In the last 17 years, many Real Housewives stars have come and gone. The franchise has become a bit of a revolving door, and while some housewives have said goodbye for good, others have proven you can always come home again. Here are Real Housewives who’ve returned to the franchise after leaving.
For this list, we are only including women who have returned as FULL-TIME cast members. Sorry, Vicki Gunvalson.
Tamra Judge (Real Housewives of Orange County)
Fans were first introduced to Tamra Judge as a fiery, petite blond on Season 3 of Real Housewives of Orange County. Over the next 12 seasons, the mother-of-four created a dedicated fanbase as she rebuilt her life after her divorce from Simon Barney. Fans watched her reinvent her professional life and her love life, and we were so here for it.
For a while, Tamra felt like the heart of RHOC, so fans were shocked when news broke that she would not be returning to the show for Season 15. However, the California native’s hiatus was short-lived. She returned to RHOC for Season 17 as a full-time cast member.
NeNe Leakes (Real Housewives of Atlanta)
NeNe Leakes has to be one of the most entertaining housewives of all time, so naturally, fans were devastated when she left Real Housewives of Atlanta after Season 7. Lucky for us, NeNe decided to give the show another try when she returned as a full-time cast member for Season 10.
But her comeback was short-lived. She left the show for the second time after Season 12. Since her departure, the former peach-holder has been critical of the network. In April 2022, she filed a lawsuit against against “NBCUniversal, Bravo, True Entertainment, Truly Original, and executive producer Andy [Cohen]” citing “unfavorable working conditions.” The lawsuit was later dismissed.
Shereé Whitfield (Real Housewives of Atlanta)
Shereé Whitfield left RHOA after a drama-filled Season 4 but later returned to the show for Seasons 9 and 10. Thankfully, that wasn’t the last of Shereé. She re-joined the cast of RHOA in 2022 for Season 14.
Let’s hope Shereé holds onto her peach longer the third time. The show simply isn’t the same without her.
Heather Dubrow (Real Housewives of Orange County)
Heather Dubrow made her Bravo debut in Season 7 of RHOC. She was a brunette in a sea of blondes and fans quickly took a liking to the new cast member. We loved her relationship, her humor, and most importantly her huge, gigantic house.
Heather left the show after Season 11 but later returned to the franchise for Season 16 of RHOC.
Bethenny Frankel (Real Housewives of New York)
Bethenny Frankel is an OG Real Housewives of New York star. Fans were first introduced to the Skinny Girl founder as a scrappy, young entrepreneur trying to make her way in the world. She became an early fan favorite, probably because she was the most relatable of the girls.
Bethenny left the series after Season 3 but later returned as a full-time cast member in Season 7. She turned in her apple for a second time following Season 11, which was a very emotional season for the Bravo star. Now that Bethenny has been calling out Bravo on her podcast, we doubt she’ll return to the show in the future.
Lydia McLaughlin (Real Housewives of Orange County)
Lydia McLaughlin made quite an impression when she joined RHOC for Season 8. The mother-of-three wasn’t afraid to get involved in the drama and fans were excited to see more of her.
Unfortunately, Lydia did not return for Season 9 but she did give it one more try in Season 12. However, she decided to throw in her orange for a second time after just one season.
Dina Manzo (Real Housewives of New Jersey)
Dina Manzo left Real Housewives of New Jersey after Season 2 but made a comeback for Season 6. However, her return was short-lived. She left the show for a second time after she relocated to California.
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