‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ drops Gretchen Rossi and Katie Ginella

Katie Ginella and Gretchen Rossi, around whom much controversy swirled on “The Real Housewives of Orange County” in 2025, will not be back when the 20th season of the reality TV series returns later this year.

Variety magazine reported Tuesday that Rossi is out. Ginella posted on social media earlier this month that she would not be returning.

Rossi, who has not yet commented on the Variety report on her social media accounts, returned for the 19th season in 2025 as “a friend” of the Housewives, the designation the show gives those who are not full-time cast members but who show up regularly. She had been a full housewife in seasons 4-8.

Ginella, who was the first-ever Asian American cast member on “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” had been a housewife for the past two seasons.

“After two seasons as a cast member on RHOC, the network has decided to move forward with Season 20 without me,” Ginella said on an Instagram post announcing her departure. “While disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising after seeing how Season 19 played out.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the love and support I received — it was seen, felt, and deeply appreciated,” she continued. “Representation matters, and I’m proud to have shown up authentically, even when it wasn’t easy. This chapter may be closing, but my voice and my story don’t end here.”

In season 19, both Ginella and Rossi were often at the center of controversies that roiled the season’s storylines.

Midway through the season, after she failed every question on an on-camera lie detector test, Ginella largely vanished from the show, but for brief scattered moments.

Rossi, who’d feuded with longtime housewife Tamra Judge during previous seasons on the series, picked up that feud immediately. For much of the season, she appeared to have the upper hand over Judge.

But in the final episodes and reunion shows, Rossi was defending herself against allegations of liking on social media posts that were anti-trans, anti-vaccine, and anti-abortion. She argued that she did not recall liking the posts, but failed to convince the other housewives.

The cast for season 20 will include returning housewife Vicki Gunvalson and her housewife BFFs Shannon Storms Beador and Tamra Judge, who together were known as the “tres amigas.”

Also returning will be Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, who recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend Travis, and Jennifer Pedranti, whose wedding might take place on the forthcoming season.