New ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Star Yolanda Hadid Comes As Surprise to Cast

New housewife, new drama. From the moment Camille Grammer exited "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" last month, speculation ran rampant over whether or not Bravo would add another cast member to the show. When asked about the situation at the GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday, Kyle Richards told omg! that the addition of a new housewife was "still up in the air. You know there are so many rumors. They said so many people were going to be a new housewife who never are, so everything I take with a grain of salt." Even her husband, Mauricio Umansky, added that those on the show never "know until the last second" when there is a change. So it's likely that Richards had zero clue that just three days later, Yolanda Hadid would become her new castmate.

Although Bravo has yet to make an official statement on the reported hiring, multiple outlets are citing sources who claim that Hadid, the wife of music producer David Foster, will be joining Richards, her sister Kim, Lisa Vanderpump, Taylor Armstrong, and Adrienne Maloof when the show starts filming its third season next week. In a strange twist, Foster's previous wife, Linda Thompson (mother of Brody Jenner), appeared on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" last season on the infamous episode where Armstrong drank too much at a house party and then screamed at Grammer for repeating a story she told her about her husband Russell abusing her. (He committed suicide last August.)

Who is Hadid? Well, for starters she's a longtime friend of Vanderpump, who could really use an ally after the other Housewives attacked her during the reunion special following Season 2. The two ladies first met when Dutch-born Hadid was married to her previous husband, Mohamed Hadid, who has hosted many lavish parties seen on "RHoBH." According to Radar Online, "Yolanda is going to make an excellent addition to the cast and she can definitely hold her ground if the claws come out; she is no shrinking violet."

Last season, which focused mostly on Russell Armstrong's suicide and what led up to it, was largely criticized for being so dark. And this season doesn't sound like it will be any lighter. Radar also reports that Armstrong's drinking will be an issue. "It has really gotten out of control, and they all believe she is an alcoholic in need of help," adds the source. "Taylor needs to go to rehab and the producers have talked to Kyle and Kim about how best to approach her drinking problem, because Kim's battle with the bottle was documented on the air. There has been talk of doing an on-camera intervention for Taylor." Because of that, producers have reportedly brought on Hadid to lighten the mood. "Viewers want to live vicariously through the ladies and not see so much doom and gloom and Yolanda will definitely be shaking things up, for the better!"

As for who will be fighting with whom next season, Kyle tells omg! she's "clear" from the drama for once. "I'm fine with everybody," including Vanderpump despite their spat on the Season 2 reunion, she insists. "Some of the other girls, there's some stuff there."

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