How Kelly Bensimon Has Changed Since Her Early Reality TV Days
'The Golden Life' Official Trailer | New Series Premieres Oct. 20 | The OGs Are Back on E!
Kelly Bensimon is leaving Scary Island way in her past.
Over 16 years after making reality TV history with her infamous Bethenny Frankel feud, the former model is happy to say she's in a completely different place in her life today.
"I'm very relaxed," The Golden Life star confessed to E! News The Rundown's Erin Lim Rhodes at the show's Oct. 14 premiere in New York City. "I've been through a lot and I came out the other side."
After years of being a housewife and mother to daughters Sea, 28, and Teddy, 26, who she shares with ex Gilles Bensimon, Kelly is finally ready for her big return to reality TV on E!.
"I was just excited to come back," she shared. "All my kids are educated, they have great jobs. I have tied a bow on that part of my life, which I'm so proud of and it's time for me to lean into me and friendships and be and feel the best version of myself."
Fans will even get an update on Kelly's love life through several dates this season.
"I’m just very excited for people to see how I live and watch me make mistakes and watch me with the girls," the 58-year-old said. "And sometimes they’re feisty, and sometimes they’re not. I’m cool. I’m always the same. I don’t change."
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As for which costar Kelly had the most drama with while filming with Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, Ramona Singer in Palm Beach, Fla.?
"Sonya and I have our moments," Kelly told E!, "and then we actually live together in the Hamptons. You have never seen a combination like this. I swear to God, it's like old school television. I mean, the two of us."
Don't miss the premiere of The Golden Life Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 p.m. on E!. In the meantime, keep reading to get better acquainted with the cast.
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Ramona Singer
An OG castmember of The Real Housewives of New York City, Ramona Singer first burst onto our televisions in 2008 and has been a reality TV meme queen ever since.
Known for her love of pinot grigio (a.k.a. Turtle Time!) and outspoken, unfiltered personality, the former businesswoman and entrepreneur recently relocated from NYC to Palm Beach, Fla., where she spends much of her time attending charity events in addition to spending quality time with 31-year-old daughter Avery, whom she shares with ex-husband Mario Singer.
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Dorinda Medley
Dorinda Medley worked in fashion in New York and London before meeting her first husband Ralph Lynch in the '90s. The two welcomed daughter Hannah, now 33, in 1993 before breaking up.
The New England native married her second husband hedge fund advisor Richard Medley in 2005 and he passed away six years later.
After years working the Big Apple social scene, Dorinda joined RHONY in 2015 and frequently hosted castmembers at her grand Berkshires estate Bluestone Manor.
While starring on the Bravo series for five years prior to her 2020 departure, Dorinda coined many iconic phrases, including, "I made it nice," "How am I doing? Not well, bitch!" and "Clip! Clip!"
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Sonja Morgan
A New York native, Sonja Morgan began her career in fashion and hospitality in the '90s before becoming a full-time housewife to ex-husband John Adams Morgan, a member of the elite Morgan family.
Prior to their 2006 divorce, the couple welcomed daughter Quincy, now 26.
In 2010, Sonja joined RHONY as the self-proclaimed "straw that stirs the drink," becoming known for countless scene-stealing moments over the years.
After selling her Manhattan townhouse in 2024, Sonja is ready for a fresh start in the Sunshine State.
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Luann de Lesseps
Like Ramona, Luann de Lesseps helped usher in the legacy of Big Apple Housewives, starring on the series for over a decade from season one until her season 13 departure.
Formerly known as "the Countess" while married to ex Count Alexandre de Lesseps, she and the French aristocrat—who divorced in 2009 after 16 years of marriage—share two kids: Daughter Victoria, 32, and son Noel, 30.
Luann, who was also briefly married to ex Tom D'Agostino from 2016 to 2017, has since become an internationally renowned cabaret star, touring the world with her hit songs including "Money Can't Buy You Class" and "Chic C'est La Vie."
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Kelly Bensimon
Kelly Bensimon rose to fame as a model in the early '00s, posing for top designers and meeting ex-husband Gilles Bensimon in the process. The two, who split in 2007, are parents to daughters Sea, 28, and Teddy, 26.
The Illinois native transitioned from the fashion world to reality TV in 2009 when she joined The Real Housewives of New York City as a main castmember.
In recent years, Kelly has made a name for herself as a luxury realtor.
The Golden Life premieres Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 p.m. on E!.
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