LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan.


Carole Radziwill has connections to @merican royalty. She's the widow of the late Prince Anthony Radziwill, the only son of Lee Radziwill, younger sister to the late Jackie Kennedy Onassis. She is also a former ABC News producer and a writer for Glamour.


Aviva Drescher is married to prominent banked Reid Drescher, with whom she has three kids. A cousin of The Nanny's Fran Drescher, Aviva is also an amputee, whose left foot and ankle were amputated in a grisly barn accident when she was just six years old


With a past as an A-list celebrity stylist, Heather Thomsen is the fashion designer behind shapewear line Yummie Tummie. She has two children.

RELATED: Bravo Announces New Line-Up, Including Returning Shows; Plus The New Real Housewives Of New York Introduced!

Real Housewives of New York City Delays Filming

EOnline.com:

The Real Housewives of New York City is going to be fashionably late this season.


Production on the fifth season of the Bravo series has been pushed back due to some scheduling issues, E! News confirmed Monday.


The NYC matrons also got bumped earlier this year when shooting on season four ran long and their February season premiere was pushed back to April in favor of the series premiere of The Real Housewives of Miami.


Coming on the heels of the death in the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills family, the new delay of course prompted speculation that the two are connected...


Which they are not.


"The shoot schedule for RHNYC was pushed due to production details that needed to be finalized and there is absolutely no correlation between RHNYC and RHBH production concerns," a source connected to the show assures E! News.

Real Housewives of New York Cast To Be Decided This Week?

RealityTea.com:

In other news, Huffington Post columnist Rob Shuter tweeted days ago that the Real Housewives of New York City will find out this week who will be returning or getting the axe.


Filming on the new season will reportedly begin by labor day. And judging from recent comments by Andy Cohen, it’s safe to assume there will be a major shake-up with the cast.


Rob also tweeted last week that two of the RHONY housewives are so desperate to remain on the show that they told Bravo they are willing to take a huge pay “cut in $270,000 per season they make.” Wowzers. Of course, we will report on the latest the minute the cast announcement is made.

If anyone leaves please let it be Cindy Barshop.

Sneak Preview At 'Real Housewives of New York City' Reunion Part 2: Ramona Singer Again Says She Doesn't Have A Drinking Problem

USmagazine.com:

Never fear, Ramona Singer fans: turtle time is far from over!


In a sneak preview from Monday's Real Housewives of New York City Reunion: Part 2, the 54-year-old Bravo star denies her costars' allegations that she has a drinking problem.


"I have been drinking Pinot Grigio since the day the show started, and maybe some people this year have a little problem because this season I have 'Ramona Pinot Grigio,' but I embrace all my products," Singer explains.


As frenemy Jill Zarin, 47, rolls her eyes, host Andy Cohen asks: "What's the line between using the products and having a problem?"


Singer -- like many Housewives before her -- blames editing. "They only have a problem because of the way it's been shown," she reasons. "I don't drink any more or less than I have for the past four years, or more than anyone else. We film at parties and social events. I don't have a problem."


The Real Housewives of New York City Reunion: Part 2 airs Monday at 10 p.m. EST on Bravo.