Gina Kirschenheiter joined Real Housewives of Orange County for Season 13, and it was clear that there were issues in her marriage to Matt Kirschenheiter. His insane travel commitments left her basically operating as a single parent to their three children. In April of 2018, Gina filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.”
The couple seemed like they may have been in the process of reconciling. Their social media posts certainly hinted that perhaps Gina and Matthew were rekindling their romance.
Gina posted a sweet tribute to her husband on Instagram for Father’s Day. Gina wrote, “Happy Father’s Day to two special men in my life, my dad and Matt. Thank you dad for teaching me everything I know and being there for me always! Thank you Matt for being the best dad to our children. Love you both very much #RHOC #FathersDay.
But now a violent encounter has derailed this reconciliation. According to legal documents obtained by The Blast, Gina returned from a night out over the weekend. Matt started “pounding at the door” around 2:00 AM. Gina went downstairs and found Matthew inside the house.
Gina says that her husband “threw me down on the couch and threw some furniture around” and alleged he was “screaming in my face and saying he was going to kill me. He ripped my bra off, then took a pillow and hit me on the side of the head with it hard. I begged him to stop…to calm down…but he kept hitting me.” Gina added, “He started to hit me on the side of the head with his open hand. When I tried to get up off of the couch, he threw me back down and began choking me. Then he started to hit me all over my body.”
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Gina ran out of the house to the neighbor’s home and rang their doorbell to get help. Her husband followed, and Gina stated that he “grabbed me and dragged me on the cement back into the house. He threw me back on the couch started hitting me again telling me he was going to kill me,” Gina reported. “His eyes were black and nothing I could say would bring him back to reality.” Gina also begged Matt to stop because their three children were inside their house.
Gina alleges in her court documents that Matt was angry about his arrest. “The officers allowed (Matt) and I to talk quickly before they took him away. He was still very angry and blamed me for getting him arrested. After he got out of jail, he called me again and continued to blame me,” Gina stated.
The RHOC star was granted a temporary restraining order against Matthew, and he has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from Gina and their children. There will be a hearing next month.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first violent incident between the couple. In her court documents, Gina noted, “There are other incidents that have scared me in the past. Too many to remember. At this point, I have to protect me and our children,” Gina said. “Respondent and I had attempted reconciliation in hopes of keeping our family together, but I now realize it’s better for us both to move on for the sake of our children. I am heartbroken for all of us. Matt needs professional help, which is more than I can give him.”
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According to People, Matthew was taken into custody and booked in an Orange County, California, jail on Saturday. He was released the next morning and his bail was set at $0. A court date has not yet been set. As of now, Matthew has not yet been charged with a crime. Gina’s representative had no comment when contacted by People.
The couple had been using a bird nesting custody plan. With this parenting agreement, the children remain in the same home, and their parents swap time staying there, in the hopes that it creates a sense of normalcy for the children.
Unfortunately, this may have also led to stress between the couple. In her temporary restraining order documents, Gina details a scary incident that occurred in August of 2018. Matthew allegedly broke through a locked bedroom door where Gina was hiding. He entered a closet and she “could hear him playing with his shotgun.” Gina said she called her father on speakerphone to try to calm Matt down.
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Since Matthew never even appeared on RHOC, it is impossible to know how this drama will play out on next season. I hope that this all can be worked out–safely and civilly.
TELL US: ARE YOU SHOCKED BY THIS INCIDENT? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BIRD NEST PARENTING? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT GINA GETTING A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
