The Wildest Red Flags We've Seen In Real Housewives Relationships

There's something about "The Real Housewives" franchise that has had us in a chokehold ever since the first show, "The Real Housewives of Orange County," premiered way back in 2006. Over the years, we've seen the franchise grow into one of the most popular reality TV dynasties to grace our screens. The shows have introduced us to some of America's most affluent households, from sun-bleached Beverly Hills to Salt Lake City, and to this day, we live for the drama. One of the biggest focuses isn't just the friendships between the housewives, but the inner dynamics of some seriously intriguing (and arguably problematic) marriages. 

Whether it's the worrying behavior of Denise Richards' ex-husband, Aaron Phypers, or the time Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice ended up behind bars for their criminal behavior, there have been too many red flags to count. Some of them were subtle, while some of them were more obvious than a badly done New Jersey spray tan. Let's take a look at some moments from the franchise that had us wondering if being a doting housewife was all it was cracked up to be. Spoiler alert: these may make you think twice before saying "I do."

There's no denying that Vicki Gunvalson earned her place as one of the most entertaining figures in the whole franchise during her tenure on "The Real Housewives of Orange County." When we were first introduced to her, Gunvalson was navigating family life with her second husband, Donn Gunvalson, but the couple ultimately split a year after renewing their vows in 2010, finalizing their divorce in 2014. It's only natural that the mom-of-two wanted another shot at love, so when a new man, Brooks Ayers, wandered into her life, fans were hopeful — and we had no idea the drama the relationship would bring. The usual reality TV relationship foibles, like infidelity or jealousy, are one thing, but this turned out to be something entirely different. 

Those in Gunvalson's inner circle, including her own daughter, Briana, were immediately suspicious of Ayers' intentions — and their worries turned out to be warranted. Amid the growing speculation about him, Ayers announced he had cancer. However, there were concerns over whether that was actually the truth or just a lie concocted by Ayers to gain sympathy. 

Though Ayers was adamant that he really was sick, he later admitted that he forged medical documents. He told E! News in 2015, "Words cannot express the deep regret that I have in fabricating documents to 'prove' to the world that I, in fact, have cancer. What I did was wrong and inexcusable. I acted alone, without [Gunvalson's] knowledge, to produce documents for a reality TV show in hopes of putting doubts about my cancer to rest." The pair parted ways in August 2015, much to the relief of Gunvalson's family and friends. 

We can't deny it — we love an underdog. There's something about a strong redemption arc or a comeback story that really gets our reality TV-loving hearts pumping. So, when Paul "PK" Kemsley and his wife, Dorit Kemsley, joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2016 as new additions for Season 7, fans were sold. However, with their clearly extravagant lifestyle and penchant for expensive clothes, there was always somewhat of a question mark around the British transplant. Namely, how exactly did PK make his money? Eyebrows were certainly raised when he began to open up about his past financial woes. 

PK made a substantial amount of money in the property sector in the 2000s, but ultimately lost hundreds of millions in the 2008 financial crash, leading to him filing for bankruptcy. He told the Daily Mail in 2023, "I got very firmly knocked off my pedestal and had to rebuild. It makes you humble. I knew America was the land of comebacks, and I took my second chance." 

While some may see it as a success story, PK's new life across the pond with Dorit in Beverly Hills raised eyebrows. Dorit defended him during "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 9 After Show," stating, according to Bravo, "PK's affairs, and whoever's coming out trying to say he owes him money, that is from another lifetime ago. It's way before me, it's way before his bankruptcy. It's at the height — and unfortunately, when you become public, they come out of the woodworks, and that's exactly what's happening." Dorit filed for divorce from PK in April 2025.

The truth about Denise Richards' husband, Aaron Phypers, has been a little tough for fans to swallow since news of their split broke in July 2025. To say it's been a messy end to what once seemed like a solid union would be the understatement of the century. Phypers alleged that Richards was responsible after having an ongoing affair with a soldier, while Richards claimed that her ex was abusive in multiple ways. Richards' restraining order filing stated, according to the Los Angeles Times, "Throughout our relationship, Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me." 

The worrying accusation may have totally shattered the illusion that there was ever any happiness between the pair, but the veil did slip on camera at one point. After the allegations surfaced, an old clip from the show was reposted by Instagram user @facereality16. In the moment, Phypers and Richards are exiting a party in haste when Richards says to her then-spouse, "Don't say a f***ing word." Phypers replies, "Don't tell me what to say, or I'm going to crush your f***ing hand. Stop it."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Now, we love all of our "Real Housewives" franchise stars equally, but it's a fact that not all of them were successful career women before joining the franchise. That can't be said of Phaedra Parks, though. Parks was an accomplished attorney before she ever became a reality TV star as a cast member of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," and arguably knew the law inside out — which made it even more mind-boggling when fans discovered she was married to someone with a shady past. Parks met her then-husband, Apollo Nida, back in 1995 — and Nida went on to have several brushes with the law. He first spent time in jail in the early 2000s on racketeering charges, but the relationship continued. He was released in 2009.

Nida then found himself in hot water again in 2014 when he was sentenced to eight years in prison for bank fraud and identity theft; not exactly qualities you look for in a dedicated and loving partner. "This defendant organized two separate fake collection agencies, used them to harvest data from databases like Equifax and LexisNexis, and then deployed that data in identity theft attacks tailored to the vulnerabilities and characteristics of each victim," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, per ABC News. Parks threw in the towel on their relationship, filing for divorce in 2015. Parks made her Bravo return on "Married to Medicine" in 2023.

Of all the marriages put under the microscope in "The Real Housewives" franchise, Joe and Teresa Giudice's union probably got the most heat. The New Jersey natives had a tumultuous relationship, not only because of Teresa's fiery temper and their constant battles with her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga, but also because of Joe's coldness. In 2012, during a trip to Napa, California, that was filmed for Season 4 of the show, Joe was unknowingly caught on camera talking to an unknown woman on the telephone. What he had to say about Teresa was shocking, as he dubbed her a "c***" and referred to her as his "b***h wife," according to Us Weekly. That's devastating for any wife to hear, let alone to have broadcast to the world. Needless to say, Teresa was appalled when she saw the footage. She initially thought that the editorial team had faked it, and was devastated to learn it was real. 

Despite this incredibly worrying moment, it's not why Teresa and Joe Giudice divorced. In 2013, the pair battled legal issues when they were charged with committing, among other things, mail and wire fraud. Teresa initially stood by her man. Joe was handed down a 41-month jail sentence and deported back to Italy, while Teresa was sentenced to 15 months behind bars. They split in 2019, before finalizing their divorce a year later.  

There may have been many times that Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky's split was written on the wall in "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," but we couldn't help but hope for the best. Umansky always seemed like a dedicated family man and was certainly far less problematic on camera than a great deal of reality TV husbands we've seen over the years. However, that doesn't mean that he's been totally free of red flags. Back in 2013, actor Tess Broussard allegedly told Star that Umanksy made a pass at her while married to Richards. According to Broussard, she was at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel with a friend when she encountered Umansky. "Mauricio just beelined for us," Broussard explained, claiming Umansky said, "I'm married, but I stray once in a while" (via Hollywood Life). 

Much later, in Season 11 of the show, cast member Sutton Stracke made a comment to Richards about the infidelity in her marriage with Umansky, but Richards swiftly shut it down. When asked by a producer if it was regarding Instagram messages, Stracke cryptically said, according to Bravo, "No. I always have a problem with things slipping out of my mouth," which left a concerning question mark hanging in the air. The pair announced they were going their separate ways in 2023.

Rumblings of infidelity have to be one of the most difficult things to face in any marriage, let alone when it plays out on television to a global audience. Jackie Goldschneider and Evan Goldschneider joined the cast of (arguably one of the most dramatic shows in the franchise), "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" in Season 9. Their seemingly idyllic union was left alone for a while as the focus turned to Jackie's eating disorder, but it wasn't long before rumors started swirling about Evan. It was Jackie's co-star Teresa Giudice who started stirring the pot when she asked fellow housewives whether they had heard the same gossip that she had — namely that Evan wasn't just pumpin' iron when he went to the gym. 

While Jackie was understandably angry at the situation as it unfolded on camera, she later told PeopleTV's "Reality Check" that she had no concerns, but it did cause some friction in her marriage. "There is not even a thought in my head — not even for a second did I worry about whether or not this was true. It was nonsense," she explained. "However, we did end up having some issues because I'm a cast member on this show; he is not. So to have his life suddenly be the center and have his reputation [involved was an issue]." Despite her stance, some fans have speculated that Jackie's reaction was so over-the-top because it touched a nerve, though what goes on behind closed doors is staying behind closed doors in this case. 

As part of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" cast, Kelly Dodd provided us with many jaw-dropping moments. Her penchant for drama worked out pretty well in terms of entertainment, at least up until her "RHOC" firing in 2021. When Kelly joined the cast, she was still married to her husband, Michael Dodd, but it wasn't exactly a tranquil union. Viewers often saw the pair arguing, and in one Season 11 episode, Kelly said to Michael after a drunken spat the night prior, "Lately, we've been arguing a lot. ... We need to find a place where we're not arguing in front of [our daughter]." The star went on to say that alcohol was largely to blame, while Michael agreed that saying means things to each other, especially in front of their daughter, wasn't the right way to handle their issues.

This was just one of many red flags seen throughout the show, and interestingly, Kelly had filed for divorce back in 2012 before calling it off. In 2017, she filed again, and the couple called it quits for good. She told Entertainment Tonight in an interview at the time, "It was just, it was not working. I guess everyone has a final straw, I just ... it was like, just disagreements all the time." 

Looking back at Melissa Gorga and Joe Gorga's relationship timeline, it's clear to see that this "Real Housewives of New Jersey" couple is in it for the long haul. As the brother of Teresa Giudice, Joe is no stranger to drama. The Gorgas have been through it over the years, arguing on screen as most married couples would, but always managing to come back to a place of love. But does that mean we can readily ignore every single red flag? Not quite. Back in 2021, the Gorgas attended an event that was filmed for the show when Joe got irrationally angry because Melissa walked in front of him. "I would just like my wife to wait for me, but you just walk away like you don't even have a husband," Joe said to Melissa (via Bravo). 

On the "RHONJ After Show," Joe explained himself, revealing that the tensions between them began to escalate when he felt Melissa was spending too much time focused on work. While some may think this is a fair assessment, it's hard to deny that there may be an element of control involved. Melissa's own co-stars, Dolores Catania and Margaret Josephs, also previously expressed concern for the relationship, questioning whether Melissa was able to be as independent as she wanted to be. Josephs went one step further, calling Joe "a chauvinist." Despite their issues and Joe's traditional gender role values, the couple is still going strong at the time of writing in January 2026.