RHONY: Did Sonja Morgan Really Used To Party With Madonna?
What would "The Real Housewives of New York" be without a little bit of name-dropping? One hilarious drunken rant by cast member Sonja Morgan takes the cake in terms of name-dropping, though — but it also left fans with lingering questions about the extraordinary story.
When "RHONY" first began back in 2008, the reality show was meant to capture the lives of the high society women in the Big Apple. Morgan joined the fabulous cast in Season 3, as she was known for her connections and her fashion career. She had also recently divorced her husband, John Adams Morgan, who was a descendant of banking magnate J.P. Morgan, in 2006.
After a night out on the town during Season 7, Sonja was drunkenly raving to co-star Dorinda Medley about how she "raised millions of dollars for artists" and LGBT charities. Suddenly, she blurted, "I partied with John-John Kennedy and Madonna all the time!" Here, she's referencing John F. Kennedy Jr., who spent much of his life in New York City, the home of his mother, Jackie Kennedy. The subject quickly moved on when Medley responded, "Well, John-John's dead, so." This story left viewers with one question: Did Sonja really use to paint the town red with American royalty "John-John" and global superstar Madonna?
Sonja Morgan used to live it up with Madonna
In a more sober state of mind, "The Real Housewives of New York" star Sonja Morgan actually confirmed and elaborated on her Madonna story. At the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards, which was honoring the "Holiday" singer with the Advocate for Change Award, Morgan recounted her wild NYC nights to Page Six. Recalling her "John-John" quote from "RHONY," the fashion mogul reminisced about her time at the popular 1980s club the Palladium, when she was attending the Fashion Institute of Technology. During the rise of her early music career in the '80s, Madonna also frequented the Manhattan club scene.
"That was back when I was in school before anyone had cell phones," Morgan explained to the publication. "Once you got in the private room, everyone was in the same level. They didn't care what your walk of life was. It was very private. Nobody asked who anybody was." She remembered the "fabulous gays who dressed to the nines with a breastplate or a bustier or a tiara, and looking like Madonna, basically." Considering all of the famous people she has connections to, it wouldn't be a surprise if this story was absolutely true!
Sonja Morgan's co-stars doubted her tale despite her storied life
As it turns out, some of Sonja Morgan's "The Real Housewives of New York" castmates actually thought she was lying about the "John-John" and Madonna story. (Not really the Madonna part, more so the John F. Kennedy Jr. part.) According to Us Weekly, during the Season 7 reunion, co-star Carole Radziwill revealed that her husband was actually JFK Jr.'s cousin, and she exclaimed that "no one who knew him called him 'John-John.'"
Even though Radziwill called her out, Morgan doubled down on her story. "I'm sorry that I offended you talking about John-John, who was my friend," Sonja apologized. "It was a good time in my life. It's when people really knew how to party."
It's truly not unfathomable that Morgan would be friends with this echelon of people, as she's notorious for being well-connected. For example, she was friends with Donald Trump and his first wife Ivana as she came up into the Manhattan social circle in the '90s. The businesswoman also used to date the likes of Prince Albert of Monaco, actor Jack Nicholson, and tennis player John McEnroe.