Real Housewives Cast Members Who Completely Disappeared
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Since the debut of The Real Housewives franchise, which documents the lives of affluent women across the globe, Bravo TV has introduced viewers to stars who've provided countless hours of addicting drama. Here's looking at you, Vicki Gunvalson of The Real Housewives of Orange County, and you NeNe Leakes of the Atlanta crew. But sometimes the Bravo TV gods get things wrong, and they cast a housewife who doesn't connect with viewers or whose story line runs flat or who decides they want out. Thus, a revolving door of women has cycle through the series and some have seemingly dropped off the radar.
Looking back on some of the shows' greatest moments, we can't help but wonder what happened to many of the housewives from yesteryear, such as the eccentric Alex McCord from the New York cast and Mary Schmidt Amons from the since-canceled Washington D.C. series. What about Aviva Drescher, the amputee behind the leg toss heard around the world? Here are some juicy updates about Real Housewives cast members who completely disappeared from television.
Jo De La Rosa briefly traded in the OC for NYC
Jo De La Rosa was the housewife who technically wasn't even a housewife on the first season of The Real Housewives of Orange County. She was engaged to Slade Smiley, and fans watched as their relationship combusted week after week, before they finally ended things the following season. She and Smiley eventually reunited in 2008 to appear on the spin-off series Date My Ex: Jo & Slade, but Smiley eventually moved on and began dating a slew of fellow OC housewives, including Lauri Peterson and Gretchen Rossi (via E! News). As of this writing, he and Rossi are still madly in love and growing their family, but what about De La Rosa? She pulled a disappearing act.
According to BuzzFeed, she moved to New York for a stint, then relocated to Los Angeles to work as a national accounts director. Even though she has long kissed the show goodbye, we were flooded with a huge dose of RHOC nostalgia when she joined former co-stars Vicki Gunvalson and Jeana Keough for a ten-year reunion celebration in 2016. After going dark on social media for years, De La Rosa reemerged in January 2019 to reveal that she'd ended another relationship. "A couch, a mattress, a desk and my clothes are all I have to my name in this new apartment — this is what starting over looks like — and I couldn't be more ready to re-build and get out of my own way," she wrote on Instagram (via Bravo).
RHONY's Alex McCord is living Down Under
Alex McCord and her eccentric husband, Simon van Kempen, ruffled more than a few feathers during her time as an OG cast member of the New York series. McCord, her hubby, and their two sons, Johan and Francois, were in love with Brooklyn long before it transitioned into a gentrified, hipster haven. Her most infamous line on the show came during a Season 3 spat with former co-star Jill Zarin. McCord proclaimed, "You are a mean girl, and you are in high school. And while you are in high school, I am in Brooklyn, trying to survive in this economy. Working." Oh, how we miss this Brooklyn gal! Hey, what the heck happened to her anyway?
This family didn't stay in its fixer-upper Brooklyn abode, choosing to move to van Kempen's native Australia instead. "Our children have never had the opportunity to live within walking distance of grandparents and cousins ... it's the perfect time for the extended family to enjoy each other," she told Bravo in September 2014. During a 2018 interview with Sunrise (via the Daily Mail), McCord said she was glad she was no longer a part of RHONY. "All the women who stayed on the show have lost their marriages and their family," she said. "Why would you ever give up your children and your husband for crazy women?" Burn!
RHONY's Kelly Killoren Bensimon is making money moves
Kelly Killoren Bensimon had a breakdown of catastrophic proportions during The Real Housewives of New York City cast's trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2010. She called Alex McCord a "vampire" and revealed that she believed fellow housewife Bethenny Frankel was going to harm her. Yikes! It appears that Bravo TV didn't think Bensimon was built for all the stress and drama that went along with being on a reality series because executives, including Andy Cohen, decided the fourth season would mark her last appearance on the show.
Following her epic meltdown, the divorcée, former model, and mother of two settled back into her everyday life in the Big Apple. Without cameras following her every move, she managed to crank out some books, including 2012's I Can Make You Hot!: The Supermodel Diet. Aside from launching a jewelry line through the Home Shopping Network in May 2016 and teaming up with designer Rachel Miriam for a handbag collection in 2018, Bensimon has spent her time away from the limelight selling real estate. The New York Post revealed that one of her first listings was her own home — a fourth-floor unit that was expected to be listed for around $10 million. Go, Kelly!
Mary Schmidt Amons said goodbye to D.C.
The Real Housewives of D.C. had a lot of potential, but the series just didn't grab viewers' attention like the network hoped. Though the show was only around for one season, we still can't help but wonder what happened to some of the most popular cast members, such as Mary Schmidt Amons. You remember her, right? She was married to telecom executive Rich, and they had five children together.
Well, following the one-and-done first season, she and Rich filed for divorced in 2012 after 26 years of marriage, and Amons focused on her career as an interior designer and voiceover artist. She eventually left Washington, D.C. behind and became an official resident of Dallas. She also found love deep in the heart of Texas, according to her Instagram account. As of this writing, her new beau is Jeff O'Neil — the owner of a posh hair salon in the area.
But there could be a future for Amons in reality TV. In a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post, she said, "I get a lot of energy when the camera and the lights are on me. This is something I want to experience again." Hmm ... maybe Bravo TV execs can do a test run to see how she fits in with the ladies of The Real Housewives of Dallas. We would definitely tune in!
Quinn Fry grew tired of Orange County's 'serial daters'
Quinn Fry debuted on Season 3 of The Real Housewives of OC as the fun, vivacious, and perpetually single cast member. After making her last appearance on the show, she dove right back into her life as a devoted mother and grandmother of four. She has also moved out of Orange County, testing out life in other cities in the Golden State. According to Fry's Facebook page, former castmate Jeana Keough helped her snag a condo in Mission Viejo, Calif. in 2013.
By the time 2014 rolled around, Fry told Yahoo! that dating as a 40-something in the OC was a hard task, and she blamed it all on her male counterparts, whom she described as "serial daters." Perhaps her bad luck was the reason she decided to pack up again in 2018 and head north — way north — to Eureka, Calif. According to an August 2018 Instagram post, she was buying an "adorable home" and looking forward to the "fantastic things ahead."
RHOA's DeShawn Snow lost a hubby and a ton of weight
The cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta has changed a lot over the years, and that's why you may not remember cast member DeShawn Snow from the first season. She was the wife to former professional basketball player Eric Snow and the mother of three boys. She rarely got involved in the other cast members' cat fights, preferring to spend her time building her charitable organizations and giving back to those in need. Naturally, sans drama, she wasn't exactly a good fit for the show.
After getting the boot after just one season, Snow slipped out of the public eye, only to make headlines when her husband filed for divorce in 2010. Rumors swirled that he'd impregnated his mistress— one of their mutual friends from college — according to Bossip. Closing the chapter on that devastating moment of her life wasn't easy, but DeShawn told AttaGirl in 2012: "I'm excited to make things happen. I'm definitely moving forward, I'm growing through this. Since I've been on the show, I've been doing a lot of reflecting, a lot of writing, a lot of healing."
She became a children's book author, lost 30 pounds, and appears to be living her best life outside the spotlight.
RHODC's Michaele Salahi is on a new journey
Michaele Salahi, now known as Michaele Schon, and her then-husband, Tareq Salahi, made a name for themselves as the White House party crashers after they arrived uninvited to President Barack Obama's 2009 state dinner. Bravo TV executive Andy Cohen blamed the then-couple for the negative press the short-lived show received. "There was such a stink on it from those two," Cohen said.
Though we were only blessed with one season of Schon's high jinks, she continued to give us grade-A entertainment when Salahi reported that she'd gone missing in September 2011. It was later revealed that she wasn't in any kind of danger. As a matter of fact, she was living her best life far away from Salahi. That's right, she'd reportedly run off with her side dude and former fling, Journey guitarist Neal Schon. Scandalous! She eventually decided to divorce Salahi and married Neal during a live, pay-per-view special in late 2013.
After publicly humiliating Salahi and riding off into the sunset with her new boo, Schon has kept her followers up-to-date on what's going on in her world through a joint Facebook account she shares with her new hubby. Rock on, Michaele.
Aviva Drescher 'would go back' to RHONY if she could
How could we forget Aviva Drescher of The Real Housewives of New York? She famously chucked her prosthetic leg in the middle of a Season 6 cocktail party. She later told The Huffington Post that the infamous leg toss was her desperate attempt to appease producers and secure her spot on the show's seventh season. Alas, that apparently didn't do the trick, and Drescher got her pink slip.
After her time on RHONY came to an end, the mom of three told Town & Country she was working on a lifestyle blog and writing a book. As if her schedule wasn't jam-packed enough, she was also dedicating her time to helping others who had lost limbs. "I do a lot of one-on-one visits with new amputees, mostly women and children, by visiting them in the hospital and helping them adjust to wearing a prosthesis," she said.
Drescher isn't opposed to making a grand return to reality TV. "If they needed somebody and I worked in the mix, I would go back," she told Page Six in March 2018. As of this writing, RHONY hasn't found a way to work her into the show, but you never know what the future may hold. Here's hoping!
RHONJ's Dina Manzo became a West Coast girl
Dina Manzo was a fan favorite and one of the original cast members on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. The zen-loving, hairless cat owner and mother of one divorced her ex-husband, Tommy Manzo, in 2015, and was embroiled drama with her sister and former castmate, Caroline Manzo. Despite Caroline having famously described their family as being "thick as thieves," Dina told SiriusXM's Jeff Lewis Live in August 2018 that she and Caroline hadn't "spoken in two years" (via People).
Not only was her relationship with her big sister reportedly broken, but Dina also severed ties with the state of New Jersey after she and her beau, David Cantin, were bound and beaten during a home invasion robbery at their home. They moved to California. During her interview with Jeff Lewis Live, Dina discussed her relationship with Cantin (via People). "[Cantin and I] got engaged once, early in our relationship, and then we both realized it was way too early. And then we got engaged again last year," she said. But don't get your hopes up for a made-for-TV wedding special. This is former reality star values her privacy.
Dina did open up on social media in 2019 to reveal the challenges she's faced trying to bear more children. During a Q&A with fans on Instagram, she was asked if she wanted more kids. "Sometimes," she replied (via Bravo). "...I recently lost a few pregnancies but God is in charge not me."
RHONY Cindy Barshop is happy and single
Cindy Barshop was slated to be Bethenny Frankel's replacement on Season 4 of The Real Housewives of New York. Sadly, she had huge Manolo Blahnik stilettos to fill. She didn't exactly deliver the kind of drama the show was looking for, even though we had a good laugh when she flipped out over her missing clothes hangers. Alas, her organizational idiosyncrasy wasn't enough to keep the mother of twin daughters signed on as a full-time housewife. In September 2011, Us Weekly confirmed that Bravo was parting ways with the vajazzle guru. Just like that, she disappeared from our radar.
She's gone from our television screens, but she's still busy making notable business moves. After the success of her Spruce & Bond beauty spa, she opened VSPOT Medi Spa, a place that provides "non-surgical solutions to issues that were once taboo," the website states. Sign. Us. Up.
As far as her personal life, she told Town & Country in 2018 that she's "a happy single mom watching my superstar twins thriving in 2nd grade!" Thrive on, mama and kiddos!
RHONY Heather Thomson decided to holla at the health industry
We were just getting used to hearing Heather Thomson's cringey greeting of "holla!" when The Real Housewives of New York star relinquished her golden apple at the close of Season 7. She would later tell Entertainment Tonight that she simply didn't have enough time to devote to the popular series. "I have to focus on the things that are really, really important in my life and that's my family and my business," she said. "While I'm filming the show I also am running a multi-million dollar business, and it takes away a lot of my time from the company."
While on the reality program, the wife and mom of two was known for being the brainchild behind Yummie Tummie shapewear. She later told Andy's Girls podcast that issues with the business' manager prompted her to step down from the company. It has since been rebranded as Yummie. "I decided I had done that and it was time for me to move on ... sometimes you do need to close a door to open another one," she said.
No need to fear. The accomplished entrepreneur didn't waste any time launching her next venture — this time, in the health industry. According to her official website, her Nutritionary line of supplement powders and cleansing products are "clean, vegan, NON-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, and soy free."
RHOM Joanna Krupa left her husband, but she didn't stay single for long
The Real Housewives of Miami was one franchise that didn't quite pick up steam like some of the other locales. Joanna Krupa joined in Season 2, but she and the rest of her cast members were unceremoniously given the boot after Season 3. Many fans of the short-lived series wonder what happened to Krupa and her boyfriend, Romain Zago. She and the Mynt Lounge nightclub owner got married in 2013, but by 2017, they'd decided to go their separate ways. "They just grew apart," a source told E! News.
The statuesque Polish-American supermodel wasn't back on the market for long. Seven months after her divorce was finalized, she got engaged to businessman Douglas Nunes, according to a March 2018 picture posted to her Instagram account. They rushed to the altar and became husband and wife during a whimsical wedding ceremony in August 2018. "It was a very private and small family gathering," the caption of her wedding photo reads. "Wish I could have shared it with all the people that I love."
Aside from finding love again, Krupa was also crowned Elphia Beauty's Beauty Brand Ambassador in 2018, according to PR Web. It's the perfect gig for her, considering her skin is practically flawless.
RHOBH Adrienne Maloof is exploring the business and dating world
How could we ever forget Adrienne Maloof? While starring on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, we learned that her family owned a massive business empire that consisted of a 2 percent stake in Las Vegas' Palms Casino, Travel Weekly reports. Her golden blonde locks were always shimmering with hints of glittery extensions, and she had a marriage that was imploding right before our eyes. She and her then-husband, plastic surgeon and Botched star Paul Nassif, were affectionately known as "The Bickersons" due to their non-stop squabbles, but their underlying issues were no laughing matter. Nassif filed for divorce in August 2012, and Maloof was "let go" from RHOBH in March 2013. So what has the uber-successful entrepreneur been up to since getting nixed from the show?
The mother of three debuted Never Hungover — a vitamin-packed supplement that can ease the symptoms of a rough night of pounding booze. Hmm...sounds like it might come in handy for some of her former co-stars...so we've heard. She has also been spotted with a few much-younger and super hot men, including Rod Stewart's son, Sean Stewart, and Anheuser Busch beer heir, Jacob Busch. As for her divorce, all's well that ends well. Nassif told E! News in 2017, "Adrienne and I, we are doing fantastic. We're taking care of our kids and doing great together." Goodbye, Bickersons. Hello, co-parenting wizards!