Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Kroy Biermann announced their split back in May 2023, filing for divorce after 11 years of marriage. Amid their split, they were reportedly suffering from financial woes. It was said they owed over a million dollars to the IRS, and they even had a home in Georgia they were auctioning that ended up foreclosed. Kim was seeking joint legal and primary custody of their children, as well as alimony.
During the divorce, Kroy accused Kim of having a gambling problem, while Kim complained that Kroy was manipulative and had a substance abuse problem. Furthermore, Kroy suggested Kim had mental issues, having also assaulted him at one point, and demanded a psychological evaluation.
Things escalated even further, with Kim calling the cops on Kroy. While it was a surprise to every one to hear the “happy couple” was splitting up, it was an even bigger surprise when in July 2023, they announced they were getting back together. Honestly, we feel bad for the kids regardless of what happens next.
When Real Housewives of New York City's Luann de Lesseps was arrested in Palm Beach in 2017, the reality TV community was shaken. She faced charges including disorderly intoxication and battery on a law enforcement officer due to an altercation in a hotel room, where she allegedly trespassed and resisted arrest.
Her arrest became a turning point in both her personal life and the franchise, prompting important conversations about substance abuse and the pressures of fame. The media frenzy and legal consequences led to public scrutiny and dragged on for several seasons. But it did make for some seriously compelling TV.
Before there was Scandoval, there was "getting Jaxxed." And although Jax was notorious for being unfaithful to Stassi, it still came as a huge shock to the group when the rumors about Kristen and Jax hooking up were finally confirmed by Kristen herself. Stassi back-handed Kristen—otherwise known as The Slap Heard Around the World—and WeHo was never the same again.
This hookup was a turning point in the show's history, and fans have been jonesing for a hit like it ever since. They finally got their wish with Scandoval...but we'll get there soon. We've saved the messiest for last!
In 2012, Joe Francis, creator of “Girls Gone Wild,” claimed to have had an affair with former Real Housewife of Miami Joanna Krupa—and also claimed she was a call girl, reposting an article from The Dirty. However, she threatened legal action against the online tabloid, and they promptly retracted the article.
As it turned out, a call girl site had used Joanna’s photo to lure users to their website, and so the photo was used without her consent as she had no affiliation with the website. It seems this one is definitely against her consent, and someone or some-many owe her an apology.
According to Vicki Gunvalson’s co-star Lauri Peterson, Vicki was once involved in a ménage à trois with a man and woman. She made the accusation during an episode of the show documenting a trip to Whistler, British Columbia. Viki adamantly denied the rumor, saying, “Not cool, Lauri — I have never been with multiple partners.”
According to Bravo, Laura later clarified, “I didn't want to say [to Gretchen] that it was a romantic relationship because I didn't know. So I made it very clear to her what I thought at the time. Sometimes you don't get out what you're thinking. I wanted to make it clear that I wasn't positive."
The biggest scandal since Watergate (okay, maybe not), Puppygate, occurred on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, involving Lisa Vanderpump and numerous others. After adopting a dog named Lucy from Vanderpump’s animal shelter, the Kemsley family found it not to be a good fit for their family and gave it away—without informing her then-good-friend LVP.
After that, Lucy’s new owner then gave the dog to a kill shelter, which should never happen under the terms of their adoption contract. This ended up sparking a huge feud between the cast members, as the puppy should have been returned to Vanderpump Dogs—but there was also a question as to who leaked the story in the first place, with the rest of her castmates ganging up on LVP and accusing her of selling the story. LVP denied having any involvement in the story leaking—but honestly, who would blame her for being angry with Dorit? All this chaos led to Vanderpump leaving the show mid-season (and Ken Todd's legendary "Goodbye, Kyle").
During the run of The Real Housewives of New Jersey a cheating scandal involving Melissa Gorga broke out. Life & Style Magazine alleged that Bryan “Bulldog” Bowen, an ex-boyfriend of hers, carried on an affair with her while she was married to Joe. She has denied it.
Nevertheless, that wasn’t the only rumor going around. Later, she would be accused of having an affair with Nick Barrotta, according to The Daily Mail. However, whether there is any truth to this rumor remains to be seen. If there is proof, we're sure sister-in-law Teresa will do her darndest to make sure it sees the light of day.
Before Brandi Glanville even started her stint on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, her husband, Eddie Cibrian, cheated on her with LeAnn Rimes back in 2009 while filming Northern Lights. The affair effectively ended their marriage, while the adulterous couple ended up marrying each other. (He also had a brief affair with Scheana Shay from Vanderpump Rules, which led to years of crossover beef.)
The cheating scandal has since come to define her RHOBH storyline, as she regularly mentions it on the show. She also hasn’t forgiven. She told Glamour magazine, "Marriages break up all the time. People have affairs. Happens every day. It matters how you handle yourself after and if you're actually remorseful. I've never found LeAnn to be remorseful. I found her to be like, Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah, I got your family.”
Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy have had one of the ugliest divorces in Bravo history. The Former star of The Real Housewives of New York City, Bethenny Frankel, and ex-husband Jason Hoppy fought in court after failing to reach a financial and custodial agreement over their daughter Bryn.
According to one source via RadarOnline, Bethenny once called Jason trash in front of their child. She also prevented Jason from seeing their child due to him taking the child over to a friend's apartment. They lived together during the length of the divorce, until it was finalized in 2021. Bethenny is now engaged to Paul Bernon, a film producer.
The White House Crashers scandal was another Bravo blunder that happened on The Real Housewives of D.C. It started with Michaele and Tareq Salahi attending a White House Dinner for the prime minister of India. There, they met the President of the United States himself: Barack Obama. The issue was that they weren’t exactly invited.
They ended up going through two security checkpoints, arriving separately before making their way to the president. They had spent hours preparing for this event, which was even filmed for their show. The incident prompted a formal investigation, and legal inquiries were also made. The Salahis were met with their fair share of criticism for their conduct.
Kenya Moore of The Real Housewives of Atlanta ended up in a ruthless eviction battle over a mansion she was renting for nearly $4,000 per month. Known for her catchphrase, I’m Gone with the Wind fabulous, people were shocked to hear she’d been evicted after failing to pay her rent in May 2013.
Moore and her landlord winded up in court over a lawsuit related to her lack of payment as well as for making unauthorized alterations to the home. At first, the court was in favor of the landlord, until Kenya Moore went back to court and got the ruling overturned, noting that she was never even served legal papers.
Back in 2017, Claire Buitendorp became the second contestant on Project Runway to be disqualified for cheating. The very episode that came after her winning week, it was discovered that Buitendorp had been recreating designs, which was against the rules. At first, Heidi Klum disagreed, explaining only the use of the internet was banned during the competition.
The designers who confronted Buitendorp then discovered that she was taking her measuring tape back to her room and measuring clothing items there, when the rule is that you can only work in the work room. As a result, her previous win was rescinded, and she was given the boot.
Holy paternity drama, Below Deck fans! The truth bomb exploded when deckhand Dani Soares announced she was preggo and named fellow crew member Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux as the dad. Cue chaos among the cast and viewers, who had been rooting for the pair's love story all season long. Things got juicy as the crew debated the validity of the claim and what it would mean for their working relationship.
Dani and Jean-Luc's lives were under the microscope as they dealt with their unexpected situation. And boy, was it a rollercoaster. The Below Deck paternity scandal showed us just how complicated relationships formed on the show can be and how it can seriously mess with personal and professional vibes.
Peter Hunziker, a former cast member on Below Deck, was fired after a post he made on Instagram. The post was both racist and misogynistic in nature, which garnered backlash from fans of the show. Disgusted by his post, Bravo and the production company 51 Minds promptly fired him.
Meanwhile, existing footage of Peter Hunziker was edited and reduced to minimize his appearance on the hit show. His post, in the format of a meme, depicted an unclothed black woman in chains. Previously he’d also been accused of misogyny, calling crew members "sweetheart" on numerous occasions.
Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was rocked by scandal when Brandi Glanville claimed to have had a romantic encounter with the married Denise Richards. The allegations drove a wedge between the cast, with friendships strained and intense confrontations during the reunion episodes. Despite Richards denying the affair, the drama just wouldn't die down.
Ultimately, the controversy resulted in Denise packing her bags and leaving the show—but rumor has it she'll be making her big return on the upcoming season of RHOBH..! The Denise and Brandi saga will go down in RHOBH history (along with Puppygate..).
Just two days after she confirmed rumors that she was pregnant, Kim Zolciak was seemingly caught smoking prompting outrage by fans. She retorted that the photos were old and that she was considering legal options. What the truth is, however, only she really knows.
Nonetheless, the photos were confirmed to have been taken two days after her pregnancy announcement. According to March of Dimes, 10% of women smoke during pregnancy, a problem that can raise a child’s risk of developing birth defects.
The Real Housewives of Potomac took things to the next level in Season 6 when Candiace Dillard Bassett and Monique Samuels got into a full-blown bar brawl. This wasn't just a little squabble; tensions had been brewing between these ladies all season long, and it finally reached a boiling point at a social gathering. The claws came out, and both women engaged in some serious fisticuffs. Needless to say, everyone was shook.
(Important to note: This is a still from that season; however, Monique was not pregnant when the fight took place. Just wanted to clear that up!)
The fallout from the brawl was intense, causing rifts in relationships and alliances that were previously thought unbreakable. The whole thing became the talk of the season, with everyone taking sides and dishing on the aftermath. Monique ended up leaving the show because the two women could no longer work together. This brawl will go down in history as a defining moment for The Real Housewives of Potomac, marking their spot as Housewives legends.
When Lisa and Lenny Hochstein announced their split, it was like a bombshell went off in the world of Miami socialites. The couple, who were fixtures on The Real Housewives of Miami, made headlines when it was revealed that Lenny left Lisa for a younger woman. The specifics of their divorce have mostly been kept under wraps, leaving fans and the media to speculate wildly about what could have led to the downfall of their glamorous life together.
As one of Miami's most prominent power couples, it's no wonder that their separation has caused such a stir. Lucky for us, we get to watch all the fallout and all the women's reactions on RHOM.
Anyone who watches Vanderpump Rules knows just how much Lisa Vanderpump supports the LGBTQ+ community. Each season, an entire episode is devoted to showcasing the joy of Pride in West Hollywood. So when Brittany's pastor, who was set to marry her and Jax, made public homophobic statements, fans and castmates urged the couple to take action.
And take action they did! They gave their pastor the boot, and Lance Bass took his place at the altar. Some might call this overcompensating, but regardless, the wrong was righted, and Jax and Brittany are now the only VPR couple still standing. A happily ever after all!
Gretchen Rossi was the center of a scandal involving dirty pictures taken of her, including one where she was sitting on the toilet and another where she had a vibrating toy in hand. The photos were published on website called The Dirty and they would also be shown on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Lawyers of Gretchen Rossi demanded that the photos of her be removed, given that they were published without her consent. She also involved the Costa Mesa Police Department to join in her fight against the publication. It was unknown how the photos became leaked in the first place.
Phaedra Parks, former cast member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and queen of the read, had to face her own challenges when her ex-husband, Apollo Nida, was sentenced to a lengthy prison stay. Apollo's fraud and identity theft charges earned him eight years behind bars.
The news caused quite a stir both on and off the show. For Phaedra, the situation was especially difficult because she had to navigate raising their children while their father served time. It's a situation that highlights the real-life consequences of white-collar crime and its impact on families.
Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, two OG cast members of Vanderpump Rules, got the boot in 2020 when it was revealed that they had falsely reported a former cast member, Faith Stowers, to the police for a crime she didn't commit. And why? Because they claimed she looked like the woman in security footage. (Also mostly because she hooked up with Jax while he was dating Brittany—I say that for context, not to condone their actions.)
Bravo didn't waste any time in firing the duo—a decision Lisa Vanderpump herself claims was not made directly by her. This incident put a big ole spotlight on the issue of racism and lack of inclusivity in reality TV and sparked an important discussion about the consequences of perpetuating harmful stereotypes—and the role privilege can play in our actions.
The Kandi Burruss rumor from season 9 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta alleged that Kandi Burruss and her husband, Todd Tucker, planned to take advantage of Porsha Williams in a hidden dungeon at their home. The Housewives discussed it through the course of the season until they figured out who started the rumor.
It turned out none-other-than Phaedra Parks, a former friend of Kandi Burruss, instigated the rumor. After admitting her role in spreading the rumor, Parks ended up leaving the show. And to further clarify things, Kandi and her husband both adamantly denied the claims.
As if a highly publicized breakup weren't bad enough (especially when a child is involved), Lala Kent also had to deal with accusations surrounding Randall's behavior in Hollywood. The couple's split made headlines, with rumors and speculation circulating about infidelity and discord in their relationship. Accusations also emerged regarding Randall's conduct in the entertainment industry, with Lala herself calling her ex a "mini Harvey Weinstein."
And for those who want to consume aaaaaaall the tea spilled, a documentary about Emmett's wannabe-Weinstein shenanigans, called The Randall Scandal, is now on Hulu.
It looks like Thomas Ravenel won't be making any appearances on Southern Charm's reunion anytime soon. The former cast member has been banned from the show due to a string of serious allegations and legal troubles. He's been accused of sexual assault and harassment by multiple women, and it looks like the producers and network have had enough.
With ongoing legal proceedings and the severity of the claims, they made the important decision to keep him away from the reunion, opting for a safer and more respectful environment for the cast and guests. It's clear that allegations of misconduct shouldn't be shrugged off—as they've done with Ravenel—but taken seriously and acted upon to prioritize everyone's well-being.
What happens when legal troubles land a housewife and her hubby in separate prison cells? Just ask Teresa and Joe Giudice of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. After being convicted of fraud, Teresa spent 11 months behind bars at a federal prison in Connecticut—but that was just the beginning. Hubby Joe didn't fare much better, serving a whopping 41 months for his fraud-related crimes.
And the impact on their family was brutal, especially for their four young daughters. Their struggles were all caught on camera, but the real-life consequences were even more devastating. The couple ended up going their separate ways when Joe was deported to Italy, and Teresa decided to end the marriage after realizing she couldn't move past her anger at Joe—because her mother died while she was locked up. The message is clear: crime doesn't pay, even if you're a reality TV star.
RHOBH cast member Erika Jayne and her now-estranged husband, lawyer Tom Girardi, faced a legal scandal involving embezzlement, fraud, and questionable finances in 2020. Erika's personal finances and extravagant lifestyle were called into question during their divorce proceedings. Some believe Tom misappropriated funds meant for victims of various lawsuits he had handled, making the situation even more complicated.
As you can imagine, the legal troubles surrounding Erika and Tom's financial affairs caused a lot of controversy and speculation. Even the fans and cast members of the show were divided in their opinions on the matter. Erika faced mounting pressure to address the allegations and provide clarity on her knowledge and involvement in the situation, but she has maintained the stance that she is the true victim—you know, the rich lady and not the widows and burn victims.
In January 2023, Jen Shah pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering—after screaming her innocence at everyone for two seasons. A gaslighter can only gaslight for so long before they light themselves on fire—and in this case, a housewife facing years upon years of time in an ugly orange jumpsuit. Reality caught up with Shah, but she does love to go for the shock factor—so maybe her guilty plea was a plot twist she had planned all along. Who knows?
And the craziest part of it all? Fans got to watch all the drama unfold on their TV screens; cameras were rolling on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City when the FBI raided the ladies' sprinter van looking for Shah—who had just conveniently received a call that her husband was in the hospital and rushed away mere minutes before. It writes itself, folks.
As reported in June 2023, Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky separated after 27 years of marriage. First introduced to our TV screens on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the couple had been showcased for nearly 12 seasons and insisted to fans that what they were seeing was the real deal. But it turns out that was not the case.
Not only was their happy marriage all for show; Kyle Richards may have another secret of her own. Allegedly, she’s been getting real close with another woman named Morgan Wade, a country music singer. However, Kyle Richards denies any truth to these rumors.
And of course, as promised, we've saved the absolute messiest for last. If you've been living under a rock and don't know what all the term "Scandoval" entails, let me give you the long-story-short. Tom Sandoval cheated on his girlfriend of a decade, Ariana Madix, with Vanderpump Rules newbie (and ex-fiance of cast member James Kennedy) Raqchel Leviss—for seven months. So how did she find out?
Sandoval dropped his phone while performing with his midlife-crisis band, Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras, and someone handed it to Ariana for safekeeping. When she opened it up, she found a recorded FaceTime of Sandoval and Rachel—and he has since admitted on the show (because of course they picked cameras back up two days after the news dropped) that he would normally "delete things like that," but he was...too busy. So she confronted both of them, both happily admitted it and divulged way too many nasty details, and the rest we'll have to watch play out on our TV screens!
Regardless of what happens at the reunion and who comes back next season, one thing remains true: Scandoval will go down in Bravo history as the biggest, messiest scandal of all time. The Vanderpump ladies were even invited to the White House for the Correspondence Dinner! Legends.
