Racquel Chevremont Added to Real Housewives of New York City Season 15
The Real Housewives of New York City (RHONY) is set to welcome a new face in its upcoming 15th season. Racquel Chevremont, a model and art curator, has been announced as a full-time cast member, joining the ranks of Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, and Brynn Whitfield. This addition marks a significant step for the franchise, as Chevremont becomes the second openly queer Housewife on the show, following Jenna Lyons.
Chevremont expressed her excitement about joining RHONY in an interview with GLAAD. “It’s exciting,” she said. “I honestly didn’t think they would be interested in me in the end because they already had a queer woman. I wasn’t sure if they were going to want two queer women on a franchise that has historically been about married heterosexual women. I think it was a bold decision and honestly a more authentic representation of NYC.”
Born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, Chevremont, 53, has a rich background in both the modeling and art worlds. She began her career as a model in the ’90s, working with brands like Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Fila, L’Oréal, and Nivea. Transitioning into the art world, she has curated collections for various film and TV projects, including “Severance,” “Empire,” and “And Just Like That.”
Chevremont’s decision to join RHONY was made in conjunction with her family. “My entire adult life has been about representation and using whatever platform I have to get the voices of queer folks of the diaspora out there,” she told GLAAD. “What better way to do so if not as a member of this iconic franchise?”
She emphasized the importance of showing a loving, fun family along with their chosen family on such a widely viewed platform. “In the current world climate, it’s important for not only our community to see themselves represented but also for the world to get to know a queer family in a more intimate way and show that we all have more similarities than not. Queer women can be successful, beautiful, and in loving relationships raising children too. That this world exists.”
Chevremont is a mother of two children, son Corey and daughter Elle, who often appear on her Instagram. She is also engaged to Mel, following the end of her previous engagement with former collaborator Mickalene Thomas in 2022. Unlike Jenna Lyons, who has chosen to keep her family off-camera, Chevremont plans to include her family in the show, providing a more intimate look into their lives.
The addition of Chevremont to the RHONY cast is part of Bravo’s broader effort to diversify its shows. Following a tumultuous 13th season marred by allegations of racism, Bravo replaced the legacy cast with a new main cast in 2022 ahead of season 14. This move was part of a mandate to make their shows more representative of the country’s demographics.
Andy Cohen, Watch What Happens Live host and Real Housewives executive producer, spoke about the network’s efforts to diversify its programming. “I’m proud of all the work that Bravo has put into making their shows more representative of the country’s demographics. George Floyd was an important cultural shift that forced us to look at all of our programming. Bravo made it a mandate to diversify its shows.”
Chevremont’s inclusion in RHONY is a testament to this ongoing effort. “I want to bring more queer reality into the world,” she said. “I hope that seeing me and my family and being able to relate to us regardless of your sexual orientation will perhaps change a couple of hearts and minds.”
Despite not being a big fan of The Housewives initially, Chevremont binge-watched the show when she was offered the opportunity to join RHONY. The final decision to accept the offer was made as a family. “My family and I really had to think about it,” she told GLAAD. “[But] in the end, it made sense.”
Chevremont’s goal is to show viewers “a loving fun family along with our chosen family.” She believes that this representation is crucial, especially in today’s world. “It’s important for not only our community to see themselves represented, but also for the world to get to know a queer family in a more intimate way. [We need to] show that we all have more similarities than not: that queer women can be successful, beautiful, and in loving relationships raising children, too.”
Coming out as queer was not easy for Chevremont. “I’m what you’d call a ‘later-in-life’ lesbian,” she said. “When I first came out, I lost a lot of people.” However, her professional life in the fashion and art worlds did not skip a beat due to her queerness. “I was lucky to be a part of two industries where queerness is embraced.”
Chevremont is looking forward to bringing more queer representation into reality TV and the world itself. “Using whatever platform I might have to increase visibility and representation has always been important to me.”
With her already established friendships with Jenna Lyons and Sai De Silva, Chevremont is expected to fit right in with the rest of the RHONY cast. Fans are eagerly anticipating the new energy she will bring to the show.
Season 15 of RHONY is currently in production, and past seasons can be streamed on Peacock.
Source: GLAAD, PEOPLE, Deadline
