When the cast of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy” was announced Monday, more than a few fans were surprised that Ramona Singer made the list.
“Oh God, get rid of Ramona! Whackadoodle!” one fan tweeted.
“Ramona Singer!!! NO!!!!” a similar post read, which included the hashtag #Problematic.
“Please no RAMONA,” read another.
So who is Ramona Singer, and why is she so polarizing to the “Real Housewives” fanbase? Read on.
Who is Ramona Singer?
Ramona Singer is a reality TV star. She is one of the original stars of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” and the only cast member to continuously appear on the show for all 13 seasons before it was canceled and rebooted.
She was formerly married to Mario Singer, and the two have a daughter, Avery. She resides in New York City and the Hamptons.
She has worked in fashion merchandising, had her own jewelry and pinot grigio line, and most recently dabbled in real estate.
Why do some fans support her?
Singer grew up in upstate New York with an abusive father. She went to New York City to pursue fashion, eventually becoming a successful businesswoman, wife and mother.
Fans largely sympathized with her after she learned of Mario’s infidelity and divorced him.
She also can be a lot of fun in social situations, especially with her drink of choice pinot grio in hand (which Singer calls “turtle time”). She often mispronounces simple words like “kudos” and “reggae,” which makes her very endearing. She sometimes struggles to control her bowels.
Why do some fans dislike her?
Singer has at times demonstrated classism, referring to caterers as “the help” and not bothering to learn their names. In Season 10, she argued with castmate Bethenny Frankel about which neighborhoods in the Hamptons were desirable.
But things really came to a head in Season 13, when Eboni K. Williams became the first Black woman to join the cast. Singer and Williams never seemed to gel. During a Black Shabbat dinner hosted by Williams, Singer turned a debate about Black and Jewish oppression into how she, a white woman, was discriminated against by her Jewish classmates. Singer was also dismissive that Black women’s health needs are not fully understood due to inherent bias in medical training.
During the first “Ultimate Girls Trip,” she mistakenly called Black castmates by each other’s names.
Singer was also criticized for being lax with production’s COVID protocols and her association with former President Trump.
But her biggest critics say she never seems genuinely remorseful for her missteps (such as this apology for her Black Shabbat comments, which some felt sounded scripted) and continues to repeat them.
What is her relationship with her castmates?
Interestingly, two of Singer’s biggest detractors — Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin — are NOT a part of the “Ultimate Girls Trip” cast. Neither, obviously, is Eboni K. Williams.
In fact, Singer initially balked at the idea of doing a “Legacy” show after her final season of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”
“How can it be really good?” Singer was quoted last October as various rumors swirled about the spin-off, which eventually became “Ultimate Girls Trip.”
“The people who they’re going to bring back are people they didn’t want to renew anyway,” she ranted. “So now, what are you gonna call it?” she asked. “The Loser Show? The Loser Legacy?”
Singer does seem to be in a good place with “Girls Trip” castmates LuAnna de Lesseps and Dorinda Medley. The trio just finished a three-city speaking tour moderated by Dave Quinn, the author of the “Housewives” tell-all “Not All Diamonds and Rosé.”
It remains to be seen how her relationship with Kelly Killoren Bensimon is, as they have not been on camera together for nearly a decade (Bensimon exited “RHONY” after Season 4). Both work in real estate and may find common ground there.
But the biggest question mark is Kristin Taekman, who appeared in Seasons 6 and 7. During a Fourth of July trip to the Hamptons, Singer threw a glass at Taekman after Taekman splashed water on her. The glass ended up cutting Taekman’s face.
On every cast trip, Singer’s “thing” is to immediately claim the best room in the house for herself, no matter if she’s the host or if the rooms are assigned. That gives you a pretty good impression of her personality type.
Where will you see Ramona Singer next?
With “The Real Housewives of New York City” being rebooted with a whole new cast, you’ll next see Singer on Peacock’s “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy.” A date for the series has not been announced.
You can watch all 13 seasons of “The Real Housewives of New York City” on Peacock, as well as “Ultimate Girls Trip” Season 1, where Singer and de Lesseps appeared (and yes, she did her room-grabbing antics).
