According to Variety, Leah Remini is officially joining RHOBH as a full-time Housewife, becoming the latest major addition to the Beverly Hills franchise. The actress and outspoken former Scientologist joins Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles alum Tracy Tutor, whose move to RHOBH was announced earlier this month.
The returning full-time cast consists of Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke, Bozoma Saint John and Rachel Zoe, while Kathy Hilton and Jennifer Tilly will return as friends of the Housewives.
That gives Season 16 eight full-time Housewives:
💎 Kyle Richards
💎 Dorit Kemsley
💎 Erika Jayne
💎 Sutton Stracke
💎 Bozoma Saint John
💎 Rachel Zoe
💎 Tracy Tutor
💎 Leah Remini
Friends: Jennifer Tilly and Kathy Hilton.
Leah Remini Gets a Diamond
Remini’s casting is arguably the biggest surprise.
The 56-year-old actress became a household name starring opposite Kevin James on CBS’ The King of Queens, which ran for nine seasons. Her career later took a dramatically different turn when she became one of Hollywood’s most prominent critics of Scientology after leaving the organization.
Remini chronicled her experiences in her 2015 memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, before co-hosting the A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. The series earned two Primetime Emmy Awards during its run.
Now, she’s stepping into an entirely different kind of television battleground.
According to Variety, Remini is expected to begin filming in Los Angeles later this week.
Her addition is particularly interesting because Remini comes into the franchise with a fully established public identity. Unlike a traditional newcomer whom viewers are meeting for the first time, Remini has spent decades in Hollywood and has demonstrated a willingness to confront uncomfortable subjects publicly.
That could make her a formidable presence within the Beverly Hills ensemble.
Tracy Tutor Makes the Jump From MDLLA
Remini isn’t the only new diamond holder.
Tracy Tutor officially announced on Aug. 19 that she was joining Season 16 after years as one of the central personalities on Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles. Tutor joined MDLLA in 2017 and became the show’s first female broker.
And she already has history within the Beverly Hills universe.
Tutor has connections to Kyle Richards’ estranged husband, Mauricio Umansky, through the Los Angeles real estate industry and has previously had a public disagreement with Dorit Kemsley.
During a 2023 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Tutor said she would “100 percent” be interested in joining RHOBH and suggested she could bring some heat to the franchise.
Three years later, she’s getting her chance.
The Veterans Aren’t Going Anywhere
Despite speculation surrounding several cast members, Variety reports that Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke and Bozoma Saint John are all returning alongside Rachel Zoe.
That means Kyle will remain the show’s sole remaining original Housewife as RHOBH enters its 16th season.
Rachel Zoe will also receive another season after making her Housewives debut in Season 15. Zoe’s casting marked her return to Bravo more than a decade after The Rachel Zoe Project, which aired from 2008 through 2013.
Meanwhile, Kathy Hilton and Jennifer Tilly are once again expected to appear in friend roles rather than holding diamonds.
Amanda Frances Is Out
One Season 15 newcomer who won’t be returning is Amanda Frances.
Frances announced earlier this month that her time on RHOBH had come to an end after a single season. Variety reports that she was not asked back for Season 16.
Her departure creates room for a considerably different dynamic, with Bravo replacing one departing newcomer with two established reality and entertainment personalities in Tutor and Remini.
Season 16 Is Already Filming — And Ghana Is Part of the Story
The cameras are already rolling.
Several cast members recently traveled to Ghana for Bozoma Saint John’s wedding to Keely Watson on Aug. 21. Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke, Kathy Hilton and Jennifer Tilly were among the RHOBH women who made the trip, with cameras spotted filming the group surrounding the celebration.
The wedding gives Season 16 a major international event before Remini has even stepped in front of the cameras.
Variety reports that neither Remini nor Tutor attended the Ghana trip, with Remini expected to begin filming in Los Angeles later this week.
A Major Reset Without Starting Over
What makes the Season 16 lineup notable is that Bravo isn’t rebuilding RHOBH from scratch.
Instead, the network appears to be layering two strong personalities onto an established ensemble.
Kyle, Dorit, Erika and Sutton carry years of complicated relationships and unresolved history. Bozoma and Rachel represent the franchise’s newer generation. Kathy and Jennifer remain connected to the group’s social dynamics without holding full-time positions.
Then you add Tracy Tutor — someone already embedded in Beverly Hills’ luxury real estate world with preexisting relationships and friction — and Leah Remini, a veteran actress and television personality known for speaking her mind.
On paper, it’s a cast with plenty of potential.
And with filming already underway, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 16 is officially taking shape.
Source: Variety
