Meet Taja Cone, The Woman Desperate To Become The Newest ‘Real Housewife Of New York’
"I don’t understand why they just don’t cast me," she said.
instagram Bravo fans know how amazing and crazy the Real Housewives franchises can be. Whether it’s flipping a table at a nice restaurant or two sisters duking it out in a limousine (not to mention the throwing of a prosthetic leg!), there’s no shortage of drama. And for the Real Housewives of New York City, especially, there’s been a shake-up in recent seasons of cast members.
Running for eleven seasons so far, 15 cast members have been featured on the NY installment of the show. The current season includes Bethenny Frankel, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, and Tinsley Mortimer, but past seasons included Alex McCord, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, Aviva Drescher, and Carole Radziwill, all of whom departed for one reason or another. Radziwill is the most recent departure.
Is Bravo looking to cast another housewife? And, if so, what does that process look like? Well, for one well-to-do New York City resident, it appears she wants the title of “Housewife” — CAPITAL H — more than anything.
Who is Taja Cone? Though her name may sound unfamiliar, you may recognize her husband: David Cone, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees! Cone currently comments for the Yankees on the YES Network and WPIX.
According to Taja, a real-estate agent, she’s interviewed for a position on the Real Housewives of New York City four times! However, they haven’t yet cast her.
Said Cone, “My life is so perfect for TV that it’s unbelievable to me that they don’t see that. And that’s the truth. I don’t think they get the Yankee logo — how important that is in New York. Are they serious?”
Sounds like she’s desperate for a taste of reality television, no? But she’s not the first woman determined to get a spot on the show, either. Actress Tori Spelling and the wife of Anthony Scaramucci, Deidre, both want to be on the show as well. However, they also haven’t been confirmed as new cast members.
But according to one casting agent, choosing the right person isn’t an easy task.
“All the ‘Housewives’ are hard to cast. We are lucky if we interview six to 10 people a season. Nobody with integrity is going to go on a reality show like that where you are flaunting your lifestyle and flashing cash,” the agent said. “...In Beverly Hills, you cast the house first, then you cast the Housewife. [Producers] are looking for the big, pretty houses. You can’t cast a girl who looks amazing and lives in a one-bedroom apartment.” Though, a Bravo spokesperson responded, “Not true. We cast the person first and foremost.”
Another individual, a publicist who worked with Real Housewives of New York City, said the women who are dying to be on the show “don’t have a whole lot going on in the first place. They think their lives will be transformed. They think there will be an element of happiness that will result in being famous. They don’t understand that most people watch the show because they are watching trainwrecks.”
Though one anonymous former Housewife thinks the “formula” is to find washed up actresses or “those connected to once-powerful men,” Heather Thomson, who appeared on the franchise for three seasons, said the producers want to cast someone funny.
“That’s the only thing they care about right now. They don’t care if [a potential Housewife] is skinny, fat, young or old — she just has to be funny. [Producers] need someone who is quick-witted and the queen of the one-liner. If you’re going to keep up with Bethenny [Frankel] and Dorinda [Medley], you need to be a quick thinker.”
Others think new members run in the same circles as the current Housewives. And perhaps that’s why Cone hasn’t heard from producers. But Cone does, in fact, have ties to former cast member, Jill Zarin.
“They keep telling me I can’t get on because I’m not friends with any of the girls, and I find that hard to believe,” she said. “I don’t understand why they just don’t cast me. Maybe they’re looking for people who have more issues.”
Another reason for wanting to be on the show could be the major pay day. Sources say that housewives get paid between $50,000 to $60,000, with some long-time castmates paid up to $700,000! Each year, the women get an automatic 3 to 5 percent raise.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.