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Gretchen Rossi’s return to The Real Housewives of Orange County will be a short-lived one.
Gretchen, 47, is not returning for the Bravo reality show’s milestone 20th season, reported Variety on Tuesday, January 27.
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Gretchen and Bravo for comment.
Gretchen made her dramatic return to 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 declined to return to RHOC three times before finally making her comeback this past season.
In a July 2025 interview on the “I Do, Part 2” podcast that “for a long time, it was an absolute no,” citing the criticism she and fiancé Slade Smiley received during her first stint.
“We definitely needed that break. We got scrutinized a lot,” Gretchen said. “This round, they called and approached 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. “Finally, they ended up making an offer that we couldn’t refuse, and we felt good about. That’s why we decided to finally say ‘yes.’ That’s the honest truth.”
Katie Ginella, Tamra Judge, Shannon Storms Beadier, Jennifer Pedranti, Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter Sami Drasin/Danny Ventrella/Bravo
Gretchen’s exit comes just weeks after Katie Ginella confirmed in an Instagram post that she is leaving the show after two seasons.
“After two seasons as a cast member on RHOC, the 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 played out.”
Katie 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 here. Love, Katie.”
Aside from Katie and Gretchen, Variety reports that the rest of the season 19 cast is expected to return for the show’s landmark 20th season, including Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Heather Dubrow, Shannon Storms Beador, Emily Simpson and Jennifer Pedranti.
Tamra Judge’s husband, Eddie Judge, is reacting to The Real Housewives of Orange County’s latest casting decision. “What I learned, particularly from my interview with Joe Gorga about him and his sister [Teresa Giudice] talking again, I realized that we do live in the world where you just don’t need enemies,” Eddie, 52, said on […]
Also returning is OG Housewife Vicki Gunvalson, who was presented with an orange by executive producer Andy Cohen at BravoCon 2025 back in November.
“Vicki, would you join us as a housewife for Season 20?” Andy asked her on stage at The Bravos.
Vicki was a full-time Housewife for the show’s first 13 seasons before returning as a “friend” of the cast during season 14. She announced her exit from the show 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 thank all of you for your support, for your love and for ‘whooping it up’ with me along the way,” the reality star wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
Vicki, 63, is currently filming The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, a 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 Jersey’s Teresa Giudice.
