Tinsley Mortimer is having a rough go round this season on The Real Housewives of New York City. Not only is her relationship with Scott Kluth up and down but she is also dealing with the loss of her father.
No longer the newbie on RHONY, Tinsley Mortimer has given viewers more information about her life as she continues to film. While it was known that her father had passed, the circumstances surrounding the tragedy have finally been revealed.
What happened to Tinsley Mortimer’s dad?
George Riley Mercer Jr., Tinsley Mortimer’s father, passed away a little over four years ago. The family had him cremated, and now Dale Mercer often brings his ashes with her when she travels to see Tinsley or her sister Dabney.
In March 2015, George Riley Mercer Jr. lost his life after succumbing to injuries suffered from a drunken fall. Tinsley Mortimer opened up about how there was frontal lobe damage that left nothing to be done. Mercer slipped into a coma and was moved to hospice where he passed away.
Alcohol was a problem for Tinsley Mortimer’s dad
As Tinsley Mortimer was talking to Luann de Lesseps about her father, she revealed that he was an alcoholic. It was a very emotional conversation, one that was difficult for some viewers to watch. Mortimer revealed that the alcohol didn’t kill him directly, but her dad died because of a fall that happened while he was impaired.
It was clear that losing her dad still affects Tinsley Mortimer. She admitted that she had a hard time wrapping her head around what happened to him and why he chose alcohol. When Luann quipped in about it being a disease, Tinsley was not buying it at all.
The Real Housewives of New York airs Wednesday nights at 9/8c on Bravo.