Actress Leah Remini has joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for its upcoming 16th season on the cable network Bravo.
Remini, 56, confirmed her casting in an Instagram post on Wednesday by sharing a news report from Variety with the caption, "It's true!!"
Sources told TMZ on Wednesday that Remini signed with talent agency William Morris Endeavor prior to making her reality television move.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is an American reality television series that follows the personal and professional lives of affluent women in California. The show airs on Bravo, a basic cable television network owned by NBCUniversal that focuses on lifestyle and pop culture programming.
Personal changes and career history
Remini's decision to join the Bravo reality franchise comes approximately two years after she finalized her divorce from her former husband Angelo Pagan following a 21-year marriage.
The move also comes 13 years after her 2013 departure from Scientology, an organization she has publicly campaigned against in the years following her split.
Before venturing into reality television, Remini built a long career as an actress, starring as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens from 1998 to 2007 alongside co-star Kevin James.
Representatives for both Remini and Bravo were reached by the Daily Mail for further comment on the story.
Fan reactions and celebrity support
The announcement generated widespread excitement among longtime fans of the reality series across social media.
One viewer wrote, "As someone who has watched real housewives for the past 20 years, and grew up on King Of Queens, this is insane!!"
Another user declared, "I guess I'm going back to watching housewives after a 10 year hiatus," while a third commenter stated, "RHOBH was not one of those I watched. UNTIL THIS NEWS."
A fourth commenter added that "The show just gained another viewer."
Several prominent television personalities also celebrated Remini's casting online. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga wrote, "Omg!!! I am beyond excited for this!!!!"
Former Jersey Shore star Snooki called Remini a "Queen!!!!" while former Dancing with the Stars professional Peta Murgatroyd posted, "Yessssssss! I cannot wait for this."
An official post from The King of Queens social media account also reacted to the news, writing, "Oh boy, do we know a thing or two about this housewife."
Season 16 cast and production timeline
Remini will join incumbent full-time cast members Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, Bozoma Saint John, Sutton Stracke and Rachel Zoe for season 16, according to the report from Variety.
Kathy Hilton and Jennifer Tilly are also slated to appear during the season as friends of the main cast. The previous season 15 lineup featured Sutton Stracke, Rachel Zoe, Bozoma Saint John, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards and Amanda Frances.
Remini is not the only new addition to the Beverly Hills show. Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles star Tracy Tutor announced she was joining the cast in an Instagram post on August 19.
"Well… the secret's officially out," Tutor wrote. "I'm joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and I could not be more excited for this next chapter."
Tutor continued, "Beverly Hills is home. I've raised my girls here, built my career here, and now apparently I've decided to let you all even further into my life."
She concluded her statement by saying, "Excited? Very. Nervous? A little. Likely to get into some trouble? Absolutely. So what's left to say but, Let's f***ing go."
Production on the new season of the show has already commenced. Multiple cast members recently traveled to Ghana to attend the August 21 wedding of Bozoma Saint John and Keely Watson.
Remini is scheduled to begin filming her scenes for the series this week in Southern California.
