Andy Cohen was not joking when he teased at Bravo Fan Fest that the upcoming episode of The Real Housewives of New York City would feature a tear-jerking moment.
RHONY delivered one of the most real and raw episodes in its 15-season history with the episode that aired on Tuesday, November 26 where they got real about abortion.
After the prank Erin Lichy and Rebecca Minkoff cooked up to find the “leaky pigeon” gossiping around the group, Lichy sat down with Jenna Lyons to confess something she wanted to put out there.
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade and women’s health protections at risk amid the 2024 presidential election, Lichy opened up about an abortion she had when she was 18 years old.
Lichy was approached by Glamour magazine to talk about it publicly to create awareness of the issue but was “very nervous about this interview coming out,” adding, “I don’t think I was when I agreed to it because it was kind of like, whatever I can do to help. But it’s hard to be attacked by the public, ‘Baby killer! Murder!’ It was bad enough going through it — no one needs to be abused after it.”
In her conversation with Lyons, Lichy said she had just moved into college when she found out she was pregnant.
“I was terrified, it was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. It was heart-wrenching,” Lichy said.
After hearing Lichy’s story, Lyons opened up about her own experience, revealing she also had an abortion at age 21.
“I’ve told my friends, I don’t know if I ever told anyone in my family,” Lyons said in her confessional. “I’m sharing with Erin because I could see that she felt scared, and I want her to feel like she’s not alone. And I also want her to know that I understand. It’s a really, really hard thing to go through.”
In her confessional, Lichy said, “Jenna telling me this story, it just made me feel like I’m supported. You’re now telling everyone your story, which I could’ve never imagined. She didn’t have to do that.”
Lichy told Lyons that she had not told her dad, who is having some health issues, about her abortion and wanted to do so before the interview was published.
Later on in the episode, Lichy and her dad are having lunch, and she opens up about the abortion she had and tells him she didn’t tell him at the time because she was scared of his reaction.
“You’re telling me 18 years later. What would I have done then? I’d support you, probably,” Lichy’s father said, which made her break into tears.
In her confessional, Lichy said, “I don’t think I realized that it weighed on me not sharing that with him, but like the unwavering support, it’s just… I don’t have words. I didn’t expect that.”
“The fact that there’s zero judgment on his face is the best part,” Lichy added.
Lichy also told her dad that when she told her mom, she revealed that she had also had an abortion. She then asked her father if he had ever gone through something similar, and he revealed he had gotten someone pregnant who ended up getting an abortion, too.
The emotional scene between Lichy and her dad ends with him telling her how much he loves her. Four months after filming that scene, Lichy’s dad died.
“He’s just the best. He’s the best dad. He was the best dad. I cannot believe he’s not here, it’s still very fresh,” Lichy said in her confessional. “He’s such a huge loss for all of us.”
A montage of Lichy and her dad playing with the RHONY star, saying, “I just feel so grateful. I grew up with an incredible human. I have such a backbone because of that. So it’s like, yeah, it sucks, but I’m also incredibly lucky and I just hold on to that.”
‘RHONY’s tribute to Erin Lichy’s father Eli Yitzhari
Bravo
