28 'Real Housewives' Who Left—Or Got Fired From—The Franchise

Table-flipping, crying in the bushes, screaming matches, glass-throwing and gossip that leads to all-out wars in the press—ah, the Real Housewives.

Bravo's beloved reality series was born as a voyeuristic, docuseries-esque look “behind the gates” at how the other half lives. Somewhere along the way (perhaps during The Real Housewives of Orange County, season 4—thank you, Tamra and Gretchen!) the show shifted focus from the self-contained storylines of each individual cast member and their families to the frenzied relationships among these groups of powerful, opinionated women. Now, thanks to explosive fights, iconic catchphrases, and heavy-handed editing, the series can make even the most dramatic soap opera look tame. Over the years, viewers have met over 100 Housewives in 10 different cities—and the drama is still at an all-time high.

To keep things interesting, the cast of each franchise is always rotating. In some cases, the women reach a point when the chaos of the show becomes too much, and they opt to call it quits. Former cast members have called the filming environment "toxic," and have accused the show of damaging their reputation and even their mental heath. For others, their time on the show comes to a halt when Bravo demotes them to "Friend" status, a part-time roll that usually comes with a significant cut in pay and in air time. And for others, they've stirred up drama too intense even for Bravo, and the network shows them the door. Here are the 28 most notable Housewives' exits over of all time.