This month marked the end of an era for one Real Housewives show. The Beverly Hills spinoff said goodbye to longtime cast member Lisa Rinna, who announced her departure ahead of the show’s thirteenth season. The news was met with a mixture of responses from fans of the reality TV veteran as well as those who aren’t on the best of terms with her. Though the star initially released a statement on her exit, she’s since shared an additional blunt reason for leaving. And as loyal viewers might expect, there’s an F-bomb involved.
Lisa Rinna initially expressed gratitude while confirming her decision to move on from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In a statement shared with People, she referred to the gig as “the longest job I have held in my 35 year career” and thanked “everyone at Bravo and all those involved in the series.” While the media personality was already a generally well-known actress before joining the show, the program is what arguably made her a pop culture staple. Fans watched for years, as Rinna would dish out one-liners and shade her co-stars. Yet while the sharp clapbacks and “epic” screaming fights were likely fun for the folks at home, it would seem they weren't always ideal for the star herself.
What Brutally Honest Thoughts Did Lisa Rinna Share About RHOBH?
The 59-year-old Days of Our Lives alum got candid about her reality TV stint while speaking with Interview Magazine. The star declared that she “fucking hated” the twelfth season of Beverly Hills and chalked that up to a few reasons:
I fucking hated this year. For a lot of reasons. My mom died, we all know that. But that’s not the biggest reason. The story just didn’t get told as two-sidedly as I would’ve liked. How about that?
Lisa Rinna lost her mother, Lois, in November 2021, as she passed away after suffering from a stroke. Rinna later got candid about struggling after losing her mom. In terms of the story that she says wasn’t told “two-sidedly,” she’s referring to her fight with co-star Kathy Hilton in Aspen. Rinna referred to Hilton as being “great” during her interview but stated her belief that a “smear campaign” was waged against her in the aftermath of the flare-up. In addition, the actress said this about the state of the RH franchise:
But something has gotten to the Housewife Universe because of what’s going on in the world, and it’s reflected in the way the fans react to the world of Housewives. And I just think it’s unhealthy. It wasn’t working for me. It wasn’t right for me.
Overall, her comments suggest that starring on Beverly Hills was no longer good for her due to a plethora of reasons. There are still fans, however, who’d prefer that she’d have stayed on the show. That includes Andy Cohen – the mega producer behind the highly successful small-screen IP.
What Andy Cohen Said About Lisa Rinna’s Real Housewives Exit
Andy Cohen has seen plenty of major personalities throughout his time shepherding the RH family. However, it’s clear that he recognizes Lisa Rinna as one of the franchise’s most popular figures. Cohen addressed her exit during his Sirius XM show and acknowledged (via People) that it represents a “big reshuffle” for the show. The Watch What Happens Live host also expressed his hope that this is just a “pause” for Rinna and likened her situation to another Real Housewives alum’s:
I really do hope that this is a pause. I hope she will come back. I really do. I've talked to Tamra [Judge] about this a lot. Tamra, ultimately said to me before she came back to this, she said, 'You know what? My time away from the show kind of helped me as a person.' And she said, 'I think it was actually really positive to leave and get some air and step back.' So I just hope that Lisa will humor us and comes back.
Andy Cohen also gave Lisa Rinna her props for sticking it out on the show for eight years, which is definitely no small feat. He clearly has high hopes that she’ll return to the fold at some point. Though Rinna’s f-bomb-laced comments give the impression that she probably won’t be returning anytime soon.
You can revisit some of the star’s greatest moments on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills by streaming past episodes using a Peacock subscription. Also, keep checking CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule so that you’ll be in the know when a premiere date is set for Season 13.
