Season Five of Housewives of Orange County: Evictions, Romance, Divorce and an Original Housewife Says Goodbye

He’s Back! Slade Smiley Romances Gretchen, the $2.5 million Housewife

The Real Housewives of Orange County are back for a fifth season beginning November 5th and surprise, surprise, the cast includes the return of “naughty” 31-yr-old Gretchen Rossi plus the edition of newest “blonde”, 32-yr-old mother of three Alexis Bellino. Returning Housewives include “original” Housewife Jeanna Keough, who’s expected to depart during the season. Back for another season, the “ditzy” Lynne Curtain, “hottest” Housewife Tamra Barney, and original sourpuss, Vicki Gunvalson.

At first we wondered just how long returning castmates Tamra Barney and Vicki Gunvalson would be able to “hold” their collective tongues now that Gretchen has hooked up with former Housewives “hunk”, Slade Smiley, age 40.

Back in April the New York Post cited inside sources at Bravo who were “skeptical” of the Slade-Gretchen “romance” and that they “hoped” by the time filming for the new season had begun, Slade was “out of the picture”. Not so, as the Bumpshack posted recent pics of Slade and Gretchen getting cozy in a pumpkin patch. The headline of the Post article, “OC HOUSEWIFE’ GRETCHEN DATES HER CO-STAR’S EX” isn’t technically true and should have been “OC Housewife Dates Ex-Peripheral Housewives’ Character Who Had Left the Show Seeking Fame and Fortune in Hollywood”.

Last season was Gretchen’s first appearance as a Housewife while the “costar” the Post referred to, Jo De La Rosa, had already departed with Slade for greener celebrity pastures in LA, while the couple had already aired their “Date My Ex”.

Yahoo.com’s fifth season “snapshot” had this to say about Gretchen and the new season:

In Season 5 Gretchen copes with the death of her fiance Jeff, and learns how to move on both professionally and personally. Gretch’s social life heats up when she finds a surprising new love interest (who OC fans may or may not recognize … )

Most OC fans will recognize the “new love interest” Slade unless he’s rendered himself even more tragically unhip than when he was involved with Jo and their “Date My Ex” short-lived “reality” series. We recall that, after Jo’s stint as Slade’s live-in girlfriend, former model Slade, who worked in the real estate title company industry, became Jo’s “manager”, steering Jo towards a career in music. Ironically the title of Jo’s single is “U Can’t Control Me”. Other titles on Jo’s “Unscripted” CD: Rumors, State of Insane, Seductively, and Lah Dee Dah. Where’s Jo’s now? We’re not sure, but we do know that Slade was arrested back in February for failure to pay child support for his two sons, one of whom suffers from a rare form of brain cancer. And, that the arrest allegedly occurred at Gretchen’s abode.

From Zimbio:

“This is an unfortunate situation that has occurred,” Smiley said in a statement released by his representative.

“My son is very ill and we have been working on resolving the issue of support versus his enormous medical bills with the appropriate agencies for several months now. It is sad that individuals would take advantage of the situation in an attempt to defame and discredit me in such a public manner. For those who know me, there is nothing more important than my children.”

In our Real Housewives of Orange County Update: Gretchen Gets Smiley with Slade, Bravo Awards and Casting Calls we posted Slade’s mugshot as well the “details” of his arrest. Details that included the allegation that Slade was arrested at Gretchen’s home after a former boyfriend of Gretchen called the cops back in February to retrieve some clothes. Allegedly the cops became suspicious due to fake license plates on Slade’s car, Slade’s suspended driver license, as well as a warrant for his arrest for failure to pay child support.

According to Reality Tea, Gretchen, 31, received $2.5 million from her deceased fiance Jeff Beitzel’s estate. If true, then it’s sure bet that Gretchen’s net worth could be more than most of the current Housewives, and, another reason for “shifty” type characters to be attracted to Gretchen.

This season will be seeing original Housewife Jeanna Keough’s departure. Last season Jeanna separated from husband Matt whose troubles with alcohol dependency was kept out of the show. In August, Bumpshack reported that Matt, 52, had been arrested August 15 for DUI after running a stop sign and then running from the cops. Matt served a 180 day jail sentence in 2008 for violating the terms of his parole stemming from a alcohol related hit-and-run in 2005. In January 2008, we took a look at Matt in Real Housewives: Jeanna’s Husband, 6 Months in Jailhouse, Matt’s pro-baseball career, and the life-threatening injury Matt received in 1992, which some believe led to Matt’s problems with alcohol.

In June, the site, The Real Estalker, reported one of Jeanna’s properties had received a Notice of Default. That Jeanna had listed her 8,000 sq. ft. home for $5.5 million and a condo in Irvine for $725,000. The site, Absurd to Sublime found that it was Jeanna’s home that the default notice was filed on. Jeanna’s career is in real estate and unfortunately her area wasn’t immune from the recent housing bust. Jeanna’s 23-yr-old son Shane, known for his rather boorish behavior, especially in regards to behavior towards his mother, is a minor league baseball player with Oakland A’s.

With Jeanna’s departure, Vicki Gunvalson will be the last of the “original” Housewives. Last season Vicki bonded with Tamra Barney who was in her second season. While 40-something Tamra promoted her “I’m the hottest” Housewife hype, hardworking Vicki, 47, turned “priggish”, but only in regards to new castmates Gretchen and Lynne. Vicki also seemed be on the edge of menopause in regards to her behavior towards hubby Donn, whom, according to Vicki, failed in filling up her “love tank”. It remains to be seen whether Vicki will take her new status, as the last original housewife, to the point of “she will be obeyed”, which we saw glimmers of last season. Radar has this little tidbit on Vicki, who shows off her bum when getting a tattoo.

Returning for a third season is “I am the hottest housewife” Tamra Barney. In January we wrote about the infamous Tamra Barney party where Tamra admitted to Vicki that she was going to get Gretchen “naked wasted drunk” with the help of son Ryan. Ironically, prior to the elegant dinner party, Tamra took “lessons” on etiquette. While the lessons were on table manners, sadly, the lessons didn’t extend to why it’s bad form to trick someone into getting drunk in order to publicly humiliate them. Especially when you’re being filmed for a reality series, you’ve previously claimed that you’re “friends” with the individual, and the individual’s fiance is in the hospital about to succumb to cancer.

Last season was Lynne Curtain’s Housewive’s debut. Viewers were treated to Lynne, on various shopping trips with her daughters, plunking down vast amounts of cash for such items as designer jeans. Lynne, who resided in an upscale home with her husband Frank and two teen daughters, was shown putting together designer cuff bracelets which she later snagged a showing at an upscale boutique. The oldest daughter, who turned 18, and had quite a bit of attitude, was given a spiffy new looking BMW for her birthday. We also went along with Lynn and Frank to a “romantic” getaway. Now we learn that the Curtains’ “lifestyle” included facing eviction for not paying the security deposit, commission, or rent on their Arch Beach Heights home.

According to the OC Register, the Curtain’s money woes were far deeper and that, rather than paying money owed, Lynne opted for a facelift and the older daughter had a “nose job”. That this wasn’t the first time the family had been evicted. That the Curtains had been evicted from the Capistrano Beach home, that they were indeed, evicted from the second home, an eviction that will be purportedly shown this season. According to Radar Online, Frank had been out of work for two years and that Lynne is now contemplating divorce.

Another tidbit published by the OC Register, cast members received compensation for appearing in the show, some up to $120,000 per season. Even so, there’s no word on the amount Lynne received.

The newest cast member is 32-yr-old Alexis Bellino, married, with three children. No word yet on whether Alexis has had the same “reception” as Gretchen and Lynne. It’s a sure bet that one topic of conversation will be the requisite, “so, Alexis, are those breasts real?” And, “who’s the hottest housewife?”

By LBG

Image – Orange County Postcard
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