Dorinda Medley to Replace Jill Zarin in 'RHONY' Spinoff

Zarin was fired from the show after making racially insensitive comments about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Dorinda Medley will be replacing Jill Zarin in the upcoming E! reality series, a reboot of the original Real Housewives of New York City. The latest casting addition comes after Zarin was fired from the show amid publicizing racially insensitive comments about Bad Bunny's performance during the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Why it matters

The Real Housewives franchise has faced scrutiny over racial insensitivity, with several cast members coming under fire for controversial comments. Zarin's dismissal highlights the production company's commitment to addressing these issues and maintaining standards of inclusion and diversity.

The details

Zarin criticized Bad Bunny's 14-minute halftime show, which was dedicated to Puerto Rican culture, saying it did not honor the 250th anniversary of America and looked like a 'political statement' because there were 'literally no white people' in the performance. Zarin's daughter warned her that the comments could get her canceled, but Zarin posted the video anyway. After the backlash, Blink49 Studios announced they would not be moving forward with Zarin's involvement in the new show 'The Golden Life'.

  • Bad Bunny performed during the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
  • Jill Zarin posted her controversial comments about the performance on Instagram in February 2026.
  • Variety reported that Zarin had been fired from 'The Golden Life' shortly after her comments went viral.

The players

Jill Zarin

A former cast member of the original Real Housewives of New York City who was fired from the upcoming spinoff series 'The Golden Life' after making racially insensitive comments about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance.

Bad Bunny

A Puerto Rican rapper who performed a 14-minute set dedicated to Puerto Rican culture during the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Dorinda Medley

A former cast member of the original Real Housewives of New York City who will be replacing Jill Zarin in the upcoming spinoff series 'The Golden Life'.

Blink49 Studios

The production company behind the upcoming 'The Golden Life' spinoff series, which decided not to move forward with Jill Zarin's involvement after her controversial comments.

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What they’re saying

“We all agree — it was the worst halftime show ever. It's 250 years that we're celebrating right now in the United States, and I just don't think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish.”

— Jill Zarin (Instagram)

“In light of recent public comments made by Jill Zarin, [production company] Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in 'The Golden Life.' We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values.”

— Blink49 Studios, Producers (Variety)

What’s next

The upcoming 'The Golden Life' spinoff series will continue production without Jill Zarin, with Dorinda Medley taking her place.

The takeaway

The dismissal of Jill Zarin from the 'RHONY' spinoff over her racially insensitive comments underscores the production company's commitment to addressing issues of inclusion and diversity in the Real Housewives franchise, which has faced criticism for past incidents of racial insensitivity.