RHONY adds model and art curator Racquel Chevremont to season 15 cast (2024)

The Real Housewives Of New York Cityannounced that model and art curator, Racquel Chevremont, will be joining season 15 as a full-time cast member.

The renowned collector in the New York City art world will join Jenna Lyons, Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jessel Taank, and Brynn Whitfield on the hit reality series.

'It's exciting,' Chevremont told GLAAD of her casting. 'I honestly didn't think they would be interested in me in the end because they already had a queer woman. I wasn't sure if they were going to want two queer women on a franchise that has historically been about married heterosexual women.'

The Brooklyn-born fashionista, who was raised in the Bronx, continued: 'I think it was a bold decision and honestly a more authentic representation of New York City.'

While speaking about her choice to become a Bravolebrity, Chevremont explained that her 'adult life has been about representation and using whatever platform' she has 'to get the voices of queer folks of the diaspora out there.'

'What better way to do so if not as a member of this iconic franchise?' she asked.

While weighing the decision, she admitted tobinge-watching past seasons of RHONY.

She hopes to show viewers her 'loving fun family' as well as her 'chosen family.'

'It’s extremely important to me, [because] this show reaches millions of people,' theNew Yorker stated. 'In the current world climate it’s important for not only our community to see themselves represented but also for the world to get to know a queer family in a more intimate way and show that we all have more similarities than not.'

Additionally,Chevremont wants to be an example to others that 'queer women can be successful, beautiful and in loving relationships raising children too.'

According toGLAAD, the mother-of-two 'was discovered by photographer and model scout Steve Landis for Elite models in 1993.'

Over the years, she has landedcampaigns for Benetton, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Fila, L’Oréal and Nivea.

She's also worked in the art world for more than two decades, and, even, joined the acquisition committees of the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum back in 2003.

Chevremont is also the founder ofThe Josie Club, a space dedicated to honoring queer Black women's lives and achievements.

The soon-to-be reality star admitted that she previously struggled with her queerness and publicly coming out.

'I’m what you’d call a later in life lesbian and when I first came out I lost a lot of people,' she said. 'I believe that because of my age and my accomplishments I didn’t care what anyone had to say, I didn’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone.'

She added: 'I had spent my entire adult life in the fashion and art worlds so while my personal life might have suffered my professional life didn’t really skip a beat due to my queerness. I was lucky to be a part of two industries where queerness is embraced.'

Now, she's excited to 'bring more queer reality into the world.'

'I hope that seeing me and my family and being able to relate to us regardless of your sexual orientation will perhaps change a couple of hearts and minds. Using whatever platform I might have to increase visibility and representation has always been important to me,' she toldGLAAD.

As for how watching herself on TV feels, Chevremont admitted it's 'strange to have cameras documenting it all.'

'As a model I’m used to a very controlled image, this is just raw. It’s a little scary,' she said. 'I hope it comes across that although we’re all women from very different backgrounds and life experiences we’ve been able to genuinely connect and build friendships.'

Chevremont will joinLyons, who became thefirst openly queer housewife to appear on RHONY on the show's fourteenth season.