20 Times The 'Real Housewives' Had Us On The Edge Of Our Seats
Thanks to Andy Cohen and Bravo, the world has The Real Housewives. Every episode shows the behind-the-scenes moments from the wives' apparently very real lives.
This franchise began in 2006, with The Real Housewives of Orange County, and went on to focus on housewives in New York City (in 2008), Atlanta (in 2008), New Jersey (in 2009), Washington, D.C. (for one season in 2010), Beverly Hills (in 2010), Miami (from 2011 to 2013), Potomac (in 2016), and Dallas (in 2016).
There are even international versions in places like Vancouver, Melbourne, and Hungary, and an installment in Bangkok was recently announced, too.
Enough with the history lesson, though-fans are all here for one reason and one reason only. Yes, it is time to look back at 20 of the craziest, most memorable, and most nervewracking moments of this franchise.
From fights in fancy restaurants and on exotic islands to juicy rumors that leaked and led to, well, more fighting, this proves that although these women are affluent and attractive, they can also be a little crazy and a bit colorful (which is why fans keep tuning in for more!).
That being said, here are 20 times The Real Housewives had fans on the edge of their seats!
20 Everything Surrounding Vicki And Brooks
Since these series feature attractive women, there are always relationships coming and going, and many of them are full of drama. But perhaps no relationship caused as much turmoil as Vicki's did with Brooks. Vicki Gunvalson, who is the “OG of The OC,” started dating a man named Brooks Ayers. This man had cancer. Or did he? Vicki's friends were not so sure. They questioned him. They tried to talk sense into her. They researched medical terms and documents. And in the end, it turned out that Brooks made up fake documents which made it look like he had cancer. But he didn't!
19 When Aviva Threw Her Leg
During Season 6 of The Real Housewives Of New York, Aviva Drescher seemed to get into arguments with all the other women, all the time.
She was called fake and called out for lying and for acting out for attention… and she certainly received it after this stunt.
See, when Aviva was just six years old when, she was in an accident that involved a conveyor belt, and her leg had to be amputated. And at the end of this season, when she was fed up with everything, she tried to make a point by taking off her prosthetic leg and throwing it across the room. She definitely made some sort of point…
18 Tamra, A Glass & Jeana
Some of the most stand-out standoffs in the history of housewives have involved women throwing drinks (and glasses!) at each other, and Tamra's is probably the most remembered. When Tamra Judge (then Tamra Barney) was on The Real Housewives Of Orange County with Jeana Keough, the two were friends. However, after Tamra split from Simon Barney, Jeana said some things in an interview that upset Tamra; the former housewife said she had been going on double dates with Simon and blamed Tamra for the issues in the former couple's marriage. Therefore, when these two came face to face at a pool party, Tamra reacted by throwing her drink at Jeana.
17 Brandi, A Glass & Eileen
Now, let's venture just a little ways away to Beverly Hills, where Brandi Glanville threw her drink at Eileen Davidson! Before joining the show, Eileen was no stranger to drama, since she stars on Days of Our Lives.
And while these ladies were out to dinner, Brandi was begging her to act out some of her character's scenes, since some of Brandi's real-life experiences mirrored events on the show.
But this apparently made Eileen feel uncomfortable and she just did not want to do it. Therefore, Brandi said that she would throw her wine on Eileen… and then she did.
16 The Table Flip
And of course, the epic table flip. Teresa Giudice has already been mentioned here a couple of times, but many would argue that she has really mellowed out in the past couple of years; she got into yoga when she was “away,” and while she has definitely voiced her opinion in this current season, she has not been like this in some time (but maybe it's coming?). Early on in New Jersey, she went offff on Danielle Staub (again), which resulted in the most iconic moment of this franchise-when she flipped up that table in the scariest yet most impressive way!
15 Ramona, A Glass & Kristen
Okay, here is one more glass-throwing scene for everyone to reminisce on! Also during Season 6 of The Real Housewives Of New York, Heather Thomson invited her costars to her vacation home in the Berkshires (oh, well, all of them except for Aviva). These city folks were becoming one with nature and enjoying a canoe ride when Kristen Taekman and Ramona Singer started fighting with each other (about who knows what… it all blends together after a while, doesn't it?!). This moment ended with Ramona throwing her drink!
14 When LeeAnne Talked About Her Hands
During Season 2 of The Real Housewives Of Dallas, LeeAnne Locken went in for some work with Dr True.
While she was getting prepped, she started talking to Brandi, who was accompanying her during this appointment.
Specifically, LeeAnne started talking about Mark Deuber, Cary's husband, and his apparent extracurricular activities at a particular nightclub in Dallas. Somehow, this gets her going on about her hands, which are good for more than just shaking. Of course, the things she alluded to were not exactly nice or friendly-you wouldn't want to be LeeAnne's enemy.
13 When Brandi Slapped Lisa
We mentioned Brandi already, but don't worry: we have at least one other dramatic scene involving the emphatic ex-star from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills!
Brandi Glanville is known for being bold and outspoken, and Lisa Vanderpump is known for being classy and sensible.
But Lisa seemed to respect Brandi's confidence, and the two were friends-despite the fact that their personalities and actions are quite different… so it was off-putting yet not entirely surprising when Brandi slapped Lisa (in a playful way, Brandi insisted) while the women were in Amsterdam.
12 The Fight At Joey Gorga's Christening
Within this franchise, friends definitely argue, but fights between family members? Now, those are even bigger and better (or worse, depending on how we are looking at all of this!). In New Jersey, Teresa Giudice is married to a man named Joe, and her brother, who is also named Joe (Gorga), is married to fellow castmate Melissa. Do these sisters-in-law love each other or not so much? Sometimes, it is hard to tell, like when they started yelling at each other-and at Joey Gorga's (Joe and Melissa's son) christening, no less! Family events must be super fun, both on and off camera.
11 When Adriana And Joanna Got Into It
Although The Real Housewives Of Miami was a short-lived show, it had one of the most explosive moments in the history of Bravo.
What happened? The issues between Adriana De Moura and Joanna Krupa came to a head.
While at a lingerie party that was benefiting breast cancer, Adriana De Moura and Joanna Krupa got physical. Adriana said that Joe Francis (yes, the Girls Gone Wild creator) was right when he made a rude comment about Joanna's background and her intentions in coming to the United States. Punching, shoving, not many clothing items, hair everywhere… This was definitely a memorable moment.
10 When Munchausen Syndrome Came Up In Beverly Hills
It is public knowledge that Yolanda Hadid has Lyme disease, and has since before she birthed her three kids, but on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, rumors started spreading that she actually had Munchausen Syndrome, which is defined as “a type of mental illness in which a person repeatedly acts as if he or she has a physical or mental disorder when, in truth, he or she has caused the symptoms.” Even if these ladies weren't sure about Yolanda's health, it probably was not smart to throw THAT around (though, after Brooks Ayers, who knows what to believe?!).
9 Gone With The Wind Fabulous
We only have one comment to make about The Real Housewives Of Atlanta: remember when Kenya Moore showed us all that she is Gone With The Wind Fabulous? It does not matter what season this was. It is okay that we don't all recall where these women were during this moment. And even the designer of this fab dress is not important right now.
All we need to know is that when Kenya started twirling around and saying this line, we were more hooked than ever.
Who is this woman? How is everyone going to treat her now and in the future? And can it get any crazier? Yes… The answer is always yes.
8 When Kelly Confronted Shannon At The Quiet Woman
The Real Housewives Of Orange County has been on the longest, so they have so many crazy moments for us to talk about and discuss! Recently, Shannon Beador and Kelly Dodd went at each other; the two are both known for causing scenes, and they both recently divorced their husbands. We actually enjoy the arguments and look forward to the action-packed episodes, but when Kelly picked up a plate and made a comment about Shannon (whose weight has been a storyline) finishing her meal… maybe that was too much. Oh, and it all took place at a restaurant that is appropriately called The Quiet Woman.
7 When LeeAnne Growled At Brandi
Season 3 of The Real Housewives Of Dallas just wrapped up, and the finale was as amazing as it should be.
Stephanie Hollman threw her husband a frat party (which explains these interesting fashion choices that are pictured here), and this was the setting for the last fight of the regular season.
Brandi Redmond and LeeAnne Locken, as mentioned, used to be friends, but this year, they were always arguing, and their last battle literally caused LeeAnne to, like, become possessed and growl at Brandi. Let's just say that we are sort of glad we aren't actually on any of these shows (but, Andy, if you reallllly needed… I could make it work!).
6 When Danielle's Hair Extensions Were Pulled Out
Alright, back to The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, a show that also has tons and tons of crazy moments from which to choose!
Of course, we can't forget about the time that Danielle Staub had her weave pulled out.
One minute, the ladies were all gathering at yet another party-gone-wrong, and in the next second, there was yelling about a house being/not being in foreclosure, name-calling, accusations flying, a heel getting snapped… and then Ashlee Holmes, Jacqueline Laurita's daughter, was yanking on Danielle's hair! Danielle filed complaints against Teresa, Jacqueline, and Ashlee-who was issued a summons for harassment and simple assault and ordered to pay a small fine.
5 And The Fight Between Joe And Joe
Also in Jersey, Joe and Joe went head to head (so that Teresa and Melissa were not having all the fun!). Again, this is one of those moments were some details do not really matter: Where were they? What season was this? Who started it? Why were they even fighting? The details may seem fuzzy, but *that* scene, where these two strong men rammed at each other and were grabbing at each other and were practically involved in a full-on wrestling match, is clear as day to fans who vividly remember the excitement of this episode.
4 When Lynne Was Evicted
Early on in Orange County, there was a housewife named Lynne Curtin. She made leather bracelets, she had two daughters who have made plenty of headlines themselves, and she was forced to have her eviction shown on tape (well, forced in a way that she signed up for a reality show and gave cameras permission to tape the good, the bad, and the ugly!).
There was a knock on her door, one of her daughters answered it, a paper was handed over, and that was that.
Still, fans were anxious to see what was next for this family and still enjoy keeping up with them and their crazy news!
3 A Truly Frightening Island
Ah, New York has brought many scenes that have kept us on the edge of our seats, but in Season 3, we were given Scary Island. The women took a trip to St. John, and Kelly Bensimon… Well, we are not really sure what happened here! She started saying that Bethenny Frankel was trying to kill her, she was rambling about nightmares and about the fact that Bethenny wasn't really a chef-just a cook, and she talked about jelly beans. Jelly beans!? Bethenny was all of us when she simply yet forcefully told Kelly to “go to sleep”! It was so strange yet so entertaining.
2 When There Was An Umbrella Fight In The Potomac
On The Real Housewives Of Potomac, Monique Samuels and Robyn Dixon threatened each other. Karen Huger called for security and tried to break up the fight. Charrisse Jackson-Jordan sided with Monique. Monique started crying.
Oh, and there was an umbrella involved in this fight. Did we mention that?
One thing is for sure: housewives make history with interesting choices, dramatic words, and crazy arguments, which are almost always happening between one another, are almost always while at a fancy restaurant or an exotic locale and are sometimes involving strange objects like umbrellas… or tables…
1 Leech Therapy
Heather Dubrow, from the Real Housewives of Orange County, takes her beauty treatments very seriously. So seriously, in fact, she's willing to go through procedures the average person would definitely recoil from… Like leeches! During an event the Housewives were attending, someone noticed that Heather had stains starting to show through her outfit. It was then that she revealed she had leeches applied to her abdomen, as some kind of beauty treatment. We'll do a face mask any day, but leeches? Count us out.