Eboni K. Williams says there’s another reason why ‘Real Housewives of New York’ is lower in the ratings – and it has nothing to do with her

• Eboni K. Williams has been criticized by fans and castmates of making the show "too woke."
• The first Black castmember of "RHONY" said she shouldn't be to blame for the ratings dip.
• Williams told Insider that fans shouldn't blame the ratings "of a 13-year series to a freshman talent."
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Eboni K. Williams rejects theories that she's solely responsible for the sharp ratings drop on "The Real Housewives of New York."

"From my experience in television, any expectation to carry ratings around a program will go to the veteran talent. So I think it's nonsense to correlate the ratings performance of a 13-year series to a freshman talent," she told Insider in an interview last month. "I just don't buy it."

Reports circulated last month that "RHONY," which also stars Sonja Morgan, Leah McSweeney, Ramona Singer, and Luann de Lesseps, had a steep ratings decline.

Some fans on social media have criticized the newest apple holder, who became the first Black cast member on the series this season, for attempting to make the show "too woke."

"Television ratings are down across the board," said Williams before referring to ratings as "a story that more accurately reflects the viewing habits of our nation."

"People are not watching appointment television the way they used to two or even three years ago. That's the reality," she added.

Indeed, ratings for Bravo's one-time most-watched franchise, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," have dropped as well along with every major program, including the Olympics, and awards shows like the Oscars, Emmys, and the Grammys.

For "RHONY," which airs on Tuesday nights, Williams believes ratings were impacted by the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, triggered by the widespread availability of vaccines.

"The other reality is 'RHONY's' ratings were disproportionately up last season because the series premiered in April of 2020, which was literally the inauguration, like the kickoff of the lockdown of a national and global lockdown. People literally had nowhere else to go," Williams said. "The world literally started to open up exactly when we premiered [this year]."

Williams pushed back on fellow castmembers calling her events boring, saying they knew they were getting 'an education'

While cameras rolled, fellow castmember Ramona Singer and Luann de Lesseps criticized Williams, saying they didn't want to be educated every time they spent time with her.

When Williams hosted a Harlem-themed party that detailed some elements of Black history, the two complained of the surprise lecture in confessionals.

Williams told Insider that her castmates were aware of what the evening would entail.

"They knew exactly what to expect. I let them know that there would be learning about the history of iconic Harlem," she said. "I told them verbally in the invitation."

The talk show host referenced Morgan's choice to tote her reading glasses to the event as evidence that the women were aware they would be learning throughout the evening.

"If you look back at the scene, you'll see her putting them on," said Williams of Morgan. "She knew she was going to get an education."

Williams noted that other cast members have hosted educational events about their cultures, interests, and experiences that were not met with the same reaction.

"Sonja Morgan took everybody to Philadelphia to go to the Morgan library and hear the history of John P. Morgan [and the] family legacy, which is great, that's considered interesting."

"So it's only when ... it's accompanied by this Black American education, now the event becomes boring," she said, adding that it "tells me what you're bored by is the learning and education of Black American life."

"The Real Housewives of New York" airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.