By Wonderwall.com Editors
11:06am PDT, Apr 16, 2022
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"Ninety-nine percent of the people that leave the 'Housewives' [shows] have been fired," former "The Real Housewives of New York City" star Bethenny Frankel said on her podcast in 2020. "Ninety-nine percent have been fired and kind of lie about it." But there are some "Real Housewives" franchise stars who have publicly disclosed that their departure from Bravo was not their own choice — and Wonderwall.com is going through the archives to see which ladies have admitted to getting the ax, starting with Brandi Glanville… Brandi's had trouble keeping her story straight when it comes to her 2015 exit from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." In her column in Australia's NW Magazine, Brandi wrote, "[Lisa Vanderpump] was like the first to email after I got fired, which was very weird. I was shocked, it was very unexpected." But she also told radio host Howard Stern, "They're saying I got fired, and I'm in the process of moving, trying to rent a house for my two children, and no one will rent to me because they don't think I have a job," adding, "I didn't want to do the show again. I took so much heat. I was doing things to my own detriment that I couldn't explain like throwing wine in someone's face."
Keep reading to see more "Real Housewives" stars who've been fired…
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"I'm not cheap Andy, and that's why I got fired," the "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Tamra Judge admitted to network exec and host Andy Cohen in 2020. "It's kind of like a death. I've been in the Bravo family for 12 years. I'm a red-headed stepchild now. It is what it is. It's a very long run. I've been crying for three days. I haven't slept or eaten. But I'll be alright."
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In August 2020, Dorinda Medley announced that she would not be returning to "The Real Housewives of New York City." A few weeks later, she confirmed she'd been fired. "I was ready to go back. I was excited about going back. I was planning on going back, and I thought I would have a great year," she said on Bethenny Frankel's podcast. "I wasn't given that option." Dorinda, who appeared on seasons 7 through 12, had a rough go her final season as she endured a public breakup and dealt with flooding at her vacation home. "I probably should have taken a year off," Dorinda admitted, adding, "I had a rough season, but that's what we do as Housewives. We have good seasons, we have bad seasons."
RELATED: See "Real Housewives" stars then and now
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In 2017, Phaedra Parks got a pink slip from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" after it was revealed that she was the source of vicious rumors about the cast. At the time, TMZ reported that Phaedra had spread a rumor to Porsha Williams claiming that their co-star Kandi Burruss and her husband, Todd Tucker, were planning to drug Porsha and then take advantage of her sexually. Even though the content never aired, Bravo reportedly found the whole situation so distasteful that execs decided they could no longer have her on the show.
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Monique Samuels was forced to exit "The Real Housewives of Potomac" after getting into a physical altercation with fellow housewife Candiace Dillard — and her castmates allegedly subsequently refused to film with her. "It was probably the most intense season since we've been on the show. I mean, it started out very fun and light, and now it's like, heavy, and the hate is very real," she told FOX in 2020. "I'm done, I've had enough, and I'm moving on with my life."
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Joyce Giraud joined "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" for season 4 and only lasted for that single season. When pressed on why Joyce's tenure was so brief — as was that of Carlton Gebbia, who joined and exited along with her — Bravo's Andy Cohen later alluded to the fact that the departure wasn't her choice on "Watch What Happens Live: After Show," "I think Carlton and Joyce would've been great on their own but the problem is that they didn't have existing connections to the group."
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In 2014 after one season on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Carlton Gebbia was let go following a drama-filled season 4. "I sort of look at it as a blessing in disguise," Carlton — a Wiccan who feuded with Kyle Richards during her run — told E! News at the time. "I would like to go into a show and not have to watch the knives coming at my back. That would be great!"
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LeeAnne Locken announced her departure from "The Real Housewives of Dallas" after season 4, and it seemed obvious that the network had no choice but to part ways with her after she made racist comments about Kary Brittingham during the cast's trip to Thailand. "I'm not perfect, and I made a ton of mistakes on that show. But I grew a ton on that show. I hoped that the audience saw me grow and grew with me," she said on the Chanel in the City podcast.
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"The Real Housewives of New York" endured a cast shakeup for season 5 when Aviva Drescher joined the show. She continued on for season 6 — during the finale episode, she famously removed her prosthetic leg and threw it at a party after her castmates claimed she faked an illness to skip cast trips. She was not invited back. Carole Radziwill, who joined the show when Aviva did, spoke to BuzzFeed about Aviva's desperation to stay on the franchise. "Aviva's asthma thing is just, like — it's hard to take her asthma seriously because her husband at one point called the production team, the executive producer, and said, 'I'll get her to Montana in exchange for a guarantee that she'll be on next season,'" Carole claimed. "The executive producer told me, Ramona and Sonja that in Montana. So it's like, we're hearing that, behind-the-scenes, back-door deals. So it's not like we're horrible, insensitive women that are calling her a liar. It's like, No, this is actually what's going on."
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Amber Marchese and husband Jim did not make many friends during their single-season stint on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" for season 6. "The show was not what we expected it to be, and I want to pursue more suitable endeavors," she told People magazine after news of her departure broke. "I was picked on a casting call while pursuing acting and the person that was presented was created for the show. I had little control over content, situations or what they decide to show the viewers." Amber added that she had created no real relationships with the women. "I only met with Teresa Giudice and Dina Manzo for filming purposes. I never built a friendship with them as we were nothing more than co-workers. I wish them all well and the best of luck, although my husband does not share my sentiments."
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"Ultimately I got fired because of myself. I'm the one who got myself fired," Kelly Dodd admitted of her "The Real Housewives of Orange County" farewell on "Jeff Lewis Live" in 2021. Kelly explained that she asked Bravo executives if the decision had been "political" (one of Kelly's most controversial comments was when she called the COVID-19 pandemic "God's way of thinning the herd" on "Watch What Happens Live") and said the network claimed it was just going in a different direction. Her new husband, Rick Leventhal, came to her defense on the SiriusXM show. "There's no one more popular than her. Even if people hate her, they love to hate her. They love to watch her. She was the brightest spark on that show. I have to say, when that phone call came I was very surprised because even though she's so controversial, she's still great television."
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In January 2022, Bravo announced that it had fired Jennie Nguyen from "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" after her past racially insensitive social media posts about the Black Lives Matter movement resurfaced. "We recognize we failed to take appropriate action once her offensive social media posts were brought to our attention," the network announced. "Moving forward, we will work to improve our processes to ensure we make better informed and more thoughtful casting decisions." On Instagram, Jennie took full responsibility and accountability for the posts though still defended herself. "My viewpoint during that time in 2020 was emotional and it brings back a lot of memories during that time when we went through such a tragic, terrible year," she shared. "I want you to understand that my political stance, I still support that. I'm very proud to be a Republican. I am proud to be able to say I have the freedom of speech too, and to have an opinion. I don't tolerate violence but I do support my law enforcement. … But I do support my law enforcement, but that doesn't make me racist. To support my political stance, that does not make me a racist. I want you to understand that."
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In 2011, Cindy Barshop was cut from "The Real Housewives of New York City" in a mass firing. In a statement, Bravo called the exits "friendly," though the relationships between the "RHONY" stars were anything but. "Following the reunion it was clear that the women genuinely didn't like each other anymore," Cindy, who solely appeared on season 4, told ABC.
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Braunwyn Windham-Burke's exit from "The Real Housewives of Orange County" was a tearful one. "I was at the beach with a friend and the showrunner said, 'Hey, are you free?' … He called and just said, 'Hey, you know, Bravo is not renewing your contract. They decided to go a different direction,'" she shared on the "Reality Life with Kate Casey" podcast. "I just sat down on the ground and cried. I didn't want to break down in public. But I kind of just sat down behind my car and I just cried." Braunwyn — who came out as a gay six months before being let go — was eager to discuss her sexuality on the show. "I was really excited that we were finally going to have a gay Housewife," she shared. Unfortunately it was her journey to sobriety that ultimately led Andy Cohen to realize that it was time for her to exit. "She was going through some really serious life stuff on the show and she didn't shy away from sharing it with us, which I always appreciate," he said on "Radio Andy." "You know, that being said, listening to her at the reunion made me … and the other producers feel like, you know what, maybe at this moment in time being on TV wasn't the healthiest spot for [her] and her family."
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When Alex McCord was kicked off "The Real Housewives of New York City" in 2011, she blamed co-star Jill Zarin. "She's a manipulator and she's very good at feeding information to her own end," Alex said on "Good Morning America." "She has been trying to get me off the show for a number of years. She succeeded." Alex, who was at the center of her final, drama-filled season, admitted she was disappointed about being axed. "You never want it to be someone else's decision that you're not coming back," she said. "So sure, it felt like being laid off. And that didn't feel good."
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Kelly Bensimon was part of a major cast shakeup on "The Real Housewives of New York" after season 4. She's since claimed that Bravo exec Andy Cohen is not a fan of hers. "Andy doesn't really like me that much 'cause I'm like, the real deal. Maybe he doesn't like me because I was in Playboy. Maybe he doesn't like me because I got the cover of Shape," she said on the "Out in the Wild" podcast in 2019, eight years after she left the show.
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After three seasons, Teddi Mellencamp's time was up on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2020. "Recently found out that my contract as a housewife is not being renewed," the accountability coach, who had been at the center of drama for her last two seasons, shared on her Instagram Stories at the time. "Thank you Bravo, Evolution, Andy Cohen, and all of the amazing women for the support (and the shade) for the past three years. Back to the shadows I go." Andy applauded her straightforward announcement. "Teddi Mellencamp released what I thought was one of the most no-BS 'I'm leaving' announcements on record," he said on "Radio Andy." "I thought that was really good. She's an accountability coach. So she checked herself." Andy also denied that she was let go because of anything to do with her business and potentially dangerous weight loss methods. "One had absolutely nothing to do with the other," he said on his SiriusXM show.
