Gretchen Rossi’s dramatic return to The Real Housewives of Orange County in Season 19 had fans buzzing, but according to her, it almost didn’t happen.
“There’s always been rumblings and talks,” Gretchen, 46, revealed during the July 27 episode of iHeartRadio’s I Do, Part 2 podcast. But despite the ongoing speculation, she said her answer was firm for years. “For a long time, it was an absolute no.”
Having left the series back in 2013 after four memorable seasons, Gretchen and her fiancé, Slade Smiley, had made a clear choice to step away — and stay away. “We definitely needed that break. We got scrutinized a lot,” she explained. “We had no interest” in coming back to the franchise, largely due to the intense backlash they faced as a couple.
So when Bravo producers came knocking again, her first reaction wasn’t excitement — it was rejection.
“This round, they called and approached us. When they called, I actually said, ‘No,’” Gretchen admitted. And she didn’t say it just once. “I honestly said no three times. They kept making offers, and I said, ‘No, no, no.’”
Eventually, the network convinced her to take a meeting with executives when they were in town. That meeting changed everything. “They ended up making an offer that we couldn’t refuse, and we felt good about,” she said. “That’s why we decided to finally say ‘yes.’ That’s the honest truth.”
But Slade, 51, pointed out that the decision was about more than just the right offer. “There was more to it than that,” he added. “It wasn’t just because we had no desire to be involved with Housewives. It was because we had so many other things going on.”
Among those projects was Gretchen’s involvement in Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, filmed in 2023 and still awaiting its release. “I did do that,” she confirmed. “That was fun.”
The couple had also been developing other shows with the network — a factor that made the timing for RHOC even more strategic.
And then there was the cast.
“This is probably the right season,” Slade recalled telling Gretchen. “There’s a lot of authenticity there.” That mix of familiar faces — both friends and former frenemies — made all the difference.
“I really, really enjoyed the season so much,” Gretchen said. “It was the most fun I’ve had filming that I can remember.”
After years away, it was a different kind of Housewives experience — and one Gretchen felt was well worth the wait. “It was a different dynamic,” she explained. “And that made all the difference.”
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