The Truth About RHONY's New Housewife, Eboni K. Williams
Eboni K. Williams has officially joined the cast of the Real Housewives of New York City, making her the first Black cast member in the hit Bravo series' history. The attorney and TV host, who is also a published author and often offers her political commentary on The Ringer, as per Entertainment Tonight, will join current RHONY cast members Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Leah McSweeney, and Sonja Morgan next season. She will likely replace former housewife Dorinda Medley, who was fired from the reality show in August 2020 for being a "mean drunk," according to Page Six.
The casting news comes amid rumors that producers were "looking to diversify the current all-white cast" for Season 13, as per TMZ. Eboni released a statement via People following the official announcement, sharing her excitement about her new role. "NYC is filled with successful and dynamic Black women. I'm excited to join this legendary franchise as the first Black housewife," she said. "Can't wait to share a slice of life in this city that hasn't been seen before. Anyone who's aware of my work knows I don't hold back. I'm going to keep it just as real here as I do everywhere else."
Keep scrolling to find out the truth about the new Real Housewife of New York, including Eboni's relationship status, why she left Fox News, and how she hopes her presence on the show will "do Black women justice," as she told Essence.
Eboni K. Williams went to college at the age of 16
New Real Housewives of New York star Eboni K. Williams reportedly went to college when she was only 16 years old. Revolt reported that she skipped a grade due to exceptional grades and was accepted and enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, Eboni studied Communications and African-American Studies before heading off to law school, where she obtained a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. She specialized in family law and civil litigation, as well as "consulted on divorce, spousal support, and child custody cases."
Eboni's successful career as a lawyer led her into the world of broadcast journalism and political commentary as she eventually became a correspondent for CBS News and a contributor for Fox News, with appearances on Hannity and The O'Reilly Factor, as per IMDB. In 2017, she also became the host of talk show Fox News Specialists with Eric Bolling, Katherine Timpf, which aired for one season before it was cancelled, according to Deadline.
Eboni K. Williams walked away from her role at Fox News
Eboni K. Williams joined Fox News in September 2015, according to her bio on the network's website. However, she decided to walk away from her role at end of 2018 to pursue new opportunities. The attorney later looked back at her time at Fox News in an interview with HerAgenda.com, as per The Hill. "It was... challenging," she admitted. "But I knew that, and I didn't go there to be comfortable. Let me be clear, I did not walk into Fox News to be comfortable. I walked in there to disrupt." A year later, she also told The Breakfast Club, as per Huffington Post, that the network "capitalized" on fear but that she stayed because she felt like she was "going to be a savior of sorts" and "talk to the people in the middle."
In 2017, Eboni released her memoir, Pretty Powerful: Appearance, Substance & Success. As per her website bio, she also currently co-hosts the hip hop late-night talk show State of the Culture, which airs on Revolt TV and was founded by Joe Budden and Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2018.
Eboni want her 'RHONY' role to make a difference
Eboni K. Williams hopes her latest career endeavor on the Real Housewives of New York does her culture justice. She told Essence, "This franchise historically has not had a Black lens and now it will for the first time in 13 years. I'm beyond. I'm thrilled. I'm honored. It is my great hope that my presence on this show will just do it justice. Do Black women justice. Do our culture justice. I can only hope to touch on the magic that are Black women." The lawyer added, "Black women need to be in all spaces that decisions are made and culture is being influenced because it's critical."
Eboni, who isn't married and doesn't appear to be dating anyone, according to Women's Health, admitted that she's doesn't plan on being "a typical housewife." She explained, " ... I'm at a place in my life [where] I'm on the cusp of what does family look like for me? How do I define that?" She also said she's excited to start her own family, adding, "Viewers are gonna get to ride that journey with me as I go back to see where family is for me and what it is for me historically, and I start moving forward to creating a family of my own. That's gonna be exciting."