Katie Ginella has confirmed she will not return for the next season of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” In a Friday social media post, she stated: “After two seasons as a cast member on ‘RHOC,’ the network has decided to move forward with Season 20 without me. While disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising after seeing how Season 19 played out.”
The reality star expressed gratitude for fan support, emphasizing, “Representation matters, and I’m proud to have shown up authentically, even when it wasn’t easy.” She shared a photo of herself on set wearing a pink dress, accompanied by an orange heart emoji.
Co-star Tamra Judge commented supportively, while Ginella’s husband Matt wrote: “Onward! (With a lot less tears and toxicity).” Fans expressed disappointment, with one noting they “loved what [she] brought to the table.”
Ginella, who joined the show in Season 18 (2024) as its first Asian American cast member, faced challenges bonding with the cast despite her friendship with Judge. Notable conflicts included tension with Emily Simpson after Ginella’s daughter criticized castmates online, and a failed lie detector test about storyline leaks during Season 19.
In August 2025, Ginella publicly addressed a controversial social media video featuring co-stars Gretchen Rossi and Jennifer Pedranti that included racially insensitive gestures. “There’s a very inappropriate video going around where two girls are pretending to fight, squinting their eyes and making Asian faces to Asian sounds,” she told Page Six, calling it “hurtful” and noting: “It’s 2025 and I think we should read the room.”
Ginella reflected on the incident’s emotional impact: “Being the very first Korean adoptee and Asian American on ‘Orange County’… being singled out from this cast, it’s all too familiar.” Rossi stated the video wasn’t directed at Ginella and was removed once they understood its potential offense, while Pedranti declined to comment.