Share and Follow
Gina Kirschenheiter made an appearance on Thursday’s installment of Watch What Happens Live, where she discussed the response from Gretchen Rossi regarding allegations that she had “liked” a series of contentious posts during the season 19 finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Credit: Instagram
During her appearance, Gina also commented on Slade Smiley’s efforts to defend Gretchen, evaluated whether she felt ambushed by Tamra Judge, and shared insights about the upcoming reunion. The 41-year-old reality star acknowledged that her remarks about Heather Dubrow’s career were less than flattering, shared her high and low points of the season, and clarified if she ever believed Tamra was genuinely departing the show.
“It was a peculiar situation,” Gina reflected on the October 30 episode of WWHL. “Her non-response was odd. I thought she might confront Tamra, as that would be expected, or just tell the truth. I was hoping she would say, ‘Yes, I’m aware of this Twitter situation, and it’s clearly false.’ But she didn’t choose either route, and it was even more uncomfortable in person because her silence lasted quite a while, which didn’t look good for her.”
Despite the drama stirred up by bringing up the posts, Gina stated she had “zero” regrets about her actions.
While bringing up the posts certainly caused a stir, Gina said she had “zero” regrets.
As for Gretchen calling Slade after the allegations were made, Gina said the move was the “absolute worst thing she could’ve done” as she criticized what Slade told her.
“I thought it was bad. I feel like, a defense of, ‘Well, Tamra did it too,’ is a very poor defense,” she noted.
Although some felt the ladies were too hard on Gretchen, Gina described their reaction to the posts as “appropriate.”
“But it was very unfortunate,” she clarified. “I felt, [and] I feel for Gretchen. It was intense, and it was hard to get through.”
Speaking of the “awkward” ride home, Gina revealed that Gretchen didn’t come home with the cast.
“I texted her because I know how hard it is for Gretchen to be away from her daughter. And I was like, ‘Just come. It’ll be okay. Just get home to your child.’ She just couldn’t. Because she could not, she just, she was done,” she recalled.
After host Andy Cohen, 57, mentioned that the final moments of the finale weren’t seen by the cast until the reunion, Gina said it was “very unfortunate” that she was sitting next to Tamra as the scene was revealed.
“It was a whole vibe itself, right?” she asked. “How did we lose the plot so much? We’re supposed to all be this group of friends, and now we’re like, selling each other out to these bloggers. It just was a lot.”
When asked if the blogger’s claims against Tamra changed their friendship, Gina said that while she was “really pissed” at Jennifer Pedranti‘s house, especially considering that she felt as if she was being portrayed in a way that was “unfair and not true,” she didn’t feel Tamra set her up to bring Gretchen’s alleged posts to the group.
“At the end of the day, she brought something up. I made a choice to bring it up because I think when you hear things like that … It’s just something that now has to be addressed,” she explained.
As for whether the person who accused Tamra of leaking stories was credible, Gina admitted she wasn’t sure.
“I think this is all part of the problem. I think it’s like, if we just don’t have any communication at all in that way, then we don’t have this problem,” she reasoned.
With the reunion less than a week away, Gina teased fans about what was to come.
“I actually felt like it went pretty well, which I think is a weird thing to say about a reunion. I felt like there were a lot of wrinkles ironed out and a lot of conversations that needed to be had,” she shared, as Andy revealed “all hell broke loose at the end.”
“Well, it always does,” Gina replied.
She was then asked about the “mean and unnecessary” comments she made about Heather’s career, specifically her comedic roles, and why she didn’t take accountability for her antics.
“It would’ve been an easier road for sure, and I think Heather totally agrees with you. You know, Heather had told me, ‘Be careful in your interviews.’ And that actually bugged me. And then I’m like, and I love her, and I’m not saying — it was maybe a little too unkind. But it is what it is. I’m not saying I’m perfect,” Gina stated.
Looking back at Tamra’s many “exits” from RHOC, Gina admitted she didn’t take them seriously.
“I mean, New Orleans, she was definitely committed. She went home, but I knew she would come back,” she noted.
Also on the live broadcast, after admitting to thinking Alexis Bellino, 48, and John Janssen, 63, would last, denying Tamra and Gretchen would ever repair their friendship, and suggesting that Tamra may be guiltier of leaks than Gretchen since “she’s had more time in the game,” Gina revealed her rose and thorn of season 19.
“Without a doubt, doing shrooms with Shannon Beador [was my rose]. One of the best moments of my life — and Heather. It was like a trifecta. That was like a dream come true,” she shared. “[And] my thorn is definitely having to watch [Emily Simpson] go through what she went through this season with Luke and her whole family.”
“It’s really hard because I’ve been there with going through really tough family stuff while you’re going through the season, and it was really hard as her friend to watch,” she added.
Later, while appearing on the WWHL: After Show, Gina revealed whether Gretchen ever shared the dirt she claimed to have on Tamra.
“She never said,” Gina confirmed. “She definitely thinks she knows things. I’m sure people say things to her, whether they’re true or not … [But] I’m so over it.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County season 19 reunion begins next Thursday, November 6, at 8/7c on Bravo.