Why Did Lisa Rinna Leave The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? The Real Reason

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It’s been almost a year since she last held a diamond, but fans are still left wondering: Why did Lisa Rinna leave The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and was she fired? Rinna, an actress best known for soap operas like Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in Season 5.

She starred on the series for seven seasons and eight years until her exit following Season 12. In the 2021 book, Not all Diamonds and Rose: The Inside Story of The Real Housewives From the People Who Lived It, Rinna revealed that she was on the “short list” to join the Season 1 cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which included Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Taylor Armstrong, Camille Grammer, and Adrienne Maloof. “I went in and made a tape and they came to the house and filmed a little sizzle reel,” Rinna said. “Usually when you get to that point, you’re on the short list.”

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The book reported that producers wanted The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to showcase “rich people” whose lives would make viewers “envious of their lifestyle.” “We thought Rinna was an interesting choice because she was such a Hollywood type — sort of the actress/entertainer who was still hanging on and has a famous husband,” executive producer Alex Baskin said. Real Housewives host and executive producer Andy Cohen eventually explained why Rinna wasn’t cast for that first season. “Lisa Rinna had been on so many reality shows, it just seemed like a parody to me,” he said. “For me, it needed to be about real women. I didn’t think we should have an actress, and I didn’t think any of them should be famous.”

But that didn’t stop Rinna. She went on to star on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills from Season 5 until her shocking exit after Season 12. So why did Lisa Rinna leave The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and was she fired? Read on for the real reason Lisa Rinna left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills straight from her (iconic) lips.

Why did Lisa Rinna leave The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?

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Why did Lisa Rinna leave The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Rinna left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after Season 12 following seven seasons on the series.

In a statement to People in January 2023, Rinna confirmed that she left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after her contract expired at the end of Season 12 and mutually decided with Bravo for not to return after she weighed her options and business obligations. “This is the longest job I have held in my 35 year career and I am grateful to everyone at Bravo and all those involved in the series,” Rinna said. “It has been a fun eight-year run and I am excited for what is to come!”

In the premiere of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 13, the series included a screenshot of Rinna’s resignation email from Bravo. “I will not be renewing my contract and I will not be coming back to RHOBH. Thank you so much for 8 years!!!! All the best. Lisa,” the email read.

In an interview with ES Magazine in May 2023, Rinna revealed that she left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after her late mother, Lois Rinna, who died on November 15, 2021, came to her dream to advise her to quit the show. “Who wants to leave a job?” Rinna said. “But I think we all knew it was time. Eight years of that kind of show … What more could I have done, besides generate more memes?”

She continued of seeing he mothe in her dream, “She came to me. It’s so wild because half the world will believe this, half the world will say, ‘That’s so weird.’ I was sleeping, and I heard her say to me, ‘It’s time for you to go.’” “I told a psychic, and she said, ‘Oh yeah, she’s come to me and told me that. She wants you to be happy and follow your dream, but she says it’s time for you to go.’ I’m guided by my mom, for sure.”

She also hinted in the interview that part of the reason she left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was due to death threats from fans. “The way the fanbase reacts to the show now is not how it was when I first started,” she said. “I mean, we were getting death threats. Some of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen in print in my life, and it’s a reality show! It’s a stupid show! I thought, ‘It’s time to go.’ I’m not sure how much longer that can exist in the zeitgeist, to be honest with you.”

She continued, “I think the world itself has gotten so volatile that the response doesn’t match what we’re doing. I didn’t want to live like that. I don’t think that’s healthy.”

Is Lisa Rinna returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?

Is Lisa Rinna returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? The answer is no—at least, not yet. In an interview on his SiriusXM show, Radio Andy, Real Housewives host and executive producer Andy Cohen revealed that he hoped Rinna’s exit from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was a “pause,” rather than a true exit—like Dorinda Medley from The Real Housewives of New York City, who starred on two seasons of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip after she left RHONY. “I really do hope that this is a pause. I hope she will come back, I really do,” Andy said.

Andy also compared Lisa’s exit to Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Tamra Judge, who was fired after Season 14 and returned in Season 17. She said, ‘I think it was actually really positive to leave and get some air and step back,’” he said. “So, I just hope that Lisa will humor us and come back.”

He also reacted to Rinna saying The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was the longest TV show she’s ever had. “That is a testament to how compelling Lisa Rinna is. To watch on television that she went eight years. Think of all the memes that Lisa Rinna has generated. Think of all the gifs she’s generated.”

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.

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