The new cast of Real Housewives of New York and the ladies of HBO’s 1998 series Sex and the City have a lot in common. Both series depict fabulous, fashionable women navigating life and love in New York City. I’ve been thinking about the commonalities between the two shows ahead of the Season premiere of RHONY. In honor of the upcoming season, I decided to compare the cast of RHONY to the cast of SATC.
Brynn Whitfield – RHONY’s Samantha Jones
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
RHONY fans were amazed by Brynn Whitfield’s flirting skills in Season 14. The 38-year-old took every opportunity to have a flirtatious interaction, whether it was hitting on Erin Lichy’s trainer in the Hamptons or hitting on Erin’s husband in the city. Jenna Lyons said it best when she said, “[Brynn] flirts when ordering a steak.” It’s true. She could probably teach a masterclass on the subject.
I think Brynn best embodies Samantha Jones not only in her personal life but also in her professional life. Brynn, like Samantha, works in public relations. She’s provided her expertise for several noteworthy brands, including Dove, Shell Oil, Aveeno, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, and Lubriderm.
The RHONY star defended her career after a Bravo fan account posted false information about her source of income. She posted screenshots of direct messages she sent the fan account, squashing rumors that she was a “sugar baby.”
“Reposting the things about me being an escort or sugar baby is disgusting,” she wrote. “My CV is 5 pages long and my career is more decorated than most. There were countless days I was working so much I couldn’t even film most of the time.”
Brynn, like Samantha, always sticks up for herself and won’t allow strangers to shame her in any way. Queen behavior!
Erin Lichy – so very Miranda Hobbes
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Erin, like Miranda Hobbes, is a straight shooter and a businesswoman. The RHONY star is the founder of the interior design firm Homegirl. According to her Bravo Bio, the business focuses on modeling, project management, and more. Like Miranda, Erin has found major success in a cutthroat business.
Her professional success is not the only thing she has in common with the SATC character. She was the queen of confrontation on Season 14 of RHONY, which in my opinion, is very Miranda. She was always honest with her friends even if she knew it would upset them. While she may have made a few mistakes last season, I think her intentions were pure. I do not doubt that she cares about her friends and wants the best for them. To me, those qualities scream Miranda.
Ubah Hassan – RHONY’s Carrie Bradshaw
Photo Credit: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal
Ubah Hassan is a total Carrie Bradshaw. The model has a keen eye for fashion and like Carrie, looks good in everything. She could probably make a garbage bag look couture. I can picture Ubah channeling Carrie, popping on a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels, and ordering a Cosmo at one of New York’s hottest restaurants. She also has modeling in common with Carrie. Both women have rocked the runway in New York. Although, Ubah probably did it more gracefully than Carrie.
Apart from their love for fashion, the women both have a flair for the dramatics. At the Season 14 reunion, Ubah admitted she has slapped all her past boyfriends. Hmm. While Carrie has never gone that far, she certainly allowed her emotions to get the best of her many times on SATC. I could imagine Ubah throwing McDonalds at her boyfriend’s TV screen. If you know, you know.
Sai De Silva – also RHONY’s Carrie?
Photo Credit: Gavin Bond/Bravo
Sai De Silva is a fashion girl, so it only makes sense to assign her to Carrie. While I think she’s much more practical than everyone’s favorite antihero, I do believe they share some similarities. If Carrie was in her thirties in the 2020s, I think she, like Sai, would be a fashion influencer.
Sai shares Carrie’s love for fashion. In Season 14, she brought suitcases worth of outfits to the Hamptons, which screamed Carrie. She always looks chic and she’s never undressed.
They do have some differences though. Sai is much more levelheaded than Carrie. I don’t think she would move to Paris for a man or spend $40,000 on shoes. She also loves food more than anything and there is no way she could relate to Carrie’s, “I bought Vogue instead of dinner” speech. Sai would never buy a magazine instead of dinner. While they may not be a perfect match, I still think Sai has the most in common with Carrie.
Jessel Taank – RHONY’s Charlotte York
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
I think Jessel Taank is a Charlotte. She is often misunderstood by her group of girlfriends, which resembles the SATC character’s arc on the show. Like Charlotte, she is a bit more reserved than some of the other women and slower to open up. SATC fans took a while to warm up to Charlotte and the same can be said for RHONY fans with Jessel. Bravo fans didn’t quite get Jessel in the beginning, but by the end of her first season, she was the fan favorite. Both she and Charlotte aren’t the loudest, most outgoing members of their group. Their personality comes through the more time viewers spend with them.
Jenna Lyons – is a Carrie/Miranda hybrid
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
I would call Jenna a Carrie/Miranda hybrid. She definitely has some Carrie qualities. We all saw her seriously enviable closet in Season 14 of RHONY. In the premiere, she estimated that her closet was home to at least 300 pairs of designer shoes. Yeah, that screams Carrie Bradshaw. However, she is a bit too business-savvy to be a total Carrie. She served as the creative director of the clothing retailer J.Crew from 2008 to 2017 and was the president of the company from 2010 to 2017. When it comes to business, she’s a total Miranda.