Hailey Glassman Joins RHONY Season 16 Cast Following Bravo Announcement
In a significant casting update, Hailey Glassman, the former girlfriend of Jon Gosselin, has officially joined the season 16 cast of The Real Housewives of New York City. Bravo confirmed the new lineup on Monday, marking a fresh chapter for the iconic reality series after its controversial season 15 finale in 2025.
Connection to Gosselin Family Drama and Background Details
Glassman, aged 39, is a public relations professional who dated Jon Gosselin, the 48-year-old former star of Jon & Kate Plus 8, following his divorce from ex-wife Kate Gosselin in 2009. Her family ties run deep within the Gosselin narrative, as her father, plastic surgeon Dr. Lawrence Glassman, performed a tummy tuck procedure on Kate after she gave birth to sextuplets.
Media reports had previously suggested that Glassman's relationship with Jon was the catalyst for his divorce, but she has consistently denied any affair. In statements, Glassman clarified that their romance began only after the couple had been separated for several months. Jon Gosselin echoed this sentiment in a 2017 interview with Daily Mail, dismissing the rumors as "bulls**t" and accusing Kate and TLC executives of leaking false infidelity claims to damage his reputation.
Returning Cast Members and New Additions for the Upcoming Season
The new season will see the return of several familiar faces, including Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, and Jessel Taank. Joining Glassman as rookie cast members are celebrity makeup artist Daisy Toye and fitness trainer Erika Hammond. Bravo generated excitement with an Instagram post featuring Lichy, De Silva, and Taank, captioned: "We’ll be there in a New York minute. Meet the official cast of #RHONY. Season 16! Start spreading the news...cameras begin rolling THIS WEEK."
Notable Departures and Historical Context of the Series
This casting shakeup follows the departure of fan favorite Jenna Lyons, who announced her exit from the show in November. Lyons, the former president of J. Crew, revealed in an Instagram statement that she "made the difficult decision" to leave after joining the series in 2023 as part of the rebooted cast that replaced RHONY's original legacy stars.
The Real Housewives of New York City premiered in 2008 with a cast including Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Alex McCord, and Bethenny Frankel. After a hiatus post-season 13 in 2021, the series was rebooted in 2023 with an entirely new cast for season 14, signaling a major evolution in its format and storytelling.
Surprise Return of a Former Star and Additional Cast Dynamics
In another development, it was announced this week that Carole Radziwill, 62, will return to RHONY as a "friend" for season 16. Radziwill was a mainstay on the show from seasons five to ten, appearing alongside co-stars like Frankel, Singer, Sonja Morgan, and de Lesseps. Prior to her reality TV career, she worked as a producer for ABC for two decades, with a significant portion of that time spent covering the Gulf War from Iraq.
Radziwill is the widow of Prince Anthony Radziwill, whom she married in 1994 and who passed away from cancer in 1999. Tragically, just three weeks before her husband's death, her close friends Carolyn Bessette and John Kennedy, Jr. died in a plane crash, adding a layer of personal history to her public persona.
As cameras begin rolling this week, season 16 promises to blend new drama with nostalgic elements, positioning Hailey Glassman's entry as a focal point in the ongoing saga of The Real Housewives of New York City.
