Dorinda Medley ( Cinkala; born December 13, 1964)[1][2] is an American television personality. She is best known as a cast member on the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City, in which she starred from 2015 to 2020.
Early life
Medley was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to John and Diane Cinkala.[3] She graduated from Berkshire School in 1983 and Franklin & Marshall College in 1986.[4][5]
Career
After college, Medley began working at Liz Claiborne in Manhattan.[3] She later moved to London and launched a cashmere brand, DCL Cashmere.[6] In 2015, she joined the American reality television show The Real Housewives of New York City.[7][8] She remained on the show for six seasons, from 2015 to 2020.[9][10] In 2021, she published a memoir titled Make It Nice.[11]
In 2022 and 2023, she starred in the second and fourth seasons of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.[12] In 2024, it was announced that she would compete in the third season of The Traitors.[13][14] She was the first person to be "murdered" by the Traitors and therefore the first candidate eliminated from the competition.[15][16] In June 2025, she was revealed to be returning for the series' fourth season.[17][18] In November 2025, she appeared on Celebrity Weakest Link, finishing in fifth place.
Personal life
While working in New York City, Medley met her first husband, Ralph Lynch. They had one child, a daughter named Hannah.[6][19] Medley married Richard Medley, a hedge fund advisor, in 2005; he died in 2011 at the age of 60.[5] She dated entrepreneur John Mahdessian for seven years, separating in September 2019.[20]
Bibliography
References
- Dorinda Medley. Cat's Out of the Bag! Friday the 13th I’m officially 60🎉 Thank you for all my Blessings #happybirthday #blessed #happy #🎂 13 December 2024, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Brad Witter. Dorinda Medley On Her New Book & Whether She'd Ever Go Back To 'RHONY' Bustle, 3 May 2021, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Lindsey Hollenbaugh. Dorinda Medley may have been a 'Real Housewife of New York City', but she'll always be a Berkshires housewife first The Berkshire Eagle, 13 August 2021, retrieved 24 October 2023^
- Megan Tady. Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2020 Berkshire Bulletin, 2020, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Jane Holahan. New 'Real Housewife' of New York went to Franklin & Marshall LNP, 6 April 2015, retrieved 23 October 2023^
- Richard Pérez-Feria. Dorinda Medley Gets Real: The Breakout Star Of Bravo's 'Real Housewives Of New York City' Spends A Day In Saratoga Saratoga Living, 2 October 2019, retrieved 23 October 2023^
- Amanda Michelle Steiner. Dorinda Medley Joins the Cast of The Real Housewives of New York City People, March 2, 2015, retrieved March 4, 2015^
- Sara Bibel. 'The Real Housewives of New York' Season 7 to Premiere Tuesday, April 7 on Bravo TV by the Numbers, March 2, 2015, retrieved March 4, 2015^
- Desiree Murphy. Dorinda Medley Announces She's Leaving RHONY, Co-Stars React Entertainment Tonight, CBS Interactive, August 25, 2020, retrieved August 26, 2020^
- Jodi Guglielmi. Dorinda Medley Is Leaving Real Housewives of New York City: 'What a Journey This Has Been' People, Meredith Corporation, August 25, 2020, retrieved August 26, 2020^
- Mary Sollosi. Dorinda Medley on reliving heartbreak and 'Housewives' in memoir 'Make It Nice' Entertainment Weekly, 19 August 2021, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Lester Fabian Brathwaite. Dorinda Medley on making it nice on 'The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club' Entertainment Weekly, 23 June 2022, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Armando Tinoco. 'The Traitors' Season 3 Cast: 'Big Brother,' 'Real Housewives,' 'Survivor,' & 'Vanderpump Rules' Stars Set For Peacock Competition Deadline, 5 June 2024, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Michaela Zee, Ellise Shafer. 'The Traitors' Season 3 Cast Revealed: Tom Sandoval, Chrishell Stause, Sam Asghari to Participate in Peacock Competition Series Variety, 5 June 2024, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Inga Parkel. Furious Traitors US fans say first murder is 'a misstep' The Independent, 10 January 2025, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Stephanie McNeal. Dorinda Medley on Her Shocking Fate on The Traitors and What Fans Missed Out On Glamour, 10 January 2025, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Nicole Fell. 'The Traitors' Season 4 Cast Includes Donna Kelce, Dorinda Medley, Lisa Rinna and More The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2025, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Emily Longeretta. 'The Traitors' Season 4 Cast: Michael Rapaport, Donna Kelce, Dorinda Medley and More Set to Compete Deadline, 13 June 2025, retrieved 16 June 2025^
- Anastasia Stanmeyer. Dorinda Medley's new book has a lot to do with the Berkshires Berkshire Magazine, 1 August 2021, retrieved 23 October 2023^
- Dave Quinn. RHONY's Dorinda Medley Talks 'Terrible' Split from John Mahdessian: 'Endings Are Painful' People, 14 May 2020, retrieved 25 December 2023^