What Lies Beneath

by

It feels like reality TV is currently filled with drama centered around dishonesty. This season of *The Real Housewives of Orange County* has been a constant back-and-forth of accusations, with Katie Ginella being accused of stretching the truth and Gretchen Rossi and Tamra Judge attacking each other’s character. *The Real Housewives of Potomac* started with questions about Stacey Rusch – specifically, whether she paid a man to be her boyfriend and if she was being truthful about starting a cannabis business to rival another housewife’s. (And let’s not forget the recent arrest of Eddie and Wendy Osefo for falsely reporting a burglary.) Finally, *The Real Housewives of Miami* ended its season with Julia Lemigova and Adriana de Moura both claiming the other is lying about a past encounter.

Watching the latest season really got me pondering something: how much lying can a reality show *handle*? This whole franchise thrives on conflicting stories – it’s basically he-said-she-said, though honestly, nobody ever seems hesitant to accuse! But if everyone’s constantly hiding things, at what point does trying to untangle the truth stop being entertaining and actually start to ruin the show? I’m starting to wonder if these shows can even *survive* if we lose the ability to agree on what actually happened.

To help understand the truth-bending on our shows, we at the Housewives Institute have identified seven common types of lies. We’re deciding which ones are harmless fun and which ones cross the line, all while keeping in mind the 20 years viewers have enjoyed this reality TV journey. We’ll begin with the minor, playful fibs and move towards the more serious ones that could get someone removed from the show.

1.
Misunderstandings

Sometimes on reality TV, it appears a woman is being dishonest, but it’s actually just a matter of poor communication. A recent example is Stacey Rusch’s divorce, where evidence suggested she wasn’t fully divorced, but it turned out she was, just like Sonja Morgan is out of touch with reality. Last season, Whitney Rose faced similar accusations about shipping jewelry, but she later provided a convincing explanation. These situations aren’t necessarily lies, but rather misunderstandings created by how things are presented on the show and the women’s difficulty in explaining themselves.

2.
Harmless Delusions

It’s common for women on reality shows like the *Real Housewives* to stretch the truth – maybe to downplay problems or appear more glamorous. These little lies usually only matter when another cast member points them out. A prime example is Heather Dubrow, who was accused of staging paparazzi photos with her husband to make their marriage look perfect. She consistently denied it, even going so far as to try and prove her story this season. Similarly, Bronwyn Newport’s claim about a $4 million necklace only became a scandal when Lisa Barlow questioned it. These cast members are known for having a skewed perception of reality, and that’s part of what makes the shows so entertaining. As long as these fibs don’t involve other people, they’re just another element of the drama we love to watch.

3.
Doing It for Clout

It’s common knowledge that some reality TV stars create drama purely for screen time. Unlike simple misunderstandings, these storylines are intentionally fabricated and drawn out, like Stacey’s relationship with TJ, Kenya Moore’s early romance on *RHOA*, and Drew Sidora’s recent on-again, off-again situation with Dennis McKinley. It’s not always about romance, either – remember Melissa Gorga’s search for a nonexistent sister or her talk of having another baby that never happened? These aren’t just isolated lies; they’re extended narratives that are difficult to debunk and, therefore, more problematic. However, this behavior is understandable in the competitive world of reality TV, where staying relevant is key. And because calling out these attempts at attention has become part of the entertainment, it’s generally accepted.

4.
Rumors and Nastiness

The biggest source of falsehoods on these shows comes from women repeating rumors they’ve heard, often from unknown or unreliable sources. They don’t bother checking if these claims are true, simply sharing anything that’s been passed along to them. This ranges from silly stories – like claims about Angie K being connected to the Greek mafia – to incredibly serious accusations, such as Phaedra Parks’ claim that Kandi Burruss drugged and attempted to assault Porsha Williams. These kinds of lies are the most frustrating because it’s impossible to know who’s being truthful when the original source can’t be verified. While this kind of rumormongering is likely to continue as long as the shows exist, Phaedra’s behavior was particularly damaging and deserved serious repercussions. Fortunately, since returning to television, she appears to have learned from her mistakes.

5.
Pathological Liars

Recently, several women on reality TV have faced serious consequences due to repeatedly being caught in lies, ultimately damaging their reputations on the show. Examples include Mia Thornton, whose stories about her life constantly changed, Brynn Whitfield, who often bent the truth and made a false accusation, and Katie Ginella, who always had implausible explanations. Once viewers and the cast lose trust in someone due to constant dishonesty, it becomes difficult for them to remain on the show. These shows thrive on drama and resolving conflicts, and viewers enjoy choosing sides. However, when someone is a compulsive liar, it disrupts this dynamic because no one wants to support them in an argument. Monica Garcia exemplifies this; her history of dishonesty as Reality Von Tease meant any disagreement could be dismissed simply by pointing out her untruthfulness. So far, everyone in this situation has been removed from the show—except for Katie, who had her role reduced—and rightfully so.

6.
Leaving It Off the Show

Keeping secrets on reality TV can be just as damaging as telling outright lies, and sometimes it’s a fireable offense. For example, Robyn Dixon knew her husband, Juan, had met with another woman before season seven of *RHOP* but didn’t reveal it, and Luann de Lesseps publicly defended her marriage during a reunion taping only to file for divorce weeks later. Robyn faced consequences for her actions, while Luann received a stern talking-to from Andy Cohen. While these women deserve some privacy, they’re paid to be open about their lives. Deliberately misleading the audience goes against the show’s core idea. What’s particularly problematic is that Robyn seemed to be holding onto the information hoping to discuss it later on her own podcast, which is unacceptable.

7.
Criminal Conspiracy

It’s often said that the cover-up is worse than the crime itself, and this seems to be a pattern with the women on these reality shows. Several have denied wrongdoing only to be found guilty, like Jen Shah and Karen Huger. Jen repeatedly claimed innocence before pleading guilty, while Karen insisted she’d be cleared of her DUI before being convicted. Currently, Wendy Osefo is facing scrutiny for allegedly faking a break-in, though this hasn’t yet played out on the show. The focus isn’t so much on the crimes themselves, but on how the women address them on television. Interestingly, Teresa Giudice never outright denied the accusations against her and her husband, and Bravo ultimately welcomed her back to the show after she served her time, likely because she showed remorse. Karen Huger is receiving a similar treatment, with cameras documenting her release, but she hasn’t demonstrated any accountability. It’s too soon to say what will happen with Wendy, but the real test will be when Jen Shah is released. While I’m curious about her experience in prison, her history of lies should permanently exclude her from returning to the show.

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2025-10-17 21:56