The reality TV curse spares no Real Housewives franchise.
Several Real Housewives duos who have called it quits over the years renewed their vows on their respective franchise before they filed for divorce, contributing to a “reality TV curse.” Dorit Kemsley, for her part, told Us Weekly in April 2021 that Kyle Richards warned her not to say “I do” again on the show.
“[Kyle told me] anyone that she knows that’s renewed their vows, like, their marriages went on to get divorced,” Dorit told Us, noting that her costar’s words have “stuck” with her. “Even though I’m a big believer that, you know, much like on Housewives, they say that there’s the marriage curse on Housewives and there’s divorce that happens when they join. I think if you have a strong marriage, then that’s what stands the test of time.”
While Dorit and her husband, PK Kemsley, are still together, Kyle and Mauricio Umansky split in July 2023 after 27 years together. While they’ve yet to file for divorce, the estranged couple’s breakup news was one of the most surprising splits in Housewives history.
For several years, The Real Housewives of Dallas was the only franchise without any splits (until The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City debuted in 2020).
The franchise was rocked with its first post-show split in May 2021 when Kary Brittingham announced her divorce from Eduardo Brittingham at the season 5 reunion.
Keep scrolling to see which other Real Housewives couples have filed for divorce after an appearance on the show:
Credit: Courtesy of Denise Richards / Instagram
Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum and Phypers split in July 2025 after six years of marriage.
Phypers filed for divorce and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind the split. The news came just three months after the pair starred in a Bravo reality show about their family life titled Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.
Richards previously appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for two seasons. Phypers would often film during family events.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Teddi Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave
Teddi announced in November 2024 that she decided to file for divorce from Arroyave after being married for 13 years. The pair share three children: Slate, Dove and Cruz.
“After a great deal of care and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce,” she wrote via Instagram. “My priority is my children and ensuring that every care is taken with their privacy and wellbeing throughout this new chapter.”
She continued, “Making a public statement is not something I wanted to do, but in an effort to protect my family from undue speculation and rumors, I felt being open, honest and vulnerable was the best path forward.”
Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
Alexia Nepola and Todd Nepola
The Real Housewives of Miami stars called it quits in April 2024, Us Weekly confirmed.
Alexia and Todd were married for nearly three years before he filed for divorce. The breakup news came one month after the duo presented a united front on the RHOM season 6 reunion.
Credit: Courtesy of Monique Samuels/Instagram
Monique Samuels and Chris Samuels
After more than a decade of marriage, Monique filed for divorce from the former NFL player in June 2023.
While the Real Housewives of Potomac alum previously shut down split rumors in various social media posts in late 2022, the former couple, who share kids Christopher, Milani and Chase, admitted at the time that they were going through a rough patch. Monique and Chris' ups and downs were filmed for Love & Marriage: DC earlier that year.
Credit: Courtesy of Kim Zolciak-Biermann/Instagram
Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann
After their first meeting was captured on season 3 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Zolciak and Biermann fell in love and documented their wedding on a spinoff titled Don’t Be Tardy for the Wedding. The special resulted in a new series — Don’t Be Tardy — and followed the birth of their four kids and Biermann adopting Zolciak’s eldest daughters from previous relationships, Brielle and Ariana.
Don’t Be Tardy was canceled in May 2021 after eight seasons and two years later, news broke that Zolciak and Biermann had filed for divorce after nearly 12 years of marriage.
“The financial burdens have been a strain on their relationship,” an insider told Us at the time. “Between the tax debt and other financial stresses, it’s been difficult. The tax debt was the straw that broke the camel’s back in their marriage.”
