'Real Housewives of New York' Agreements reached, All Returning in Season 6?
"Real Housewives" of New York cast members have reportedly reached an agreement with Bravo TV producers after allegedly threatening to quit the show.
Ramona Singer, Carole Radziwill, Heather Thomson, Aviva Drescher, Sonja Morgan and LuAnn de Lesseps reportedly banded together and demanded individual salary raises for season six. They have all since renewed their individual contracts and are expected to return to the show in the upcoming season, according to RadarOnline.com.
"These ladies were really trying to get more money out of Bravo but they were desperate to stay on the show," a source close to the situation told Radar.
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"No one wanted to leave and they felt like they were strong-armed by Bravo," the source continued.
Bravo TV insiders claim the housewives, who received an average of $65,000 per season, are often left to pay for the own expenses including hair and makeup. They allegedly wanted significant pay increases to cover these expenses, but were forced to settled for a slight raise.
"The Housewives really thought if they all stuck together they would get a huge bump in their salaries, but it didn't work and instead they were told to either take the small increase or leave the show, and leaving wasn't an option," a source said.
Singer, 53, is said to be the highest earner, with sources claiming the married mother-of-one takes home an estimated $500,000. She reportedly demanded a 50 percent pay increase.
"There's a lot of expenses that go into being on the show and they're not frivolous. The cast asked for a modest increase— enough so they can cover the costs and make a little money," a source told The New York Post's Page Six.
Drescher, who joined the show in season five, is rumored to have received a significant pay increased with a source claiming she went from earning $60,000 to $100,000.
"It costs a lot of money to keep up the lifestyle that the show wants these women to portray and they tried to get Bravo to up their salaries, but when they tried to play tough the network had more leverage in the end," the source revealed.
