REALITY TV NEWSGretchen Rossi Reveals Why She Came Back to 'RHOC' After Turning Down the Offer '3 Times': 'Needed That Break'
Gretchen Rossi revealed why she decided to return to 'RHOC' after leaving the show in 2013.
July 29 2025, Updated 10:00 a.m. ET
Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi — who finally returned to the show for Season 19 after leaving in 2013 — admitted she wasn't so eager to appear on the small screen again.
“For a long time it was an absolute no,” Rossi said on the July 27 episode of iHeartRadio’s “I Do, Part 2” podcast about coming back to the Bravo show.
After Season 8, Rossi was not asked back for Season 9. While it was never officially confirmed, there were rumblings that people felt her engagement to Slade Smiley was a forced storyline, and production was over it.
Gretchen and Slade Did Not Want to Return to 'RHOC'
Gretchen Rossi claimed she and Slade Smiley did not want to return to 'RHOC.'
While “there’s always been rumblings and talks” about her coming back on the show, she insisted she and Smiley had “no interest” in appearing again due to all of the hate they received.
During their previous time on the show, Smiley was labeled as a "deadbeat dad" who was accused of not paying child support for a kid he shares with an ex. As a result, Rossi constantly had to defend her man.
“We definitely needed that break,” she shared regarding their time off the franchise. “We got scrutinized a lot. This round, they called and approached us. When they called, I actually said, ‘No.’”
Production Pushed for a Meeting With Gretchen
Gretchen Rossi said producers pushed her to have a meeting with them.
Producers didn’t give up, as they told Rossi to “just think about it” and insisted she meet with executives when they were in town. Rossi finally agreed to the meeting, but she “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.”
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Slade Addresses Returning to 'RHOC'
Slade Smiley said it felt 'right' for him and Gretchen Rossi to return to 'RHOC.'
For his part, Smiley insisted there was “more to it than that," sharing they had “other projects” that were “in process” with Bravo, which played a part in their decision to return to RHOC.
“It wasn’t just because we had no desire to be involved with Housewives,” he shared. “It was because we had so many other things going on.”
When weighing their return, Smiley claimed this was the “right season” for them to reemerge due to the cast being comprised of some of their friends and enemies.
“There was a lot of authenticity there,” Smiley added.
Shannon Beador's Happy Gretchen Is Back on 'RHOC'
Shannon Beador said she thinks it's 'great' Gretchen Rossi is back on 'RHOC.'
Rossi said she “really enjoyed this season so much” and had “the most fun” filming.
While Tamra Judge, Rossi’s longtime archenemy, likely wasn’t thrilled to have her return, Shannon Beador spoke out in March to say it was “great” she was back on the show.
Beador added she likes Rossi, whom she called "very kind.”
