This 'RHONY' Newbie Is Your New Fav

Get ready to take another bite out of the Big Apple, because The Real Housewives of New York City is back for Season 7, and judging from the season preview it looks like the Bravo reality show is going to be just as juicy as ever. One reason for that is because former Housewife and forever spitfire Bethenny Frankel will return this season after a three-season absence. But who is new RHONY cast member Dorinda Medley? From the looks of it, she might actually be the one to watch.

Though Bravo only officially announced Dorinda as a new RHONY cast member last month, it has long been rumored that she would be signing on. And you are going to be so glad she did. I barely caught a glimpse of her in the Season 7 RHONY teaser, but from what Bravo did show of her, it looks like Dorinda will be loud, outspoken, and foul-mouthed, which is everything I could ever ask for in a Real Housewife. A hearty welcome to you, Dorinda, indeed.

However, I always hope that a Housewife has an interesting backstory to support all of the drama she brings. Cattiness is only entertaining for so long. A true fan favorite has to have something more. Luckily, we've hit the jackpot with Dorinda in that regard too, because she has lived quite the life in her 50 years here on Earth.

Here's six reasons why you'll be rooting for Dorinda this season:

1. She's Not From New York

Dorinda is a New York socialite these days, but she didn't start out that way. She was actually born in the Berkshires and still has a gorge home there. Obviously, she and Housewife Heather Thomson, who also has a vacation home in the hill region of Massachusetts, will hit it off right away. But we all know that Ramona Singer is definitely not a fan of the Berkshires, so the two could run into trouble there. I wonder what excuse Ramona will use to flee Dorinda's Berkshires home early?

2. She Crossed The Pond For Love And Rediscovered It Back Home

Though Dorinda started her career in New York, she went across the pond to London to be with her first husband, according to Bravo. After 10 years together, the couple divorced, and Dorinda found herself back in the Big Apple.

Then on one fateful day, Dorinda met Richard Medley (a founder of hedge fund advisory firms and a former partner of George Soros) according the NY Post while showing him an Upper East Side townhouse as his real estate broker. He asked her out on a date seven months after he bought the apartment, and Dorinda married him in 2005, per NY Mag. Sadly, Richard passed away in 2011 "after a brief illness," according to Bloomberg Business.

But, alas, Dorinda has since found love yet again. According the NY Post she is dating John Mahdessian (above), the owner of Madame Paulette, the world's leading couture cleaning and restoration company. Unfortunately, it looks like Dorinda rips him a new one in the preview of Season 7 of RHONY, so let's hope that this couple doesn't become another reality TV casualty.

3. She's A Single Mom

Dorinda has one daughter from her first marriage, 21-year-old Hannah Lynch. From Instagram, looks like Dorinda has given her daughter the terribly unoriginal nickname of "Hannah Banana," but they still seem to have an incredibly close, loving relationship, so if it works for them, it works for them.

4. She's A Fashionista

Heather may know shapewear with her successful Yummie Tummie line, and Luann de Lesseps and Kristen Taekman may know about the modeling world, but Dorinda could probably sew circles around these ladies. She got her start in the Fashion industry in Liz Claiborne's New York showrooms and then founded her own company, DCL Cashmere, when she moved to London, according to her BravoTV.com bio. Back then, her clients included the likes of Princess Diana and Joan Collins, so no bigs. If only Jill Zarin returned as a Housewife this season, we could have seen the two do a sew-off, Project Runway-style, because that's what you do with Housewives, you know?

5. She's A Philanthropist

When you have a lot of money like the Housewives, you can't just spend it all on yourself. Well, you can, but that would be kind of douchey, no? Dorinda can take out her checkbook with the best of 'em. She and her late husband Richard fundraised for causes along with other high-profile humanitarians, including Desmond Tutu, Angelina Jolie, and Hillary Clinton, according to her BravoTV.com bio.

She's still at it too. If you go to her Twitter account, which she obviously just started since announcing her casting on RHONY, there aren't that many tweets yet, but she has devoted some real estate to spreading the word about a couple of charitable causes, such as Smile Train, which helps repair cleft lips and palates of children in underdeveloped countries. Hopefully Dorinda can give some shout-outs to the causes she supports in between all of the fighting and backstabbing on RHONY this season.

6. She's Well-Acquainted With The RHONY Cast

Apparently, Season 7 of RHONY won't be Dorinda's first time on the show. “I know these girls. I know their world. I’ve even done a few cameos,” Dorinda told The New York Post in an interview last month. Ramona, Luann, Heather, Jill, and Sonja Morgan have also been her gal pals since before she even started filming RHONY, according to Dorinda on Twitter:

Clearly, Dorinda has been preparing to be on RHONY, whether consciously or not, for quite a while. I can't wait to see her finally get her time in the spotlight.

Images: Mathieu Young/Bravo (2)