Your Exclusive First Peek at the New

The series returns on July 16 with six completely new cast members. We talked to all of them.

- JESSICA GOODMAN

Real Housewives of New York City

It's no exaggeration to say that over its 13-season run, RHONY has redefined pop culture, with iconic moments like "I'll tell you how I'm doing: Not well, bitch!" making meme history. But after ratings eventually sagged, Bravo put the show on pause (IYKYK) before recasting the franchise entirely. The ladies now tasked with resuscitating it are Jenna Lyons, former president of J.Crew and cofounder of LoveSeen; Sai De Silva, a creative director and blogger at Scout the City; Ubah Hassan, a model and philanthropist; Jessel Taank, a fashion publicist and brand consultant; Brynn Whitfield, a marketing consultant; and Erin Dana Lichy, founder of home design firm Homegirl and a real estate agent.

Since the cast announcement, fans have gleefully devoured every social media tease while wondering if the reboot will become appointment television, taking over our feeds at Scandoval-esque levels. Based on this conversation with the stars, the answer is yes.

When the first RHONY launched in 2008, the cast members didn't know what they were getting into. But you all knew exactly what the show is. What made you want to do it?

JENNA: I have a business. I'm doing this for a specific reason: to connect to people.