Heidi Gutman/BravoAsk Dorinda Medley how she's doing now that Bethenny Frankel has left The Real Housewives of New York City, and her answer very well may be, "Not well, b!*@h."
With Frankel officially departing the Bravo franchise after 11 on again, off again seasons, Medley is, understandably, upset. "When I found out Bethenny was leaving, I was sad. I actually wanted to cry," the reality star revealed in an interview with Saratoga Living. "There's sort of a good old-fashioned aspect to her I love. She's a true original ‘Housewife.' It takes a brave and fearless person to do what we do."
Medley, who is known for keeping it real on the show, said she has always admired Frankel's authenticity.
"The great thing about Bethenny is that off camera, she's exactly like she is on camera," she added of former her co-star, who had a particularly dramatic final season. "We're very good, true friends. And we're two alphas. The minute we realized we could run together in the pack, there was relief. She'll always be one of the OGs." That, she will.
Joining the cast in 2015, Medley admitted there were certain aspects of the show that came as a big surprise when she first signed on.
"What I didn't realize was how much of myself I'd be exposing," Medley said, revealing that adjusting to life on the show was even harder for her daughter, Hannah Lynch. "But I'll be honest with you. When we're filming the show, I have that same feeling you have when you go back to college."
The biggest surprise of them all, Medley said, is "how it bleeds into all parts of your life."
"You're totally immersed," she said. "You have to run this job like your personal life."
Medley has high hopes for season 12, despite Frankel's absence in it. "My goal this season is to take the high road," she shared. "There's less traffic up there."