Leah Remini is trading sitcom sets for Beverly Hills mansions, joining the cast of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as a full-time cast member for Season 16. The Emmy winner arrives alongside fellow newcomer Tracy Tutor, the real estate agent known from “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” marking one of the show’s most notable casting shake-ups in recent seasons.
Remini’s addition comes after production had already begun this summer, and she is expected to start filming imminently. She joins a roster of returning full-time cast members that includes Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Bozoma Saint John, Rachel Zoe and Sutton Stracke, with Kathy Hilton and Jennifer Tilly returning in their recurring roles as friends of the cast. Amanda Frances, who joined for Season 15, will not return; she announced her own departure on social media earlier this month.
Tutor confirmed her casting first, writing on Instagram that Beverly Hills has been home for her family and career for years and that she felt ready to let viewers further into her life. Bravo boss Andy Cohen responded to her announcement by calling the move “a long time coming,” reflecting years of fan speculation that Tutor would eventually make the leap to the “Housewives” franchise.
Remini brings a different kind of résumé to the show. Best known for playing Carrie Heffernan on “The King of Queens” for nine seasons, she has spent the past decade building a reputation as an outspoken advocate against Scientology following her departure from the church in 2013. Her A&E docuseries “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” which she co-hosted with fellow former Scientologist Mike Rinder, ran for three seasons and won two Emmy Awards. She detailed her experiences within the church in her 2015 memoir “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology,” and has continued that advocacy through the podcast “Scientology: Fair Game.”
She is not new to unscripted television more broadly, having starred in TLC’s family docuseries “Leah Remini: It’s All Relative” and competed on “Dancing with the Stars.” Her blunt, outspoken persona has already generated buzz among longtime “Housewives” viewers anticipating how she’ll fit into the group’s dynamic. Season 15 of “RHOBH” concluded in May after a run that saw significant cast turnover, including Garcelle Beauvais’ departure the previous year. Season 16 is expected to premiere on Bravo once filming wraps.
