Earlier this month, Brynn Whitfield announced her exit from The Real Housewives of New York after two seasons on the show. It was not a decision she made on a whim, and the reality TV star has revealed quitting the franchise is something she had given great thought to. But she was reluctant to walk away from the opportunity and instead hoped that Bravo would fire her.

Whitfield opened up about her decision to finally quit in a chat on her Please See Below podcast, and noted how her assault became a topic of discussion among her castmates. This was the catalyst behind her decision to quit Real Housewives, but she was also inspired by Paige DeSorbo stepping away from Summer House.

Brynn Whitfield Reveals What Led To Her Quitting RHONY

Whitfield discussed her thought process leading up to her decision to quit on her Please See Below podcast (via RealityBlurb). In an emotional moment, she addressed her assault, saying, “This is my body, and this is something that I’m still dealing with and that’s still very much on my mind — it’s affecting me and my life and the things I want. Multiple times, I canceled confessionals or I would say … ‘Not today, we’re not talking about it.'”

Whitfield also admitted that she knew she would leave RHONY during the taping of the reunion show. “I knew I was going to do it. I decided at the reunion that I wasn’t going to [come back]. I was like ‘This is too much’ … My brother and my therapist were like, ‘We’re not allowing you,” she said.

When Paige DeSorbo announced that she would be leaving Summer House ahead of Season 10, Whitfield revealed she had “got a little peanut butter and jealous,” and realized this was what she wanted. She also admits that before announcing her reality TV exit, she was “hoping that they would either fire me, or I was hoping they would cancel the show.”

Brynn Whitfield Makes Emotional Statement Announcing Her Exit

Whitfield has been incredibly busy with other opportunities, including her dating app, Hoppy. The success of the app led the star to see it as a sign that she could quit to focus on her business, and she used this explanation when she announced her departure from RHONY.

In a statement shared on her Instagram Story on June 8, Whitfield wrote: “After a lot of thought, I’ve made the decision to walk away from reality TV. For now. Last week, Hoppy — the dating app I co-founded and proudly serve as Chief Marketing Officer — hit a massive download milestone. I can’t even put into words how surreal it feels. All I want to do now is pour every ounce of energy into building Hoppy into the #1 dating app in the world.”

Although Whitfield has admitted that appearing on RHONY had taken a toll on her mental health, in her statement, she reflected on her time with the show with gratitude. “It was the honor of a lifetime to help reboot such an iconic franchise. From day one, I’ve believed RHONY is a fan’s show — we’re just temporary custodians of something that truly belongs to the viewers,” she wrote. “I hope I made you laugh (a lot), cry (a little), and more than anything — I hope there’s a TV in heaven so that Mimi (who LIVED for her shows) could watch me and be proud.”