RHONY star Dorinda Medley reveals she was left with NO electricity at her $2.2M mansion after husband Richard died because she’d let HIM control all their money and ‘didn’t know who paid the bills’ – admitting it gave her ‘chronic financial insecurity’

Former Real Housewives of New York star Dorinda Medley has revealed that she had “no electricity” in her beloved Blue Stone Manor home when her husband Richard passed away – because she had absolutely no idea how to manage her finances and bills.

Dorinda, 58, admitted she still suffers from ‘financial anxiety’ and said this was compounded when her second husband tragically died of liver failure in November 2011.

The blonde reality TV star said she discovered some shocking truths about Richard’s finances after his death because she had “felt comfortable” letting other people take care of her life.

On Trinny Woodall’s new podcast Fearless, Dorinda explained, “When he died, there were all sorts of things I was completely unaware of. Things he invested in, people he invested in, money he borrowed, promises he made. It was almost like I didn’t know him, and I never will.”

When Trinny asked, “Have you had chronic financial insecurity again?” Did that come back to you? How was that for you?’ Dorinda admitted, “It was terrible.”

Referring to life before Richard’s death, Dorinda said, “After about four or five years I felt comfortable and let people take care of my life.

“I let people handle things because I thought, ‘Maybe I’m that woman, maybe I’m the woman who can just not worry about things and go shopping and plan her lunches and fundraising dinners,’ and that was the worst part.” i could do. ever done.

“For the past two years I didn’t know what was going on. After Richard died, I had no electricity in my house in Bluestone Manor because I didn’t know who was paying the bills. Can you imagine?’ she revealed.

“It brought me back to, ‘F**k it, I can’t believe I did this, I can’t believe I didn’t have my plan B.’

Richard, who died aged 60, gifted Dorinda Blue Stone Manor when they married in 2005, and it should come as no surprise that she loves the nine-bedroom, 11,000-square-foot property — which is worth $2.2 million .

Trinny, 59, was eager to hear more about Dorinda’s “financial insecurity” and asked the mother of one child, “Is it still in your life today and how do you express it?”

“Every day,” Dorinda replied immediately. “I worry… and even when I’m doing well, I’m afraid of money. I don’t like to… I’m afraid of it.’

Referring to her daughter, Dorinda continued, “I always say to Hannah, ‘Well, we can’t do that because we’re broke,’ and she says, ‘You have to stop saying that!’ bizarre comfort in feeling like I’m broke all the time…”

Dorinda explained that her financial anxiety stemmed from her childhood, as her mother and father were “always so worried about money” and raised her to “always have a plan B.”

Speaking of her current insecurities when it comes to money, she said, “I think a little bit of fear is good. I am surrounded by women in their 50s, who are in financial disaster and will not get better. The earning capacity is changing.’

Trinny then asked Dorinda if she’d decided to compete on season six of RHONY in 2014 because she felt “broke,” but the blonde TV star confirmed she didn’t.

“No, by the time Housewives came along I’d gotten everything back in order and everything was settled and I’d sold most of the things, like the boat, his life insurance policy had kicked in, Blue Stone Manor had completely turned over to me,” she explained out.

“I did it because all my identities were gone. Richard left, everything I loved about being a mother, I so planned in our lives after the kids left… motherhood was gone because Hannah went to college that same year, and all these things I’m comfortable with felt were gone.

And I felt too old and too young, too old to start over.

“It gave me permission to just not give as**t. Like I was finally 40, whatever years, I would just do what I want to do. Much of my fear and much of my guilt was just pure anger.

“I was like, ‘F**k this! I’ve been a good girl, a good wife, a good mother, a good daughter, I never slept and had fun like everyone else. Why couldn’t I have done that “And is this what I get? The booby prize?” It was a lot based on anger, I was defiant,” she added.

Dorinda then revealed, “Every one of my friends who knew me said, ‘Don’t do it,'” while Trinny mentioned her relationship with drinking on the reality show.

“I was defiant I just didn’t care and I have to tell you the truth I don’t consider it a bad thing because that’s where I was at the time that’s how I felt and I didn’t want to answer anyone .

“I’m so responsible, I’ve been responsible all my life,” she admitted when Trinny suggested she might have relived “her teenage years” on RHONY.

‘I had a ball! I’m sorry all, I don’t regret it! I’m glad it’s over, but I’ve never had so much fun in college,” she revealed.

Trinny then wondered “at what age do women not look attractive if they’ve had too much to drink,” as Dorinda argued, “That was mostly TV, I didn’t do it that much outside of TV.” That resembled the environment we were in…”

While the podcast host suggested it was an environment that was “created,” Dorinda denied this, explaining, “No, it wasn’t created because I don’t do that with Bravo, they don’t force your hand.”

“It’s a pressure cooker when you’re on the show. It’s 12 to 14 hours a day and of course they always have stuff available, and I probably didn’t manage much because I was both nervous and fun.”

In August 2020, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Bravo had fired Dorinda from RHONY.

At the time, a production source said it was “a big mistake” as she was a fan favorite that people were “looking for.”

Dorinda confirmed the news via Instagram, telling her followers: ‘What a journey this has been. I’ve laughed and cried and tried to have fun… But all things come to an end.

“This was a great outlet for me to heal when my late husband Richard passed away. I met so many interesting people and learned so much about myself, about life and about women along the way. Thank you to Bravo and NBC for the incredible ride and to my castmates for constant stimulation and entertainment. I wish you all health, happiness and success.’

Speaking of the ax to Trinny, Dorinda revealed that at the time she “ran home” to her mother and yelled, “Mom, they fired me!” and her mother replied, “Rejection is protection.”

But Dorinda thinks her firing is one of the best things that happened to her and describes it as her ‘phoenix moment’.