From Brandi Glanville to Lisa Rinna, long-time Housewives fans will know there’s been a LOT of drama that caused former cast members to sever any and all ties to the Bravo network.
Whether they were fired by Bravo or simply decided to leave on their own terms, some Real Housewives stars aren’t afraid to speak out on the drama. So, who has decided to leave Housewives behind?
Lisa Rinna left RHOBH – but still talks to the cast
Lisa Rinna was on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for eight seasons. However, she made it a personal decision to leave the Bravo show, which influenced by a dream about her late mother.
She said her mother was telling her it was time to leave, and was pretty vocal about wanting to pursue other opportunities and that her contract had ended with the season.
Since then, Lisa has been on many magazine covers, but it hasn’t taken attention away from speculation she left because of her ongoing argument with current cast member, Kathy Hilton.
Brandi Glanville was done after RHUGT
Brandi Glanville has been furious with Bravo since she filmed The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. She was originally brought on as a full-time cast member on RHOBH from season 3 through 5.
Her contract for RHOBH was not renewed in 2015 after she made comments about The Real Housewives of Miami star Joanna Krupa on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, but had a comeback on RHUGT just a few years ago.
Brandi faced an allegation of sexual abuse made by Caroline Manzo, which she denied. The Housewives season was not aired, but involved them going to Morocco.
Jennifer Aydin was cut off after an incident
Jennifer Aydin was dropped from the line-up for a Real Housewives cruise after a controversial incident at Jersey Mike’s. A viral rant by an employee made out she was rude, but claims she was “not rude at all.”
She received backlash for allegedly mistreating airport staff over the New Year. Video footage was released of the incident, in which Jennifer appears to have a meltdown over ordering food.
Jennifer called the 80-year-old employee “slow” and “rude” but has since said the simple complaint turned into a public battle, saying she’s “just a mom who was trying to get sandwiches.”
Crystal Kung Minkoff didn’t have a storyline
Crystal Kung Minkoff wasn’t invited back to RHOBH after three seasons. Speculation has it that she simply didn’t have a storyline and was there let go from the show, with producers wanting to move on.
She made history as the first Asian cast member on the Real Housewives franchise, but after season 13, Crystal said she was ready to “take time away,” while her co-star Annemarie Wiley was also let go.
It’s believed she was devastated about having to leave and told SiriusXM: “I think for me, my family is the most important job, and the show is tough. It reveals a lot, and I want to be protective of my kids. I’ve always had boundaries and I think that’s always been their [Bravo] struggle.”
She added: “I text the girls on the show and told them they deserve a bazillion dollars for how much they give. It was a good decision. I didn’t call them, I didn’t quit, we were going through the motions.”
Jennie Nguyen was fired for racist posts
Jennie Nguyen was fired by Bravo for writing racist posts. The former star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City‘s deactivated Facebook page was uncovered, in which she wrote racially insensitive posts.
The posts saw her support White Lives Matter and anti-vaccination opinions, which led to her firing in 2022. The posts had been sent out in 2020, but Nguyen has since defended being labelled as racist.
She’s apologized and admitted the posts were “very insensitive,” but backed her decision to “support my political stance.” Jennie said it “doesn’t really matter” if she or a team member posted the messages.
Nene Leakes left over a contract dispute
Nene Leakes left The Real Housewives of Atlanta in season 12 over a contract dispute. She announced her departure in a YouTube video on September 17, 2020, much to the disappointment of viewers.
She’s clarified she wasn’t axed from the show and that it was a personal decision. Nene has also explained she was in negotiations to return but they simply couldn’t agree on a contract.
Nene described the process as “extremely long, exhausting, and tiring,” but has since focused on becoming a new mother and working on other entrepreneurial business projects.
Denise Richards
Denise Richards starred on RHOBH on season 9 and 10, but it was announced she wouldn’t be returning for season 11. The actress and mother made the decision in early September 2020.
She and Bravo were unable to reach an agreement on her contract for the next season. Denise wanted to spend more time with her family, including her husband, Aaron Phypers, who she married in 2018.
Denise had a lot of drama with Kyle Richards in season 10, which fuelled the show’s ratings. It came after Brandi Glanville claimed Kyle and Denise had a one night stand, which led to lots of arguing.
Denise repeatedly denied Brandi’s claims, explaining she’d be open if that was ever the case. When she left, Andy Cohen said, “I’m just sad we couldn’t reach an agreement for next season.”
Monique Samuels
After a physical fight with her co-star, Candiace Dillard Bassett, it was game over for Monique Samuels. She decided to leave The Real Housewives of Potomac as a result, after Monique pulled Candiace down.
Samuels was charged with second-degree assault, while Bassett also faced assault charges, but they were dismissed. Monique has since said she is over reality TV and values her family’s opinion.
LeeAnne Locken
LeeAnne Locken left The Real Housewives of Dubai in 2020 after feeling like she was constantly the “target” of drama. After four seasons, it was a personal decision to prioritize her life outside of the show.
She often had drama with Dandra, which never led to being patched up. Andy Cohen has always credited LeeAnne for making the show successful in the first place – and it hasn’t been the same without her.
LeeAnne has since been working closely with charities, and even chopped off five inches from her hair! Just over a year after her departure, RHOD was canceled after five seasons.
Caroline Manzo
Caroline Manzo left The Real Housewives of New Jersey after season 5. She was sick of being involved in drama, and wanted to focus on her family spin-off series, Manzo’d with Children, at the time.
She felt the show was becoming too negative and didn’t align with her personal values. Caroline has zero intentions of ever returning to the franchise, but had a brief comeback on RHUGT.
That was back in 2013, but has since been embroiled in drama with Brandi Glanville. When she left, she wrote on a Bravo blog post, “For me, peace and integrity cannot be bought with money or fame.”
Dorinda Medley
Dorinda Medley was let go from The Real Housewives of New York City, but it wasn’t her decision. After six seasons, she had to wave goodbye to the long-running show in August 2020.
She said she was ready to return, but Bravo did not ask her, and has since been on season 2 of RHUGT, as well as The Traitors US. When she left, she wrote, “What a journey this has been.”
Dorinda added, “I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice…But all things must come to an end.” She also has a SiriusXM show called Reality Checked, where she discusses Bravo shows.
