The Truth About Dorinda Medley's Late Husband Richard

Dorinda Medley is one of the most contentious cast members on The Real Housewives of New York City. A hero to some and a villain to others, but certainly an acquired taste all around, Medley has a tendency to rub people up the wrong way. But if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that she's certainly been through some hard times. In particular, the loss of her late husband, Richard, hit Medley and her daughter, Hannah, where it hurt, coloring many of their earliest appearances on the show.

During a chat with then castmate Carole Radziwill, who'd suffered a similar loss, Medley opened up about how losing Richard affected her in a sweet, moving sequence that endeared the tough New Yorker to a whole new legion of fans. Her dearly departed hubby may not have been as famous or well-known as Radziwll's, but his death in 2011 left a whole in Medley's family that she's struggled to fill ever since.

According to an article in Bloomberg, Richard was a hugely successful hedge fund manager and a former business partner of George Soros. He was fondly remembered by the guys at Goldman Sachs. If that wasn't enough, he also worked as a speechwriter for Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for Vice President and to be on any ticket, Democratic or Republican, period, per The New York Times.

Richard and Medley tied the knot at a swanky, 50s-themed event complete with all the trimmings, as detailed in a profile in New York Magazine. Photos from the day show the RHONY star in a couple of chic dresses, smiling happily alongside her family and new husband. In her blog for Bravo, castmate Ramona Singer noted, "Richard and Dorinda made a great couple. He was a gentleman in every way — warm-hearted and a gentle soul ... it took Dorinda a few years to really bounce back to herself [following his death]."

As reported by Bloomberg at the time, Richard's illness was mercifully short-lived. He passed away from liver failure at the age of 60, but Medley has remained tight-lipped about the particulars of his illness. On the show, she has detailed how she took care of him until he passed away, however, considering it an "honor," as noted by Bustle.

During a trip to a psychic, a spooky incident involving a balloon led Medley to believe that Richard may have been trying to communicate with her from beyond the grave, which provided a certain element of closure to the grieving widow. However, as close as the couple was, there was at least one thing Richard didn't know about his wife. As Medley revealed on RHONY, via Bravo, her late husband never found out she had breast implants. Although, if he's watching from the other side, Richard surely knows now.

Medley clearly still holds a special place in her heart for Richard. Her RHONY co-star Elyse Slaine told Heather McDonald's podcast, Juicy Scoop, that the recent feud between Medley and Tinsley Mortimer involved one particularly nasty moment in relation to Medley's late husband. As reported by Reality Blurb, Slaine explained, "A lot of the audience didn't see Tinsley poking [Dorinda]. I think Dorinda has gotten an incredible amount of hate that is not [100] percent deserved."

According to Slaine, Mortimer mocked Medley when she was opening up about Richard's death, as well as her split last year from boyfriend John Mahdessian. "I just kept thinking, 'Oh Tinsley, please stop. This is not going to go well for you.' But people, for some reason, chose to ignore that," Slaine recalled. Even worse, Slaine maintains Medley would still be there for Mortimer if she needed her regardless.

Singer also felt Medley's ire for referring to Richard incorrectly as her ex rather than the deceased. It all started on Twitter when Medley was asked whether she disagreed with Singer keeping a close eye on their castmate Leah McSweeney's drinking habits, to which she tweeted, "YES CALLING A PERSON AN ALCOHOLIC IS MAJOR and irresponsible." Then, as a chaser, Medley called out Singer on her own behalf, tweeting, "By the way not ex husband, LATE husband." She added, "Terrible that @ramonasinger doesn't respect death. It's terrible terrible terrible!" 

It seems that, no matter how long Richard has been gone, Medley will continue to preserve his memory at every opportunity, defending their relationship when it's questioned, and refusing to play down their strong connection.

Want more RHONY news? Catch up on Dorinda's latest announcement that stunned fans.