Lisa Rinna's Future On Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Is Finally Clear
Season 12 of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" was easily Lisa Rinna's most controversial. The former soap star has always been a headstrong personality, prone to confrontation and grandstanding (per Bustle). However, the most recent season was especially volatile. The "Melrose Place" star found herself embroiled in a slew of confrontations with Garcelle Beauvais, Sutton Stracke, and most viciously, Kathy Hilton. And, while viewers often sided with Rinna's numerous opponents, labeling her as the aggressor, Rinna's feud with Hilton painted her in an especially unfavorable light.
To recap, Rinna and Hilton threw jabs at each other all season, after Rinna recounted an alleged off-camera "breakdown" Hilton had while the cast was in Aspen (per Meaww). According to Rinna, Hilton also spoke poorly of her sister, Kyle Richards, and the rest of the cast. However, things got especially tense during the reunion when Rinna seemingly backed up Erika Jayne's claim that Hilton had used a homophobic slur, per TMZ. Despite the disturbing accusations, viewers largely defended Hilton over Rinna, who alleged that Bravo is hiding footage of Hilton that would clear her name (via Newsweek). Ultimately, Rinna's storyline left a bad taste in the mouth of some viewers, who have since expressed their desire for Rinna to leave the show (per Heavy).
Now, after months of speculation, Rinna has set the record straight about her "RHOBH" future.
Lisa Rinna is leaving RHOBH
Bravo fans, it's the end of an era! Lisa Rinna is officially leaving "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," according to People. "This is the longest job I have held in my 35-year career and I am grateful to everyone at Bravo and all those involved in the series," said Rinna in a statement. "It has been a fun eight-year run and I am excited for what is to come!" According to the publication, Rinna's contract was up at the end of Season 12 and she felt it'd be a good time to pursue other things. Season 13 of the show, which will start filming in 2023 (according to E! News), will undoubtedly look a lot different going forward.
Rinna's announcement comes months after Kathy Hilton revealed that she would not return to the franchise unless Rinna and Erika Jayne — who she deemed bullies — left the show, per TMZ. At this time, there's no official word on whether Jayne will be fired or not. However, some groups of fans have also petitioned to have Jayne removed from the show, per The Sun, due to her estranged husband Tom Girardi's huge fraud scandal (per Bloomberg Law).