The reality TV curse spares no Real Housewives franchise. From Real Housewives of New York City’s Ramona and Mario Singer to Real Housewives of Orange County duo Alexis and Jim Bellino’s surprising, Us Weekly is reliving every Real Housewives couple that filed for divorce after filming the Bravo series.
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.”
Kyle, meanwhile, responded to comments about her marriage to Mauricio Umansky after RHONY’s Jill Zarin suggested she was worried about their union.
“Kyle and Mauricio, I worry. I think they are a really great couple, but I know that [my late husband] Bobby and I after a few years, I felt it. I felt shaky. Not very shaky, but I felt a little shaky and I hope she gets off before anything happens to her and Mauricio,” Jill told Us in June 2020.
The former child actress responded on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen the following month.
“I just think that she was just coming from like, you know, because there is that, you know, supposed, you know, jinx with marriages and the Housewives,” Kyle said. “But we’re going strong, almost 25 years married. But thank you, Jill. I appreciate that.”
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).
Listen to Ramona Singer tell Us Weekly editors what it was like filming season 13 of ROHNY during COVID-19.
“Our relationship and our marriage, and our families, are the most important thing in our lives,” Stephanie Hollman told Us about the lack of divorce in Dallas in 2018. “And I feel like if you do this show and you hold true to what’s important and you don’t let this become your world, and you remember what is your world … which is my husband and my children … you can do it, and do it healthily, in a healthy way.”
The franchise was rocked with its first post-show split in May 2021 when Kary Brittingham announced her divorce from Eduardo Brittinghamat the season 5 reunion.
“Obviously, I’m really scared and I think I was definitely, you know, trying to mask what I was going through and I’m very ashamed of my behavior, my kids seeing that. I really regret it,” she said of her season 5 actions at the time. “I’m thankful to my girlfriends for pointing it out and it really made me take a closer look at what I was going through.”