Here's Why These Stars Left The Real Housewives So Fast

Devoted fans who have watched Bravo's Real Housewives franchise since it first aired in 2006 with The Real Housewives of Orange County, are very familiar with the OG women who invited fans into their affluent lifestyles and made the show and its many spin-offs what it is today. The popular reality franchise wouldn't have been possible without the likes of Kyle Richards, Ramona Singer, Teresa Giudice, NeNe Leakes, and Vicki Gunvalson — all who have laid the foundation for other well-off ladies to give reality television a go and see how well they fit into a very established clique of women. 

Since the franchise kicked things off with RHOC, viewers have seen 10 U.S. cities represented so far, with women of all different backgrounds sharing their ridiculously lavish lives. However, being on a reality television show isn't for everyone, and several of these women said good-bye to the Bravo franchise after just one or two seasons. The pressure for these "new" Housewives to try and fit into a group that has a lot of history (and tons of drama) can be intimidating, and unfortunately, there are a bunch of Housewives who left the reality show abruptly and swiftly. 

Amber Marchese joined the women of The Real Housewives of New Jersey for its sixth season, but that was all fans would see of the star and her husband, Jim Marchese. In an interview with People, Marchese confessed that she no longer wanted to be a part of the Bravo franchise because the show "did not allow the viewers" to get to know her. Instead, it showed Marchese pitted against twins Teresa Aprea and Nicole Napolitano, while she barely had a relationship with other cast members, Dina Manzo and Teresa Giudice. 

Marchese admitted she and her husband made the decision together to leave the show, sharing, "The show was not what we expected it to be, and I want to pursue more suitable endeavors." The mom of two, who dealt with breast cancer, also said that parts of the series, especially her feud with the women, were constructed by Bravo. "Even my relationship with the twins was created," she stated, adding, "I only met with Teresa Giudice and Dina Manzo for filming purposes. I never built a friendship with them as we were nothing more than co-workers." 

Actor Denise Richards would find herself hanging out with the ritzy women of Beverly Hills when she was cast to join Season 9 of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, Richards would give up her big fake diamond and leave the franchise after just two seasons (via Variety). According to Newsweek, the Starship Troopers star left after clashing with most of the cast members over accusations of "mom-shaming" as well as some rumors involving an ex-cast member. Richards found herself in the middle of a scandal when former RHOBH star Brandi Glanville claimed that she and Richards had an affair while Richards was married. The Drop Dead Gorgeous actor repeatedly denied Glanville's story throughout Season 11. 

While Richards left the reality show on bad terms with many of the women, a rep for the star told People that she was leaving the Bravo franchise because of her heavy workload. "The Bold and the Beautiful is her second concurrent acting gig [as well as drama series Glow and Darkness] so she was looking to replace RHOBH with time loving her amazing husband, children and who knows, maybe even friends now," the rep said. "She took her three productions down to two so now she can enjoy her family more as well." Who knows? Maybe Richards will give it another go in the future when rumors about her subside. Her return would be a Dr. Christmas Jones gift to us all.

The Real Housewives of New York would be nothing without O.G. Bethenny Frankel, who fans watched work tirelessly since its first season in 2008 to become the mogul she is today. While she took some time off from the show after the third season in 2010, she rejoined in 2015, with ratings only going up thanks to her reappearance, as Variety reported. But in a shocking move, the Skinnygirl founder left the Bravo franchise ahead of Season 12, without any of her cast members knowing about her sudden departure. In a lengthy statement with ET, the former Housewife shared, "It's time to move on and focus on my daughter, my philanthropy and my production partnership with Mark Burnett, producing and starring in shows which represent a shift in the conversation for women."

Frankel also shared a touching Instagram post where she thanked her fans for their love and support, ending her statement with a reference to her RHONY tagline: "PS: New York City is still my playground." However, not everyone was on board with her exit from the series, including longtime colleague Ramona Singer, who told ET, "I'm happy for Bethenny and wish her the best but I think it's strange that me and the other cast members had to read about it in the press instead of hearing it directly by text." Regardless of how the other women feel, it appears that Frankel has no regrets. 

The Facts of Life actor Kim Fields was not with all the drama when she appeared on just one season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The star joined the cast for its eighth season, but it would be her last after admitting that she was more than ready to move on from the reality show on The Rickey Smiling Morning Show (via Us Weekly). "It feels more like Brett Favre and the Jets, you know — I'm done," Fields said, adding, "I think about too, at the beginning of the season, what did my mama say? 'Get in and get out.' Listen to your mama.'"

Fields got along well with the other Housewives... well, everyone except for Kenya Moore, that is. The women didn't get on well, with Moore later telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she did not get along with Fields because she believed the sitcom star wasn't being "authentic." Even so, Fields said that being on the show was mostly positive. "It was for the experience," she shared on The Rickey Smiling Morning Show. "It was to be able to do a genre that I'd been asked to do before and finding a way to do that made sense for my team and for the family. Overall it was a really great experience." And there you have the facts of reality TV life.