Nicole Martin Leaves ‘The Real Housewives of Miami’ Amid Postpartum Anxiety Struggles

Nicole Martin is officially saying goodbye to The Real Housewives of Miami .

“Given where I am right now, I have decided not to return to RHOM ,” Nicole, 39, captioned an Instagram post on Friday, September 13. “Prioritizing my health and my family is something I need to do at this moment. It’s a step towards healing and finding balance, and I hope you can understand and support this choice.”

Nicole posted her lengthy social media statement on Friday, revealing that she’s been privately navigating “postpartum anxiety” since welcoming her daughter Genevieve with fiancé Anthony Lopez in March.

“This pregnancy, I started to suffer from significant postpartum anxiety — something new that I did not experience with my previous pregnancy,” she wrote. “It all started about a week after giving birth when I found myself having an overwhelming sense of worry and fear out of nowhere. It felt like my mind was constantly on high alert, panicked and worrying endlessly about the health of my baby, myself, and my family.”

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Nicole explained that Genevieve was born premature — five weeks before her due date — and spent two weeks in the NICU. She urged followers, especially new mothers, to “talk openly” about their mental health struggles. (Nicole is also a mother of son Grayson, 5, with Anthony.)

“By sharing our experiences, we can offer each other comfort and strength, and remind one another that we’re not alone,” she added. “This is a part of my life that I am learning to navigate, and it’s been an emotional roller-coaster.”

Nicole joined the RHOM cast for season 4 in 2021 when the show returned to Peacock. While she announced her departure as a main cast member, Nicole will continue to appear in a “friend of” role for the forthcoming season 7.

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“Thank you for being a part of this journey with me and for creating a space where I feel comfortable sharing these parts of my life,” she concluded her social media caption on Friday. “I hope that my openness can help others who might be struggling and encourage us all to support one another through our most challenging times.”

Following her announcement, Nicole spoke to People and clarified that she won’t be saying “goodbye forever” to RHOM .

“I’ll pop-up here and there, just not in a full-time capacity,” she added. “I just need to shift my focus on other things right now.”

RHOM stars Alexia Nepola , Larsa Pippen , Lisa Hochstein , Guerdy Abraira and ​​ Julia Lemigova in full-time Housewife roles. Nicole, along with Adriana de Moura and Marysol Patton , will appear in “friend” roles.