'RHONY' Star Dorinda Medley Clarifies Those Marriage Comments That Hurt Boyfriend John Mahdessian (Exclusive)

Dorinda Medley wants to clarify some controversial comments she made about marriage.

The "Real Housewives of New York" star spoke exclusively to TooFab about having her statements "misconstrued" and what her unconventional relationship with longtime boyfriend John Mahdessian is really like.

During a recent episode of the Bravo series, the 54-year-old divorced and widowed mother of one said she believed that "past a certain age, people should not be allowed to be married. It's for the young. They have tolerance, they have dreams, they want babies. You get to my age, and it's the opposite. I don't even want a plant in my house."

When we caught up with Dorinda in New York this week, she maintained her stance while also providing some clarification.

"Marriage is for the young!" she said, noting she was speaking from her experience only. "Listen, I've been married, divorced, married, widowed, okay? I've sort of seen it, done it. I just think at this point in my life, it's more about having someone you trust and love and a wonderful companion. I don't know if it's necessary -- without children and without all of those sort of old-world ideas of marriage -- to have to formalize it in that way."

"I probably am more married to John in a lot of ways than most people," she continued, noting that she and her dry-cleaner-to-the-stars partner have been together for seven years. "I consider it a healthy relationship. It's a unique relationship -- it doesn't follow all the guidelines of a typical relationship -- but it works for us, and we're happy. At 54, I personally don't feel like [marriage] is something I need to do."

"Believe me, I know a lot of married people that are less happy than John and I," she added.

Still, Dorinda told Page Six John was "a little hurt" by her initial comments.

Dorinda's always been quite reserved about her relationship with John. When her daughter, Hannah, used to live with her, Dorinda had a no-sleepover rule. But even now that Hannah's moved out, Dorinda still feels she and John need their separate living quarters. She likes it that way, and as she's said numerous times on the show, it works for them.

Dorinda was married to Hannah's father, Ralph Lynch, for about 10 years before they divorced. In 2005, she married financier Dr. Richard Medley, but he died of liver failure in 2011. Like Dorinda said, she's seen it all and done it all -- and that's exactly the type of content she'll be discussing on her new SiriusXM radio show, "Make It Nice."

"It's making it nice, talking all things Dorinda," she told us. "Lifestyle, mother-daughter relationships, difficulties you go through, finances, stains."

But one topic Dorinda doesn't plan to touch upon is her role on the hit reality show.

"We're not doing anything 'Housewives.' Nothing," she confirmed. "And I was very clear about that because I want this to be a different side of me. I want the world to see a different side of me."

"First I was a daughter, then I was a wife, then I was a single mom, then I was a wife again, then a widow," she explained. "I've always had all these roles, and this is the first thing -- along with 'Housewives' -- that's all mine. It's very different, and I think it separates me out a little bit from the other Housewives."

The six-episode series named after one of Dorinda's most iconic lines will run weekly on Radio Andy.

"The Real Housewives of New York" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

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