8 Stars Who Have Turned Down a Chance to Star in ‘The Real Housewives’ Franchise
The Real Housewives franchise is Bravo’s most successful by far. Fans love tuning in to see the famous and not-so-famous faces of the cast live and argue on television. Over the years, the cast of The Real Housewives shows have changed. Apparently, there were many people Bravo executives would have loved to see as cast members who declined to sign up. We’ve collected eight celebrities who ultimately passed on joining the cast of The Real Housewives shows.
‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’:Jennie Garth, Christina Applegate, Heather Locklear, and Ali Landry
Jennie Garth and Christina Applegate have both been approached about joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Garth said she was approached about the show in 2017 but declined the offer. Applegate shared her own story on her podcast, MesSy. Applegate said she was approached about the show more than a decade ago but declined because it didn’t align with her career plans at the time. She joked she wouldn’t have attended any dinners with the cast.
Andy Cohen has been pretty public about his desire to see Heather Locklear join The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The Bravo executive even tried to enlist Lisa Rinna’s help to bring Locklear to the series. While Rinna and Locklear are friends, it did little to persuade her to join the cast. Locklear appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2021 and addressed the rumors. She insists she’s not “interesting enough” to become a real housewife.
Ali Landry was reportedly in talks to join The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but nothing ever came of it. While Garth, Applegate, and Locklear appear to have all turned down invites to join the cast, it sounds like Landry was interested, but producers just never found a way to fit her into the series. She is close friends with Kyle Richards, so she might still emerge at some point. Landry has appeared as a guest a handful of times over the years.
‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’: Vanessa Bryant and Kristy Swanson
While The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills appears to be the installment that approached the most stars to appear, The Real Housewives of Orange County has tried to add some big names to its roster, too. Jennifer Redinger shared insider information about the casting process for the nonfiction book Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives From the People Who Lived It.
Redinger, a casting director for the franchise, said the production team had approached Vanessa Bryant about joining the cast multiple times, but she always declined the invite. Bryant has been outspoken about her desire to stay mostly out of the spotlight.
Bryant wasn’t the only well-known name approached about joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County. According to insiders, Kristy Swanson was also considered for the series. Reportedly, Swanson was willing to entertain the job, but the casting director decided she wasn’t a great fit at the time.
‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’: Tamar Braxton
Tamar Braxton is no stranger to reality TV and is not opposed to putting her life out there for public consumption. However, she refuses to join the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. During an appearance on Reality with the King, Braxton admitted she had been asked to star on RHOA. She said she turned it down instantly.
Braxton said she had no interest in appearing on TV to argue with “a bunch of b*****s about nothing.” She told Carlos King that no amount of money would have motivated her to join the cast. That doesn’t mean she’s not an avid fan, though. Braxton admitted that she does watch the series.
‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’: Danielle Jonas
While The Real Housewives of New Jersey isn’t star-studded in the traditional sense, the installment has tried to get some well-known celebrities to join the cast in the past. Danielle Jonas, who married Kevin Jonas in 2009, was invited to join. Jonas opened up about the offer during an appearance on Ladygang, a podcast hosted by Keltie Knight, Jac Vanek, and Becca Tobin.
In the 2023 appearance, Jonas said she ultimately said no to The Real Housewives of New Jersey because she thought the rest of the cast would “kill” her. She said she enjoyed her work on Married to Jonas but ultimately decided RHONJ might be too intense for her. Jonas and her husband, Kevin Jonas, are New Jersey natives. They opted to stay in the state to raise their children after their 2009 wedding. They met while vacationing in 2007.
