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Who Is Real Housewives of New York’s Racquel Chevremont? Meet the New Season 15 Cast Member
In June 2024, Bravo announced that Real Housewives of New York would be getting a new cast member in season 15 — art curator Racquel Chevremont. Fans saw in sneak peeks ahead of the premiere on October 1, 2024, that Racquel will seemingly make waves within the group, but who is the mysterious woman costar Brynn Whitfield dubbed “the LeBron of the art world”?
Where Is RHONY’S Racquel Chevremont From?
Racquel is a New Yorker through and through, having been born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, according to People.
What Is ‘RHONY’ Star Racquel Chevremont’s Job?
Racquel has more than 20 years of experience as an art curator and collector, a career that began during a trip to Europe. Some of the artists she has curated include Dawoud Bey, Natia Lemay, Glenn Ligon, Julie Mehretu, Gordon Parks and Deborah Roberts, and she’s worked on shows like Severance, Empire, And Just Like That… and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Before she entered the art world, Racquel was a model. She was discovered in 1993 by photographer and model scout Steve Landis for Elite Models. The budding Bravolebrity has done campaigns for Benetton, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Fila, L’Oréal and Nivea and posed on the cover of International Elle. Racquel still occasionally dabbles in modeling during Fashion Week.
Finally, Racquel is the cofounder of The Josie Club, a “Black, Queer Femme and Woman supported and operated social impact group that organizes community around collaborative event productions,” according to the group’s website.
Is RHONY’S Racquel Chevremont Married?
Racquel is engaged to someone named Mel, according to People. She and Mel began their relationship after Racquel broke off her engagement to visual artist Mickalene Thomas in 2022. The exes were together for nine years before their split.
“We ended our long-term personal relationship but remain committed to completing our current projects as Deux Femmes Noires,” the pair, who dubbed themselves Deux Femmes Noires, said in a statement to Page Six in 2022.
Racquel is RHONY’s second queer housewife, and she opened up to GLAAD in June 2024 about her experience with coming out.
“I’m what you’d call a later-in-life lesbian, and when I first came out, I lost a lot of people,” she explained. “I believe that because of my age and my accomplishments, I didn’t care what anyone had to say. I didn’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone. I had spent my entire adult life in the fashion and art worlds, so while my personal life might have suffered, my professional life didn’t really skip a beat due to my queerness. I was lucky to be a part of two industries where queerness is embraced.”
Does RHONY’s Racquel Chevremont Have Kids?
Racquel has two kids, a son named Corey and a daughter named Elle, according to People. Her children have often appeared on her Instagram.
Inside Racquel Chevremont’s ‘RHONY’ Debut
As seen in an August 2024 teaser ahead of season 15, Racquel seemingly had costar Jenna Lyons’ heart racing. “What was that about you having a crush on who?” Ubah Hassan asked Jenna, who identifies as a lesbian. The fashion designer replied, “We cannot deny that Racquel is hot.”
In her interview with GLAAD, Racquel said she hoped to bring more queer representation to reality TV.
“My entire adult life has been about representation and using whatever platform I have to get the voices of queer folks of the diaspora out there,” she told the outlet. “What better way to do so if not as a member of this iconic franchise?”
“It’s exciting,” she continued. “I wasn’t sure if they were going to want two queer women on a franchise that has historically been about married heterosexual women. I think it was a bold decision and honestly a more authentic representation of NYC.”
Racquel added that she wants to “show that we all have more similarities than not; that queer women can be successful, beautiful and in loving relationships raising children, too; that this world exists. I hope that seeing me and my family and being able to relate to us regardless of your sexual orientation will perhaps change a couple of hearts and minds.”
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