Gretchen Rossithe return to The Real Housewives of Orange County will be short-lived.
Gretchen, 47, will not return for the 20th season of the Bravo reality show, reported Variety on Tuesday January 27.
Us every week has reached out to reps for Gretchen and Bravo for comment.
Gretchen made her spectacular return has RHOC in season 19, this time in a “friend” role, after five seasons as a full-time housewife from 2008 to 2013. She also appeared as a guest during season 12 in 2017.
Gretchen previously revealed how she refused to return to RHOC three times before finally making his comeback last season.
In a July 2025 interview on the “I Do, Part 2” podcast, that “for a long time, it was an absolute no”, citing criticism that she and fiance Slade Smiley received during its first visit.
“We definitely needed this break. We were under a lot of scrutiny,” Gretchen said. “This time around, they called us and came up to us. When they called, I actually said ‘No.’
“I honestly said no three times. They kept making offers and I said, ‘No, no, no,'” she continued. “Eventually, they ended up making an offer we couldn’t refuse, and we felt good about it. That’s why we decided to finally say ‘yes.’ It’s the honest truth.
Katie Ginella, Tamra Judge, Shannon Storms Beadier, Jennifer Pedranti, Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter
Sami Drasin/Danny Ventrella/BravoGretchen’s departure comes just weeks after Katie Ginella confirmed in an Instagram post that she is leaving the series after two seasons.
“After two seasons as an actor on RHOCthe network has decided to move forward with season 20 without me,” Katie wrote via Instagram on January 9. “While disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising after seeing how season 19 went.”
Katie continued, “I am incredibly grateful for the love and support I have received – it has been seen, felt and deeply appreciated. Representation matters, and I’m proud to have been my authentic self, even though it hasn’t been easy. This chapter may be coming to an end, but my voice and my story don’t stop there. Love, Katie.”
Besides Katie and Gretchen, Variety reports that the rest of the season 19 cast is expected to return for the series’ historic 20th season, including Judge Tamra, Gina Kirschenheiter, Heather Dubrow, Shannon storms Beador, Emily Simpson And Jennifer Pedranti.
Tamra Judge’s husband Eddie Judge reacts to The Real Housewives of Orange County’s latest casting decision. “What I learned, including from my interview with Joe Gorga about him and his sister [Teresa Giudice] talking again, I realized that we live in a world where you just don’t need enemies,” Eddie, 52, said on […]
Also the comeback is OG Housewife Vicki Gunvalsonwho was given an orange by the executive producer Andy Cohen at BravoCon 2025 in November.
“Vicki, would you like to join us as a housewife for season 20? » asked Andy on stage at Bravos.
Vicki was a full-time housewife for the first 13 seasons of the series before returning as a “friend” of the cast during season 14. She announced her exit from the series in January 2020.
“I will always be the OG of the OC, but it’s time to say goodbye to The Real Housewives of Orange County. It’s been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want to thank you all for your support, for your love, and for ‘shouting’ with me along the way,” the reality star wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
Vicki, 63, is currently filming The Ultimate Real Housewives Girls’ Trip: Roaring 20tha celebration of 20 years of The Real Housewives franchise. Other stars include The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ Kyle Richards And The Real Housewives of New JerseyIt is Teresa Giudice.
