Real Housewives cast members don’t start out making millions, Teddi Mellencamp says. 

Teddi was a guest on the August 12 episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. The RHOBH alum shared some secrets about how Bravo’s Housewives are paid and why some of them seemingly become addicted to the money. 

Teddi Mellencamp explains how Housewives are paid 

During her conversation with Lima, Teddi addressed a common question from Bravo fans. Exactly how much do Housewives make for airing all their dirty laundry on the network’s reality shows? 

Teddi, who joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast in 2017, admitted she couldn’t reveal specific details about how much she and other Housewives earned.  

“I’m not allowed to say,” Teddi said when Kern Lima asked her if everyone who filmed on the show the same amount of time received equal pay. However, “most” of the other cast members do know how much the other ladies are earning. 

But Teddi did want to clear up one misconception. No Housewife is making big bucks in her first season on her show. 

“I can say that all first-season Housewives are paid the same,” she shared. “So the people that say, ‘Oh, I got offered $10 million to be on season 1 of The Real Housewive of …’ I’m like, ‘No you didn’t. You didn’t. No one did. Season 1 housewives are all paid the same.’”

The Bravo alum also said that pay does increase the longer someone is on their show. 

“There’s a standard. You hit five years, six years, like, whatever it may be. And so I think there’s that aspect to it, too,” Teddi said.

The prospect of a bigger paycheck can influence cast members’ behavior, with some stirring up drama or sharing personal details in an effort to stay relevant — and keep the money flowing. 

“All of us can say that there’s a small addiction to making money,” she said. “So, the longer that you’re on the Housewives, the more money you’re going to make. And you know that.” 

What other Housewives have revealed about their paychecks

While Teddi wouldn’t say how much she and her fellow Beverly Hills Housewives earned, details about salaries have leaked over the years. The number can vary widely. In 2021, RHOBH star Erika Jayne was likely earning about $600,000 per season, The New York Times estimated. Compare that to Gina Kirschenheiter from The Real Housewives of Orange County. Production and NBCUniversal paid her a little under $70,000 for the show’s 13th season, her estranged husband said in court documents obtained by People.  

A divorce filing also revealed the salary of RHOA’s Kenya Moore. The now-suspended Housewife earned $90,000 per month, according to documents obtained by Radar Online. In 2022, RHOM’s Lisa Hochstein demanded alimony from her estranged husband, Lenny Hochstein. She said that her “woefully insufficient” $30,000-per-episode salary was not enough to care for her and her estranged husband’s two kids (via Page Six).  

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