‘RHOC’ Star Gina Kirschenheiter Talks Shocking Shannon Beador Apology, The “Tough Decision” To Live Apart From Her Boyfriend, And Being A “Girl’s Girl”
By Samantha Nungesser,
4 days ago
Gina Kirschenheiter has weathered a divorce, a DUI and those infamous hair extensions during her time on The Real Housewives of Orange County , only to reemerge from the storm with a doting boyfriend, a budding real estate gig and one of the most practical perspectives on life that we’ve ever seen from a Bravolebrity — dare we say, she puts the real in Real Housewives .
While things are going well for Kirschenheiter, she still had us all ugly crying in a recent episode of RHOC as she and her boyfriend of four years Travis Mullen made the “tough decision” to have him move out because they couldn’t afford a house big enough for their blended family.
“I’ve taken some hard lumps in life and I’m trying not to repeat any missteps. I want to have a healthy relationship, but it needs to be built with the right foundation,” Kirschenheiter told DECIDER, noting that while it was “not an easy transition,” they have now “settled into a really good place” with their living situation.
Outside of her love life, Kirchenheiter seems to have finally found peace with her co-star Shannon Beador , who was charged with a DUI shortly before the season began filming. In a surprising turn of events, Beador emotionally apologized to Kirschenheiter (not once, but twice) for any past digs she made about the latter’s own DUI arrest.
“That’s not fake. You don’t fake your way through that. I know that she truly understood in that moment what I had been trying to get through to her in the past and she felt really bad about it,” Kirschenheiter said, adding that she’s “proud” of Beador for taking responsibility for her actions.
With their friendship officially mended, Kirschenheiter wasted no time calling out the newly returned Alexis Bellino for “flaunt[ing]” her relationship with Beador’s ex-boyfriend John Janssen. “I think that I would have supported anyone who was the Shannon, you know, any one of my castmates,” the realtor said. “I’ve known these women for years and years and years and I didn’t know Alexis. Obviously, I’m a girl’s girl. I just don’t like it.”
Kirschenheiter recently stopped by DECIDER’s offices to talk about the “emotional” Season 18, from her heated confrontation with Jennifer Pedranti to how she feels newbie Katie Ginella did in her first season. Check out the full interview below.
DECIDER: I’m so excited to talk to you! How is the real estate business going? I know you were on Watch What Happens Live with Josh Flagg. Maybe there’s a Million Dollar Listing crossover somewhere in your future?
GINA KIRSCHENHEITER: Maybe, you know, I am here for it. I’m excited to meet him, actually. Yes, I think that’ll be super fun. But real estate’s been going great. I actually literally, between interviews today, I just got another listing agreement signed, so I’ll be having another listing coming up soon. So it’s been really good to me. Real estate’s tough. It’s high highs and low lows, but I am not afraid to work. And Travis and I – it’s fun to work together too and we are a good team thankfully, because that could have just pushed us right over the edge. So it’s been good.
There is a lot of intense stuff happening this season. How are you feeling about reliving everything?
Oh, gosh. It’s always really hard to have to watch it. This year, in particular, is more difficult for me because of everything that was going on with Travis and I. So having to rewatch everything is another thing that we have to get through as a couple. So it definitely makes everything harder. That’s really the only thing that personally affects me, but it’s not easy to watch everybody else go through their stuff either. There’s a lot going on. There’s been a lot of heavy stuff.
It was so heartbreaking to watch Travis move out in tonight’s episode. How have you two been holding up since then? And how are the kids?
It was not an easy transition, I will say that, and I think you’ll see more of that throughout this season. It would be weird probably, if it was an easy transition. But I do think that we have settled into a really good place. The problem was we were just sitting on two sides of this decision, which is normal in couples, and I do think that we have been putting in the work and communicating and getting through it. We’re not avoiding it. We’re taking it head on and we are seeing each other’s perspectives on it and so that is allowing us [to] break through some of those roadblocks and we’re doing good.
I love to hear that because we’re all rooting for you. We love you guys together.
It makes me sad to watch it because it’s real. And it was a really tough decision.
But a smart one, too. I think it was very confusing at first and then when you explained everything, it all made sense.
And I understand that it’s confusing to people and I’m happy that people are starting to understand it too because I was like, “OK, well anyone who’s blended a family will get it.” But if you haven’t, then it might still be confusing to you and I’m happy that people can just kind of logically see where I’m coming from. And yeah, I mean, it is a tough decision, but as I get older and I’ve taken some hard lumps in life and I’m trying not to repeat any missteps. I want to have a healthy relationship, but it needs to be built with the right foundation.
Once you explained all the reasons that led to your decision to live separately, Heather said in her confessional that she was impressed by you. Knowing that you two hit a couple of bumps in the road later on in the season, how did it make you feel to see her give you your due?
I love Heather, I really do and you do see us get into it and scrap through this season, last season, the season before. But at our core and our root, we do have a good, solid friendship and we care about each other.
That did mean a lot to me. Heather was very kind. But I will say, all of my castmates have been incredibly supportive of me in that way and it does mean something to me and sometimes I do need that. And so the fact that they’ve all been so supportive has been really nice for me.
Not only are you struggling with the stress of your living situation, but you’re also dealing with some drama with Jennifer. I think the overall vibe was that everyone saw both sides of the situation. Looking back, would you have handled the situation differently?
Oh my God, yes. I mean, yes! Of course. I mean, I’m a New Yorker, we run hot. I think that obviously I had very valid reasons for why I was upset, but I clearly did not communicate them in the best way. So do I regret the way that it went down? Yeah. But also, do I think that it could have happened any other way? Probably not. When I saw the glam, that was it. I was so upset by it all because I just felt like she didn’t see a lot of it.
But what I love about Jenn is actually she even had said recently that she really didn’t even fully understand my whole perspective until she watched the show and I appreciate her saying that because it’s OK for her to not understand everything that’s happening and, you know, she is going through this transition and I get that. I was just hurt as her friend, you know? And so to hear her even just say, “I didn’t really get it and now I do and I feel bad about that,” it makes all the difference. And I obviously have apologized to Jenn and I don’t think she’s stupid – even though I said that multiple times. I was just mad.
We all say things in the heat of the moment so that’s relatable.
I mean, yeah. If you follow anybody around with a camera long enough.
Obviously there’s the fear of damaging your reputation as a real estate agent, but do you think some resentment toward Jenn might’ve stemmed from the fact that you and Travis made the super difficult decision to live separately because it’s a good financial decision, while Jenn maybe wasn’t as willing to compromise her lifestyle to one she could afford?
I definitely don’t think that’s an unreasonable thought process. It was difficult for me. It’s like, I’m looking at everything always. I feel like on the show as we go through everything – which was also some of my frustration with Shannon – it’s like I’ve had to take the hard looks at things and when I come up against somebody who I feel is kind of burying their head a little bit, it does trigger me. It upsets me. And do I think that I would have been to that level? No, absolutely not. But I can’t say that even if the situation wouldn’t have occurred – I mean, yeah, it’s tough to watch somebody go through things a different way. But it really only came to a head because her choice in how she was handling her situation collided with how I was trying to move forward with mine. Otherwise it probably would have been maybe just a conversation that I had with her about my feelings about her choices. But ultimately, she’s got to make her own choices. And I don’t fault her for the choices she’s making. I just don’t want it to get in my way.
I do want to talk about you and Shannon. I think it really speaks wonders of your character that you had no intentions of kicking Shannon while she was down despite some of the things she’s said to you in the past. Were you surprised to get such an emotional apology from her?
Thank you for saying that. That’s very sweet and kind. I was shocked, actually, especially because in that moment, on that day, I didn’t expect anything from her because Alexis was there and that was a very difficult situation for her to be walking into. So the fact that she – I didn’t see it coming – and that she chose to apologize. I thought was really incredible of her and really meant a lot to me. I was totally past it. That’s all she needed to do. I was like, “We’re good, we’re solid.” And then she doubled down and she really opened up and apologized again that evening when we were practicing for football at the gym.
That’s not fake. You don’t fake your way through that. I know that she truly understood in that moment what I had been trying to get through to her in the past and she felt really bad about it. She’s a human and I’m a human and I am just very much about accepting this. I think that’s a beautiful thing. If you can find personal growth from that and then you can carry on and come together and not have to carry more BS through your life. Like, who wants to carry around all this crap, this animosity, all of it, you know? So I’m really happy about where we are and I’m proud of her for a lot of what she’s been willing to take responsibility and look at this year.
Awe, I love when you guys are getting along.
Me too! That’s my favorite. I don’t ever want to not get along with anyone! It feels really good. It really does.
You’ve also been pretty vocal in defending Shannon against Alexis. Why was it so important for you to do that? And do you think Alexis could tone it down with the John talk when Shannon’s around?
Yeah. I think that I would have supported anyone who was the Shannon, you know, any one of my castmates. I’ve known these women for years and years and years and I didn’t know Alexis. Obviously, I’m a girl’s girl. I just don’t like it.
Look, Alexis didn’t steal John. They’re free to do what they want. They can have their relationship, but it did feel flaunted and it felt unkind to me. It didn’t rub me the right way.
In tonight’s episode, Emily says Alexis is very “single white female” when it comes to Shannon. What do you think of that?
Emily’s so funny, honestly. Like, I die laughing when I watch it. Yeah. The problem was that, and I will support Emily on this, every time Alexis would come to anything, she would start in with this narrative that Shannon just has to stop talking about them and we’re like, “Shannon is not – she is like actively trying to not talk about you. Like, that is her least favorite topic to talk about.” She’s not bringing her up. She’s not trashing her on camera, off camera. None of it. She’s got bigger fish to fry right now. She’s got bigger stuff to deal with. She’s focusing on her health and wellness and she was not stewing on them. And it’s like all they can talk about and then [Alexis] would take shots at [Shannon]. So it was really difficult. They were, like, obsessive about it and we can only go off what we see and all I know is that it seems like, you know, [Shannon] lives rent free in [their] head to me. So it is what it is.
Well, we saw that in like the first episode when Shannon went up to Alexis to talk about her ex-husband suing her and Alexis was kind of like, “You’re just mad because I’m dating your ex-boyfriend now.”
Well, it’s like she clearly practiced all that in the mirror before and that, to me, even feels like you’re not giving it a real fair chance. Like, you clearly didn’t just think up, “There’s the door, Shannon Beador,” on the fly. So you came in, not with this positive version of how you’re pretending you want this to go. You came in with, like, a line of how you were going to slam her. So the whole thing just feels very calculated to me, honestly. I don’t wish them anything bad. Like, I hope that John and Alexis are happy together, but it would just be in everybody’s best interest if everybody just moved on.
What are your thoughts on Tamra Judge getting closer and closer with Alexis, while simultaneously drifting away from Shannon?
It’s unfortunate. I mean, you can’t make anybody make friendships and choices and all of that. But I don’t think at this point Tamra or Shannon are interested in a relationship. So it’s just going to be what it is, but I know that that probably makes it just hurt worse for Shannon.
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I loved to see the RHOC/RHOBH crossover when you and Katie had lunch with Sutton Stracke – and I was surprised to hear of your connection through your ex-husbands. Would you like to see Sutton make the jump to RHOC full-time or should she stay with the RHOBH crew?
Oh my gosh, I love Sutton so much, I really do and I would gladly have Sutton any day. But I just think that she is doing a good job over there handling those diamonds and making them “name ‘em!” I just feel like it’s so funny because for whatever reason, I feel like we fall where we’re supposed to. People always ask me, “Oh, would you go to New York?” And I just don’t think it would land the same way. But it’s so fun to have people come and splash around in our world.
You guys have a lot of little cameos – you have Teddi Mellencamp this season and Vicki Gunvalson always emerges.
Vicki always comes back. Victoria always has to ascend from somewhere, yes!
Sutton suggested that Katie should be scared of Heather. Is Heather really as scary as Sutton made her out to be?
I mean, Dubrow is formidable, you know? You know when you’re in trouble with Dubrow and it is not fun to be on the receiving end of a Dubrow spanking. And I have had several. I mean, Heather is not like a scary person, but she is a strong woman and when she feels attacked, she will let you know that that’s not OK. She’s not afraid to tell you what time it is. So I don’t think that was the best tact coming into all of this. But, you know, there’s a learning curve here.
Speaking of Katie, I am loving her so far. What makes her perfect Real Housewives material?
She’s beautiful. Obviously, that helps. Katie is a really sweet, kind person. She is fun. She is very, I think, pretty open. But it’s hard – your first year is hard. And I think she kind of – there were times when she was having a hard time navigating through all of it, which I think is really normal. So I don’t quite have 100% read on her within this environment. So I am looking forward to being able to do this again with her next year, should that happen, because I think that she’ll get more comfortable. But Katie as a person is great!
I really loved that little scene when you guys were at Heather’s lunch and you were joking about the small portions of food.
I was so hungry, I really needed bread. I know and it’s really funny because it is cool when they choose to show stuff like that because we’re not even thinking about anything. We were just having fun and joking around over there and I do think that it is cool to have somebody too that, we’re the same age, so it’s kind of fun because me and Katie joke with each other differently than how I joke with all of the other women – except for obviously, Emily, but she’s just in a different bucket, always.
What else can you tease about the rest of the season? Anything you’re excited for? Dreading? I know there are a few cast trips coming up.
Probably both. Yeah, the trips are really cool. They’re really fun. I think this year was really cool because we did get heavy and deep in, like, an emotional way. I think that a lot of Shannon’s journey, I think, is really interesting to have been a part of and watch and it’s a journey that a lot of people can relate to. So I thought that was kind of cool. It was really a fun trip. It was cool to go to London. It was an awesome city and it was cool to go international with these ladies. But yeah, I mean, it’s just a roller coaster ride and to be completely honest, some of it I have blocked out permanently.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs every Thursday at 9/8c on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock .
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