The Golden Life‘s Dorinda Medley is still making it nice as she navigates a new decade — but she isn’t interested in settling down.
“I don’t want to be married,” Dorinda, 61, exclusively reveals in Us‘ annual Reality Stars of the Year issue, which features the Golden Life cast on the cover.
Dorinda jokes that she already has a “gay husband” (or “gubbi”) in her life, so she’s “not really interested in being married again.”
“I’ve done it twice. I think that’s plenty for me,” she adds. “I really love my freedom … and I’m happy. But, you know, you never say never. I think it’s when you say you’ll never do it that then you find yourself [in love]. So I’m just open to happiness. That’s it.”
While she initially appeared as a guest on season 3 of The Real Housewives of New York City, fans got to know Dorinda better when she officially joined the cast during season 7. Through holidays at her Blue Stone Manor estate in the “Berzerkshires” and unforgettable one-liners, Dorinda’s love for her family was always front and center.
Long before her reality TV era began, Dorinda was married to ex-husband Ralph Lynch from 1995 to 2005. The former couple welcomed daughter Hannah, now 33, before Dorinda moved on with her late husband, Richard Medley. RHONY viewers also followed Dorinda’s relationship with ex John Mahdessian, who she dated for seven years until 2019.
‘The Golden Life’ cast Brandon Harman
Now, Dorinda is entering a new chapter with fellow RHONY alums Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer and Kelly Bensimon on E!’s The Golden Life, which brings the former Housewives from the Big Apple to Palm Beach, Florida.
“We’re all at a point in our lives where we just have this incredible freedom to try new things. Things that used to tie us to New York City — or for me, the Berkshires — are no longer,” the two-time Traitors star tells Us of what drew her to the show. “I knew that all the girls were going to go down and film down there [in Florida]. And when they called and they asked, I thought, ‘I’m very much coming from a place of yes.’ And I thought, ‘This is great.’”
Dorinda compares the experience to being “back in a sorority” with her longtime friends. “You know, Luann lived in the same building as me, so I ran up in the morning and had coffee. She’d run down. Everybody was really close,” she says. “There’s sunshine. It’s very social. And it’s just such a different way of life than I live, sort of, in New York City and at Blue Stone Manor. So I threw my hat in the ring and I said, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
Leave it to Dorinda Medley to set the record straight. Medley, 61, squashed rumors that she and the former stars of Real Housewives of New York City are feuding with the reboot cast while chatting with Kiki Monique during a Tuesday, July 21, episode of her “Talk of Shame” podcast. She continued, “All this bulls*** […]
Having been on reality TV for more than a decade, Dorinda is no stranger to a little conflict — and she isn’t afraid to tell her costars to “clip” when needed. But she also has a vulnerable side that fans rarely get to see.
“What people don’t know about me — I think if you love me and know me, you know this is very true — I am a warrior. I am a survivor, but I’m very sensitive,” she tells Us. “If I really get hurt, I retreat. And I have to sometimes do that because I think I do give a lot of energy out in the world. And I think sometimes it gets too much.”
While she admits “there’s a lot of pressure on women, generally, to be strong,” she doesn’t see her toughness as a flaw.
“As Carole Radziwill said, ‘When I’m good, I’m great. When I’m bad, I’m terrible,’” Dorinda teases, describing herself as a fiery Sagittarius with strongly held beliefs. “I think I don’t have a lot of gray in my life, because I think gray is where we slip up. You know, decisiveness is something that really, I think, helps me to get things done and keep my life in order. And I like being a strong woman for my daughter. You know, people don’t f*** with me. Excuse my language.”
Dorinda Medley Brandon Harman
Dorinda is proud to be “tough,” but she isn’t one to start a fight. “People know if they’re going to come for me, you know, do it right. Because after that, I’m going to react,” she explains. “But what people don’t realize [is] I’m not usually the one that starts it, but I’m not afraid to end it if I have to. It’s not a negative to me. Because if I weren’t strong and I was the type to fold up, I mean, where would I be today?”
Not only is Dorinda celebrating The Golden Life, but she’s also stepping outside of the box as an aspiring DJ and budding actor. Her second book, I Know a Thing or Two About a Thing or Two, hits shelves in November.
While Dorinda is enjoying the “freedom” — both personal and financial — that comes with age, motherhood is still one of her proudest achievements.
“Hannah is off on her own. She’s getting her PhD at Harvard, so we’re very proud of her. And she’s very happy,” she gushes. “What I love most about Hannah is she’s so happy for me. … She’s obviously a grown woman now, [but] I still find myself tending to call her for permission. ‘Do you think it’s a good idea to become a DJ? Would you read my chapter of my new book, I Know a Thing or Two About a Thing or Two?’”
Dorinda adds, “I think if I’m strong, I make my daughter stronger. … I just wanted to make sure, as a woman, that I filled [Hannah’s] toolbox of life with really the most important tools to handle not only good times, but handle the inevitable, which is bad times.”
As for what makes her most excited about her golden years, Dorinda tells Us, “You just don’t let things bother you the way you used to. … I feel so good that my daughter has done so well and that I just have this peace. And I love the freedom. … I always say, ‘I don’t want to wait until I’m too old to enjoy my life.’”
The Golden Life premieres on E! Tuesday, October 20, at 10 p.m. ET with a special 90-minute episode. The series will continue to air on E! Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
For more from Dorinda and the Golden Life cast, pick up Us‘ Reality Stars of the Year issue, out this week.
