There are always shakeups in the Bravo universe, Housewives come, and Housewives go. Some leave and then come back, only to leave and come back again (ahem, Bethenny Frankel and Nene Leakes.)
When a Bravolebrity leaves, fans are always left to wonder if the star was fired, or decided to leave on their own. Some stars will never admit to being fired, simply calling it a “pause.”
Bravo is indeed a revolving door of reality stars, and today, there were two more losses in Orange County, as Noella Bergener and Dr. Jen Armstrong both announced they were not coming back for another season of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Fans say goodbye to Jen Armstrong and Noella Bergener
On Friday, both Jen and Noella decided to officially take their exits from RHOC in separate statements on social media.
Noella, who was the first Black and also the first bisexual Orange County Housewife, posted a heartfelt message to her Instagram story. She started, “After a wild season of ups and downs, I will not be returning to The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
She continued, speaking directly to her fans and followers, “Thank you to all of the fans for all of the love and support during quite possibly the hardest year of my life. I am looking forward to brighter skies ahead and can’t wait to share what’s next.” Noella also changed her Instagram handle from NoellaRHOC to just her name, noellabergener.
Jen Armstrong, also known as Dr. Jen, also took to Instagram to announce her departure from the long-running show. She said, “I loved opening up about being a working mom on The Real Housewives of Orange County. I am so grateful to have had the privilege to talk about my father, my kids, and a real modern relationship on national television.”
Jen then admitted her reason for leaving RHOC, saying, “My family and my work are the most important aspects of my life, so I am stepping away from RHOC and focusing on them.”
She also touched on the struggle of being a working mother, telling her fans, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out in support- especially from the working moms. Women can really have it all if you work for it. I believe in you, and I’ll still be here to chat about it with you. I love inspiring people to be their best.”
She went on to thank Bravo and the production team for giving her a platform, and reminded her followers that she still has many good things to come.
Both Noella and Jen had personal struggles in Season 16
As soon as Season 16 started, viewers were aware that Noella’s messy breakup and eventual divorce to personal injury attorney “Sweet James” Bergener was going to be a huge part of her story. Their marriage went from sweet to sour almost immediately, and fans found out that James left Noella high and dry, and ran off to Puerto Rico with no explanation.
The majority of her season was spent figuring out how to move on without her husband, and Noella struggled throughout the process. Her marriage issues were exacerbated by the fact that she was battling almost the entire RHOC cast at the same time, having a hard time making friends with the other ladies.
Dr. Jen was also on an emotional rollercoaster this season, as her marriage to husband, Ryne Holliday, seemed to be falling apart right before viewers eyes. The couple struggled to find common ground, and even separated for a month.
After a brief reconciliation, the pair decided to call it quits for good when Jen filed for a legal separation from Ryne in May of 2022.
There have been rumors swirling for months that Bravo execs could be making room for a return for former Housewife Tamra Judge. The reports are that Tamra is currently in talks with Bravo and has already decided to rejoin the show. Only time will tell if the rumor is fact or fiction.
The Real Housewives of Orange County is currently on hiatus on Bravo.