RHUGT: RHONY Legacy is now set for a December release, with Peacock pushing the Morocco-based season to 2024.
In a tweet posted earlier today (August 2), the streaming service revealed that it is swapping the two already-filmed seasons of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
Season 4, which stars Real Housewives veterans Vicki Gunvalson, Gretchen Rossi, Brandi Glanville, Camille Grammer Meyer, Phaedra Parks, Eva Marcille, Alex McCord, and Caroline Manzo, was filmed on location in Morocco last year. The season, which we can assume will now be referred to as Season 5, will now air in 2024 instead of the previously-announced 2023.
Meanwhile, Bravo has set a December release date for RHUGT: RHONY Legacy which stars Real Housewives of New York City stars Ramona Singer, LuAnn De Lesseps, Kelly Bensimon, Kristen Taekman, Sonja Morgan, and Dorinda Medley.
While Peacock has not made it clear why they swapped the two seasons, we can only assume it has something to do with the incident that happened during production on the Morocco-based season involving Real Housewives of Beverly Hills veteran Brandi Glanville and Real Housewives of New Jersey icon Caroline Manzo.
Brandi vs. Shed Media
As previously reported, Warner Bros., which oversees production company Shed Media, is currently investigating Brandi after reports surfaced that she sexually harassed Caroline during filming. Brandi is now fighting the production company behind RHUGT, with her lawyer writing to the production company and claiming they have evidence that would exonerate his client.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that your company would knowingly and willingly allow such a story to take hold in the media, without any regard for the truth or the impact on Ms. Glanville’s reputation,” wrote lawyer Duncan P. Levin, Esq. in a letter addressed to Warner Bros. attorney Demian West, Esq., Warner Bros. investigator Samantha Mirabello and Lisa Shannon, Shed’s SVP of programming and development, according to Page Six. “In that bathroom, as the audio will confirm, nothing inappropriate or illegal whatsoever occurred. As you know both from your [investigation] and the audio and video that you possess, the four women washed their hands before returning to the party where they enjoyed some food and chatted.”
“Throughout, Ms. Manzo appeared to be having a great time and didn’t telegraph any signs whatsoever that she wanted Ms. Glanville to leave her side,” continued the letter. “Overall, the entire incident was comprised of some flirtatious conduct and kissing between Ms. Manzo and Ms. Glanville, and all of it was absolutely mutual and consensual.” According to the letter, Gretchen Rossi and Alex McCord are two of three eye witnesses who reportedly saw the entire incident go down.
“Not only did the eyewitnesses ask Ms. Manzo if she was OK, to which she responded with a smile and thumbs up, but, after the alleged bathroom incident, when the group returned to the dinner table,” he continued. “Ms. Manzo made a lighthearted comment to the eyewitnesses about having been kissed by a girl before but never having ‘kissed back’ until now.”
The letter continues, “The night in question was one that was egged on by your own producers, who, earlier in the same day, encouraged Ms. Glanville to bring some ‘excitement’ to the party. When Ms. Manzo arrived at the main house, the two women spent time together, enjoying some shots, laughter, and dancing with the other women. It is beyond contention that you provided non-stop alcohol and an environment where the participants were drinking and smoking marijuana all day and night.”
The letter confirms that Brandi Glanville was in fact sent home from production on RHUGT Season 4 and that may have been what resulted in her being absent from the recent Traitors reunion, which is also a Peacock original.
Shocking allegations against Brandi
As previously reported on TVDeets.com, Brandi Glanville allegedly touched Caroline Manzo’s “vaginal area” in a bathroom as cameras rolled during a group dinner scene which is even more shocking than the original allegation that she had kissed the former Real Housewives of New Jersey star without her consent.
Caroline and Brandi entered a bathroom alongside Alex McCord following the first incident of inappropriate behaviour, along with a fourth cast member who has not yet been named. In the bathroom, Glanville allegedly “pinned Caroline against the wall” and “put her hands on Caroline’s breast area and vaginal area.”
Shed Media, the production company overseeing the show, had been serving the cast alcohol and it is reported that Glanville was drunk at the time of the incident. While she reportedly apologized via text message to Manzo, the RHONJ matriarch ended up leaving the show early and Brandi was sent home by production over the incident. According to another report from People Magazine, it was a production source that first alerted executives to the incident and Peacock has launched an investigation into the ordeal while the show is being edited in post-production.
RHONY reboot ratings
There may be another reason for the seasons swapping, however. In its tweet announcing the move, Peacock thanked viewers for supporting The Real Housewives of New York City amid the series logging extremely low live ratings.
“As a thank you to the fans for all of the support for #RHONY and #CrappieLake, the next season of #RHUGT will be RHONY LEGACY coming this December on Peacock! And then we’ll see you in Morocco in 2024,” posted the official Peacock account.
While there’s nothing concrete to indicate low ratings are why the shows were swapped, putting the Legacy season after Season 14 can only be viewed as a somewhat strategic move.
