Whatever Happened To Former RHOBH Star Joyce Giraud?
Back when "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" seasons were in the single digits, fans may remember Joyce Giraud from Season 4. The former model was known for winning Miss Universe Puerto Rico in 1998, as well as going head-to-head with her castmate Brandi Glanville on and off the screen. Glanville made waves when she joked about Giraud being Black because she couldn't swim, to which the pageant queen shot back by calling her a racist. Giraud took to Bravo to state, "Puerto Ricans are a mix of African, Spanish, and Indian. My great-grandmother was black. So yes, I'm proud to say I'm a mix and very proud of my African lineage as well! But even if I didn't have it in my blood I would still not tolerate her racial remarks."
Despite bringing the drama, Giraud and all her glorious hair didn't make it back for the following year. As reported by People, she and fellow Season 4 one-hit-wonder Carlton Gebbia were fired. "Joyce and Carlton just didn't resonate as much as the other ladies did. The fans didn't respond to them so it didn't make sense to keep them around," a source revealed. After her firing, Giraud has been living her best life and is now an entrepreneur with a beauty brand that unsurprisingly includes products for hair.
Joyce Giraud has been focusing on her beauty company
Getting axed from "RHOBH" after just one season didn't keep Joyce Giraud down. Following her brief reality television stint, she launched her eponymous beauty line that includes oils for hair and supplements to increase healthy skin. According to her website, Giraud's products are all-natural and inspired by her mother and grandmother. "Since I was little my grandma and my mommy always used these 'potions.' They mixed lots of different ingredients and I was their guinea pig, LOL. They encouraged me to take care of my hair and skin," she wrote.
Giraud eventually brought her products onto QVC and the business is still thriving, which began when friends asked her what she used for her hair, per Allure. "I'd tell them it's just these four oils that have been around for hundreds of years," she shared. Giraud is not just about promoting healthy skin and hair — she uses part of the proceeds from her business toward a school in Senegal she had built with her husband Michael Ohoven. The school had been her passion project before her beauty line and the main reason Giraud joined "RHOBH" was to create awareness for her charities.
Joyce Giraud had some beef with Bravo
Years after leaving "RHOBH" in 2014, Joyce Giraud shared how she had come about getting cast on the reality show. In an interview with "Juicy Scoop," the philanthropist told the host Heather McDonald that she was filming the NBC show "Siberia" when she got a call from a Bravo producer who had begged her to consider being a "Real Housewife." She stated, "The reason why I did it is because everyone that I spoke with about it said this is the best platform for your charity." At the time, she was focused on her charity, Queen of the Universe, which helped her raise money for the school in Senegal. One of her stipulations for appearing in "RHOBH" was that she was given the opportunity to promote her charity, but she expressed disappointment in the lack of exposure the producers ultimately gave her.
The same year, Giraud called out Bravo for their lack of accountability over racism on their shows. When the network tweeted in support of Black Lives Matter, the former housewife replied, "Then don't be silent! Don't accept racial remarks as a 'joke' from any of your cast members." When fans agreed with her, she wrote, "Everything mentioned is 100 true! And it was all dismissed as a 'joke'. Racist remarks are NOT a joke!" It looks like her feud with Brandi Glanville has not been forgotten and it's safe to say, her chances of returning to "RHOBH" look pretty slim.