Andy Cohen didn’t mince words at The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 reunion when it came to Slade Smiley’s notable absence.
It was time for some of the ’Wives’ significant others to join Part 2 of the three-part reunion to help clear up the “Naked Wasted” drama from Season 4 that had loomed over Season 19, however, when production reached out to Slade, Matt Ginella, Ryan Boyajian, only the husband of Katie Ginella accepted.
In the midst of the reunion back and forth over whether Gretchen Rossi’s claims that she went to the hospital after the party 14 years ago were true, Andy wondered why her life partner didn’t participate in the conversation.
“Why didn’t Slade come?” the host asked Gretchen. “It is interesting; he usually doesn’t shy from the camera.”
Why did Slade Smiley skip the RHOC Season 19 reunion?
According to Gretchen, Slade skipped the Season 19 reunion, “B=because everyone accuses Slade of wanting to be on camera and wanting to be a Housewife, and wanting to be involved in everything, and he’s like, ‘I don’t want to be accused with that.'”
Prompted by Katie’s questioning, Gretchen said Slade did want to share his version of the truth about drama and controversy over Slade and Matt’s phone exchanges, though.
“He absolutely does,” Gretchen continued. “But, he can do that many other ways. He doesn’t want to be doing any of this.”
Related: Gretchen Rossi Sounds Off Ahead of the RHOC Reunion: “Makes Me Mad…” (EXCLUSIVE)
Andy Cohen weighs in on Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley’s relationship
On Part 1 of the RHOC reunion, Gretchen — sitting on the reunion couch after 12 years away — updated the group on her 16-year relationship with Slade, the father of their only shared child, 6-year-old daughter Skylar Gray Smiley. Gretchen reported she and Slade had an unofficial ceremony to be married in the eyes of God, but the marriage was not legally binding.
Related: Katie Ginella Makes a Damning Declaration on Slade Smiley to a Producer: “Oh S–t”
Looking back at Gretchen’s 2013 marriage proposal to Slade on Season 8, Episode 17, Heather Dubrow and Tamra Judge wondered if Gretchen getting down on one knee was staged for the cameras. Gretchen said that wasn’t the case, despite saying years earlier that they couldn’t marry due to Slade’s financial situation.
“That was a very real moment for me to be there getting engaged to the man I love after his son had just been in the hospital and was told that he was going to die,” Gretchen said at the Season 19 reunion. “I wanted to show that man how much I loved him, that’s what that was about.”
Andy, too, had feelings about the proposal.
“I always thought it was because you wanted to get married, like, on TV and have Bravo pay for the wedding,” said the host.
Learn how Slade dissed Tamra in his super rare confessional.