Katie Ginella’s time on Real Housewives of Orange County has come to an end.
The polarizing Bravo star made that announcement on Saturday, January 10, in a statement splashed across a photo of herself on set as she prepared for a confessional-style interview. She made it clear that the decision to end her run on RHOC was not hers. Instead, sharing bluntly that it was a network decision.
Katie Ginella shares her goodbye message for Real Housewives of Orange County fans
Across the photo of herself sitting in front of the famous Real Housewives of Orange County green screen, she wrote, “After two seasons as a cast member on RHOC, the network has decided to move forward with Season 20 without me. While disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising after seeing how Season 19 played out. ”
She continued, “I’m incredibly grateful for the love and support I received — it was seen, felt, and deeply appreciated. Representation matters, and I’m proud to have shown up authentically, even when it wasn’t easy. This chapter may be closing, but my voice and my story don’t end there.”
Katie’s RHOC exit came after a rough Season 19
Katie clashed with many Real Housewives of Orange County cast members during her brief time on the show, and, despite her denials, is widely believed to have been the one who leaked information to a blogger, causing further controversy.
Many RHOC cast members began to distance themselves from Katie after she failed a lie detector test, during which she was asked about the leaked information. That led to Katie being “on pause” for parts of the season .
The rest of the RHOC cast couldn’t avoid Katie at the Season 19 reunion, though, and much of the drama was rehashed along with Katie’s questions about a rumor that Shannon Beador called production to express that she was not comfortable filming with her.
Andy Cohen clarified that the supposed call to production didn’t happen, but that wasn’t enough to temper animosity.
Her husband Matt Ginella’s appearance in the second part of the reunion to confront Gretchen Rossi and Jennifer Pedranti did little to smooth things over, and it was clear that Katie’s relationship with the rest of the cast was irreparable.
Katie Ginella’s fans and friends show support after RHOC firing
Even though Tamra Judge was one of the most vocal RHOC cast members to complain about the blogger leak, she was quick to show support in Katie’s comments section. She wrote, “I love you 🩷 Thankful for our friendship!”
Other Bravo stars also spoke up, including Lisa Hochstein, who left a string of red hearts. RHOSLC newbie Bronwyn Newport wrote, “I am so sad to hear. ❤️”
Katie’s husband made it clear that she still has his support. Matt wrote, “Love you more than ever.🙏 Onward! (With a lot less tears and toxicity.)”
“Honestly shocked! You will be missed,” a fan wrote.
Another chimed in, “still on my Mt.Rushmore of best face cards in Housewives Herstory & Matt on the Mt. Rushmore of house husbands !”
A third showed their support, calling this decision “such a mistake.”
Season 20 of Real Housewives of Orange County is expected to begin filming in mid-February. Andy Cohen has already confirmed Vicki Gunvalson will be back and RHOC rumors indicate that RHONJ alum Jacqueline Laurita may be joining the upcoming season as well.
