Jenna Lyons Gives Update on Her ‘RHONY’ Status After Missing BravoCon

“The Real Housewives of New York” faces another upheaval, as Jenna Lyons announced his unexpected exit from the series. In an Instagram post, the fashion designer shared the “difficult” decision and behind-the-scenes details that led to her departure.

Lyons confirmed on social media that her status on the “Real Housewives of New York” will change ahead of the new season.

“The rumors are true,” she captioned the post. “So here’s the story. I was grateful to be asked to join Season 16 of ‘RHONY’ ‘as a friend of’ – knowing that my personal life wasn’t really available to be filmed, we agreed it made sense.”

After some reflection, Lyons revealed that she made the “difficult decision” to leave the series behind.

Lyons expressed how grateful she was to have the chance to film such an iconic series. She also noted that her departure would give the series an opportunity to form a “new dynamic”.

In her caption, Lyons seemed to express her love for Andy Cohen and all of her cast members, with the exception of Brynn Whitfield, who announced her departure from the show in June 2025.

Not forgetting her supporters and Bravo’s loyal fan base, Lyons also took the time to express her gratitude to viewers. “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! This is so incredibly meaningful,” she wrote.

Before her departure, Lyons faced scrutiny from her co-stars, particularly Sai De Silva, for being seemingly elusive about her personal life.

During a season 15 episode, Lyons admitted that she keeps parts of her life secret from the public, such as her relationship with Cass Bird, and explained why.

“Because I’ve had so much press, I’m very quiet about it so I don’t share it,” she told her castmates on camera.

“My life has put me in the public eye for my work and other things that I’ve done. And that’s my choice. And someone doesn’t want to be there with me, so I have to respect that,” she later told a producer during her confessional interview.

De Silva responded by saying, “I want to know what’s going on in her relationship. … She knows my husband, why can’t I know his girlfriend? We’re friends, that’s what friends do – we know each other’s spouses. I hope she lets her guard down a little.”

Before Lyons’ announcement, Whitfield shared with her followers that she had also decided to leave the show. Her exit came after actors appeared to turn against her following the horrific accusations she made about Ubah Hassan.

“‘The Real Housewives of New York’ will always be one of the most fun, chaotic and magical chapters of my life,” Whitfield wrote in her post. “It was the honor of my life to help revive such an iconic franchise. From day one, I believed that ‘RHONY’ was a fan show – we are only temporary caretakers of something that truly belongs to the viewers.”

She concluded, “I hope I made you laugh (a lot), cry (a little) and most of all, I hope there’s a TV in heaven so Mimi (who lived for her shows) can watch me and be proud.”