Leah Remini Is Heading to Beverly Hills for ‘Real Housewives’ Season 16

Leah Remini is trading in her sitcom roots for the drama-filled world of reality television. The Emmy-winning actress, famous for her nine-season run on “The King of Queens,” is officially joining “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as a full-time cast member for the show’s 16th season, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Remini herself announced the news on social media, confirming what insiders have been buzzing about as production on the new season kicks into gear.

Remini will be joining returning favorites Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Bozoma Saint John, Sutton Stracke, and Rachel Zoe. She’s not the only fresh face heading to Bravo’s flagship franchise, though. Tracy Tutor, the well-known real estate personality from “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” is also signing on for Season 16.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Tilly and Kathy Hilton are set to pop up in recurring “friend of the Housewives” roles, while Amanda Frances—who appeared last season won’t be back for round 16.

Remini has been a fixture on television for decades. Her breakout role as Carrie Heffernan on “The King of Queens” ran from 1998 to 2007, making her a household name. But in recent years, she’s successfully pivoted to unscripted television.

She hosted the TLC reality series “Leah Remini: It’s All Relative,” which documented her family life from 2014 to 2015. More notably, she served as executive producer and host of the Emmy-winning documentary series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” a three-season deep dive into her experiences with Scientology and interviews with former members. The series earned her two Emmy Awards.

Bravo hasn’t announced an official premiere date for Season 16 just yet, but production is already rolling. With Remini’s established Hollywood pedigree and previous reality TV experience, insiders expect her to bring a different energy to the Beverly Hills mix one that could shake up the usual dynamics of luxury, friendship drama, and high-stakes conflict the franchise is known for.