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Eboni K. Williams opened up about the recent end of her engagement during a recent episode of The Wendy Williams Show.
After confirming she is currently single, the new Real Housewives of New York City cast member revealed how her colleagues reacted to her new role, confirmed she is a longtime fan of the series, and teased “rough” times with Ramona Singer and Luann de Lesseps.
“I was engaged to be married. I started 2020 planning a wedding. I mean, deposits to vendors, a videographer, a wedding planner. I was planning a wedding, a marriage, most importantly,” Eboni, 37, revealed.
According to Eboni, she and her now-ex-fiancé, who she dated for just under four years, were forced to “tell the truth about [their] relationship” amid the pandemic after he chose to quarantine with his three children.
“He chose to quarantine in New Jersey with his semi-adult children. And for me… listen, I’m not a parent yet, I get that they are number one. But I need to be number one and I wasn’t number one so I needed to move on,” Eboni explained. “He’s a lovely man, just wasn’t for me. He’s older, he’d been there done that, didn’t really want a new baby and all that stuff. I want that stuff.”
With tons of success under her belt, including a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, numerous hosting jobs, and a published book, Pretty Powerful: Appearance, Substance, and Success, the Louisiana native raised the eyebrows of her peers when she joined RHONY in 2020 as the first Black cast member.
“A lot of people do think that [it’s beneath me], especially my legal colleagues and my fellow journalists,” Eboni admitted. “They thought I was a little coo-coo crazy.”
That said, Eboni felt the series was a “good microcosm of culture” that she could potentially have a positive impact on.
“I bring them to our world. I bring them uptown. This is New York City. You can’t do New York without honoring the legendary Black excellence spaces,” she noted.
Eboni also knew a good bit about the show after watching each and every episode.
“I love RHONY. I’ve actually seen every episode since it first started airing 13 years,” she revealed.
Still, despite her knowledge about the women, Eboni said it was “bizarre” getting to know the women.
“They are as advertised, it’s not like they’re vastly different, but [getting] to know them on a personal level is very cool and there’s ups and downs to that,” she teased.
When Wendy then asked Eboni if those downs involved Ramona, Eboni confirmed they did.
“Yeah, for sure. And it was rough with me and Lu,” Eboni shared. “As you’ll see in the trailer, Lu and I just two alpha women, same with Ramona, alpha women, used to their way or the highway. I don’t take well to hazing. This group of women are used to hazing. So it was rough but I think we got there.”
Also during the interview, Eboni was asked for her thoughts on Leah McSweeney, who joined the show in 2019 for season 12.
“Leah’s my sister. I knew it would be love at first sight. And it actually is,” Eboni shared. “She’s much more tender and soft on the inside. She pretends to be a bad*ss. She’s just a big old fluffy girl. She’s sweet.”
The Real Housewives of New York City season 13 premieres Tuesday, May 4, at 9/8c on Bravo.