Dorinda Medley exits 'Real Housewives of New York': How did the show help her heal after husband Richard's death?
Dorinda Medley, a longtime star of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' and one of its most contentious cast members, on Tuesday, August 25, revealed how the popular show helped her deal with the loss of her late husband Richard. Dorinda made the revelation while announcing her departure from the show after six seasons.
"All things must come to an end … Thank you to Bravo and NBC for the incredible ride," Dorinda wrote on her official Facebook page. "What a journey this has been. I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice,” Dorinda wrote on her official Facebook page this morning. “This was a great outlet for me to heal when my late husband Richard passed away.”
What a journey this has been. I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice... But all things must come to an end....
Posted by Dorinda Medley on Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Dorinda, who carried the hurt of her husband's loss in one her earliest appearances on the show, has rarely opened up about how her husband's demise affected her. The star, during a chat with her former castmate Carole Radziwill, had once revealed that losing Richard had left a hole in her life, which she has struggled to fill ever since.
The star married her second husband Richard Medley, a successful hedge fund manager and a former business partner of George Soros, in 2005. Dorinda was previously married to investment banker Ralph Lynch first, with whom she had a daughter. Her marriage with Lynch, however, did not last long. Dorinda's bond with Richard, however, was different. The hedge fund manager, fondly remembered by his colleagues at Goldman Sachs, also worked as a speechwriter for Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for Vice President and to be on party's ticket, according to The New York Times.
Dorinda's castmate, Ramona Singer, while writing about the couple's bond in her blog for Bravo, wrote: "Richard and Dorinda made a great couple. He was a gentleman in every way — warm-hearted and a gentle soul ... it took Dorinda a few years to really bounce back to herself (following his death)."
Richard died of liver failure at the age of 60 in 2011. His illness is believed to have been short-lived, but Dorinda has scarcely opened up about the particulars of his illness. She once detailed on the show how she took care of him until he passed away, however, she stressed that it was an "honor" for her. Dorinda never married again.
The star's special connection with her late husband is often seen by her co-stars. Her RHONY castmate Elyse Slaine, while talking during Heather McDonald's podcast, Juicy Scoop in June, had pointed to a feud between Dorinda and Tinsley Mortimer involving a moment related to Richard. Slaine explained: "A lot of the audience didn't see Tinsley poking (Dorinda). I think Dorinda has gotten an incredible amount of hate that is not (100) percent deserved." Mortimer, according to Slaine, mocked Medley when she was talking about Richard's death and her separation from her boyfriend John Mahdessian last year. "I just kept thinking, 'Oh Tinsley, please stop. This is not going to go well for you.' But people, for some reason, chose to ignore that," Slaine recalled during the podcast.
Dorinda, in her departure announcement on Tuesday, also wrote: "I have met so many interesting people and learned so much about myself, about life and about women along the way,” she added. The star, despite the constant feuding on the show, wished her castmates “health, happiness, and success” in the years to come.