If you were expecting to see Lizzy Savetsky, Real Housewives newcomer, on the inaugural episode of the RHONY reboot, you'll be waiting for a while.
The Real Housewives of New York season 14 premiered on Sunday, July 16 on Bravo (it's streaming on Peacock, too!) with a fresh new RHONY cast: Jenna Lyons, Brynn Whitfield, Ubah Hassan, Jessel Taank, Erin Dana Lichy and Sai De Silva (but not Sai De Silva's husband—we have the intel on why).
The newcomers are "dynamic women who run in the same social circles, thriving in one of the most diverse and electric cities in the world," per Bravo. "From fashion and real estate to philanthropy and social influence, these women have made their mark in NYC and will now share their lives as they juggle careers, family life, and jam-packed social calendars in the city that never sleeps."
However, they were supposed to be joined by digital influencer Lizzy Savetsky, who was announced alongside the rest of the cast back at BravoCon 2022 last October. So what happened? Here's what we know.
All about that Lizzy Savetsky 'Real Housewives' early exit:
There are conflicting stories as to why Lizzy Savetsky left the RHONY reboot. Initially, she explained that antisemitic fan reactions to her casting were what prompted her early departure.
"I will not be continuing on the Real Housewives of NYC," Savetsky said in a statement posted on Instagram on November 16, 2022. "As a proud orthodox Jewish woman, I thought participating in this series would be a great chance to represent people like me and share my experience."
"Unfortunately, from the time of my announcement in the cast, I was on the receiving end of a torrent of antisemitic attacks," she added. "As this continued, I realized that this path was no longer right for me and my family."
The departure occurred after filming had already begun—allegedly, Savetsky was present for the big #Cheesegate drama that dominated much of the season 14 premiere, but Bravo couldn't air the footage due to her exit.
At the time, Bravo released a statement of their own, saying "After thoughtful consideration and discussion with Lizzy, we have reached the mutual conclusion that Lizzy will not be a cast member on RHONY," per People.
Savetsky's former RHONY co-star, Erin Dana Lichy, discussed the exit at a Bravo premiere event in July 2023: "I'm Israeli and I'm very proud of being Jewish and it's despicable," she told People about the antisemitic attacks made against Savetsky. "And it still is happening. It shouldn't happen to any group of people at all."
However, reports from Page Six add another layer of despicability to the story: sources told the outlet that, following a heated discussion on race between Savetsky and Brynn Whitfield, who is half-black, Savetsky's husband repeated the N-word while talking about the incident with producers. That allegedly fast-tracked the "mutual conclusion" that Savetsky should no longer continue on the program.
As of press time, Lizzy Savetsky has not publicly commented on the new RHONY season.
Catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of New York City season 14 on Bravo every Sunday at 9pm Eastern, or stream it the next day on Peacock.
