Real Housewives Who've Tragically Lost Children
It's no secret that Bravo wouldn't be Bravo without "The Real Housewives" franchise. The series gives an inside look into the lives of wealthy women in some of the most sought-after zip codes in the nation — and thanks to many spinoffs — the world. Though the series debuted in 2006 with "The Real Housewives of Orange County", it has branched out to follow women in several American cities and in countries like Dubai, Melbourne, Toronto, Amsterdam, and more. While the locations may differ, the premise is the same. Take a group of affluent women well-recognized in society, mix in a bit of alcohol, and roll the cameras on all that ensues.
Due to the intimate nature of the docuseries, no topic is off-limits for these women. Marriage troubles, family feuds, and legal troubles are just a small portion of what housewives navigate while allowing cameras into their lives. While there's no doubt they achieve a certain level of star power with their Bravo taglines, the women across the many "Housewives" series are human like the rest of us. While money and status can help relieve the stress of life's tragedies — it doesn't eliminate them from happening. Over the years, women from the "Housewives" franchise have experienced unexpected losses in their lives. While losing a family member or loved one is already devastating as it is, these ladies must wrestle with their emotions in the public eye. We're taking a look at all the "Real Housewives" who've tragically lost children.
Gretchen Rossi's tragic loss
Gretchen Rossi joined the cast of "Real Housewives of Orange County" in 2008 for Season 4. The entrepreneur was a part of the cast for four years, during which viewers were introduced to her now-fiancé Slade Smiley. Rossi takes on a stepmother role to Smiley's kids Grayson, Skylar, and Gavin. Though the drama of the show might be behind the two, their hardships were far from over after filming wrapped. As announced by his mother Michelle Arroyo on Instagram, Grayson passed away at 22 years old after a life-long battle with brain tumors. "I'm heart broken to share that my sweet Gray passed away Sunday night," Arroyo wrote, adding, "His heart stopped here at home and I performed chest compressions to get it going until the paramedics arrived and took over. When he left for the hospital he looked good and was breathing on his own but his heart gave out again at the hospital."
Rossi shared her own condolences in her own Instagram post, writing, "Our rational minds told us this day might come, but our hearts always held onto the hope that this day would not come to fruition...He was an Angel on this earth and an incredible warrior...a warrior like no one has ever seen before." It isn't the first time the former Housewife had dealt with a loss of a loved one due to cancer. While filming her first season of the show, Rossi lost her then-fiancé Jeff to cancer.
Kara Keough lost her son during childbirth
Gretchen Rossi isn't the only former "Real Housewives of Orange County" star to suffer a tragic loss. Kara Keough, who was featured as a main cast member from Season 1 to Season 5, opened up about losing her newborn son in 2020. The television personality shared the tragic news on her Instagram, writing, "On April 6th, our son McCoy Casey Bosworth was born at 3:10am. During the course of his birth, he experienced shoulder dystocia and a compressed umbilical cord. He joined our Heavenly Father and will live forever in the hearts of his loving parents, his adoring sister, and those that received his life-saving gifts."
A year later Keough got a chance to give her daughter Decker, who she shares with her husband Mark Vaughn, a little brother. In 2021, the two announced the birth of their newborn son Vaughn Mack Bosworth via Instagram. "Born on 3.31.21 in Room 11, 6 days before what should have been his big brother's 1st birthday. It's not lost on us that if we hadn't lost Mack, we'd never know Vaughn. And yet, here he is, an unexpected serendipity. A little hope," Keough wrote.
As for life post-Housewives, Keough has been enjoying family time. The television personality posted an Instagram snap in 2022 alongside her kids and husband enjoying their trip to Saint-Tropez. She also brought her family to Amsterdam, writing on Instagram, "Decker and I had a long conversation about Anne Frank today. My little girl gives me so much hope for the future of our world."
Real Housewives of Vancouver star loses her son
Former "Real Housewives of Vancouver" cast member Ronnie Stevenson starred on the show for two seasons from 2012 to 2013. Viewers got to know the Housewife as an entrepreneur, health advocate, doting mother, and philanthropist. In 2022 the television personality took to Instagram to deliver the shocking news that she had lost her 27-year-old son, Houston. "This week, our family has faced unimaginable shock, grief and sadness over the loss over our beautiful and beloved son Houston to an unexpected & tragic accident," she wrote.
Houston was an actor and had been honing his craft ever since he was five years old. As per his IMDb page, he starred in TV series like "Arrow" and in films including "A Predator Returns." Little is known about his cause of death and as of the time of writing as the B.C. Coroners Office is still investigating itas of the time of writing. "My Beautiful Beautiful boy. My BEST friend. The true love of my life !! My Heart and Soul have gone with yours!! There are no words. I am decimated, my child how will I I ever live with out you. I cannot walk. I cannot eat. I cannot think, Our lives will NEVER be the Same," Ronnie wrote on Instagram. Her castmate Cary Zilber offered her sympathies on the post, writing, "I am here to walk with you through this journey no matter how excruciating painful."
Julia Lemigova lost her son to shaken baby syndrome
Julia Lemigova is a former Russian beauty queen that joined the ladies of "Real Housewives of Miami" for Seasons 4 and 5. She's also the only cast member to be in a relationship with a woman, as she's married to tennis legend Martina Navratilova. Long before she made her way to the Housewives franchise, the former pageant queen dealt with some difficult obstacles in her life. Her first child, Maximilien, tragically passed away while in the care of her nanny in 2000. Maximilien died from a condition called "shaken baby syndrome", which refers to a "preventable, severe form of physical child abuse resulting from violently shaking an infant by the shoulders, arms, or legs."
At the time, Maximilien's father and Lemigova's then-ex Edouard Stern had hired the nanny in question who was believed to be responsible for the death. Before charges could be filed against her, the woman left the country. "I don't know if I ever completely survived the loss of my son," Lemigova said. "Part of me is dead forever. At the time, I simply didn't want to live," Lemigova revealed. "Many women have told me they don't know how you can survive something like this and not go completely insane, not kill yourself. How can you keep living, have more children, redo your life? It's very, very difficult, but I'm proof that, yes, you can ... [My wife] helped me a lot." Lemigova is no stranger to dramatic events, as Stern was later murdered by a lover in his home.
Jennie Nguyen suffered multiple pregnancy complications
Jennie Nguyen joined the cast of "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" for Season 2. The Vietnamese businesswoman moved to the United States at just seven years old, going on to own a medical spa business and become a mother of three. While filming the show, Nguyen opened up about issues in her personal life — including her extreme struggles with pregnancy complications. The former Housewife has had nine miscarriages, as well as suffered the loss of her daughter an hour after she was born.
Nguyen has two sons and a daughter with her chiropractor husband Duy Tran, but her husband's wish to be a dad again put a strain on their marriage. 'I don't think I could handle another child. And I've had a lot of miscarriages. It's hard, emotionally draining," she said during an episode. "My daughter passed away when she was 42 weeks. It was my second pregnancy. That's when I had the stillbirth. We lost our baby girl," she admitted.
The mother of three went on to admit during the show that she felt her husband's desire for another child stems from the hole that was left upon his daughter's passing. "I think there's something inside of him that feels like he lost something," the "RHSLC" star said. While no baby news has surfaced as of the time of writing, Nguyen is happily enjoying family time. The television star took a trip to Europe with her husband and children, writing in an Instagram post,"I am so blessed that I get to do this with my family."