Rihanna is positioning herself as a supportive friend who genuinely believes in Amanda Frances' potential on RHOBH, framing the DM as encouragement for a 'redemption arc' and praising her authenticity.
Sources close to production say there's serious uncertainty about Frances returning — her rocky first season left lasting tensions with Dorit Kemsley, and cast members reportedly wanted her gone. Rihanna's public plug may be too little, too late.
Rihanna DM'd Amanda Frances on Friday (May 22) via Instagram: 'No, no, NOPE!!! No quitting!!!! You're gonna have your redemption I promise you!!! We need more of you!' — Frances posted the screenshot to Threads. Showrunner Alex Baskin previously denied casting rumors as 'Not true' on his IG Stories.
Rihanna's intervention is unprecedented in Housewives history, but even A-list support might not save Amanda Frances if the internal politics say otherwise.
When Rihanna wants something, she usually gets it — and apparently that includes convincing reality TV stars to stay on their shows. The Grammy-winning singer slid into Amanda Frances' Instagram DMs Friday with a very public plea for the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills rookie not to quit ahead of Season 16. Frances, who styles herself as the "Money Queen" and runs an online manifestation business, posted a screenshot of Rihanna's message to her Threads account.
The pop star's DM read verbatim: "No, no, NOPE!!! No quitting!!!! You're gonna have your redemption I promise you!!!
We need more of you!" Frances captioned the post with barely contained excitement: "Wait… if Rihanna says I have to do a second season, then do i have to do a second season? Ummm… if The Queen says?!" She followed up with another post marveling, "Also… Rihanna knows who I am?" The timing of Rihanna's intervention is eyebrow-raising, coming just one day after Bravo & Cocktails published a blind item alleging Frances had been invited back for Season 16 but would "most likely decline." The casting update claimed Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke, Bozoma Saint John, and Rachel Zoe would return full-time, while Jennifer Tilly and potential new cast members Lori Loughlin and Emma Grede were "in the mix." Most damning: the item stated Dorit Kemsley was "being put on pause" — meaning Frances' primary antagonist might be exiting just as she allegedly considers following suit.
Showrunner Alex Baskin quickly shut down the speculation by reposting the blind item to his Instagram Stories with a simple "Not true," though that denial came before Rihanna's DM went public. Frances' rookie season was undeniably turbulent. Cast members repeatedly questioned her business practices, and she faced scrutiny over her past involvement in what she described as a cult-like organization.
Her most explosive conflict erupted with Kemsley, with whom she clashed on multiple occasions throughout the season. When asked about the tension during an interview with Page Six's Virtual Reali-Tea podcast, Frances revealed she'd never received an apology from the swimwear designer and characterized Kemsley's behavior as "an initiation process of sorts" because she was new to the group. "She didn't want me to have an easy time growing into the group, at least that's how it feels to me," Frances explained — but that explanation apparently wasn't enough to smooth things over behind the scenes.
What's remarkable about Rihanna's DM is that it's far from her first foray into Housewives territory. The Fenty founder has developed a reputation for sliding into reality stars' inboxes across multiple franchises.confirmed recipients include Whitney Rose, Heather Gay, and Bronwyn Newport from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Karen Huger from Potomac, Kelli Ferrell from Atlanta, and former New York cast member Leah McSweeney. Newport previously told Virtual Reali-Tea hosts that Rihanna "has opinions on Salt Lake City" and "has opinions on me," describing the pop star as "very sweet." Whether those opinions extend to Frances' specific drama remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: when the richest woman in music decides she wants you on her TV screen, ignoring that might not be an option.
