The Lisa Rinna M&M has left the pack. People confirmed on Thursday that Rinna is exiting The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after eight messy seasons. “This is the longest job I have held in my 35-year career and I am grateful to everyone at Bravo and all those involved in the series,†she said in a statement. “It has been a fun eight-year run and I am excited for what is to come!†According to People’s report, Rinna and Bravo mutually decided that she would leave after her contract expired at the end of season 12. Her husband, Harry Hamlin — the one she famously didn’t want to talk about in Amsterdam — told People that he supported her choice. “[It was the] correct decision, the right decision to make at this point after eight years,†he said. “I think she took it as far as she could take it, and she elevated the show. Now it’s time to move on.â€
Rinna, who officially joined the show’s main cast in 2014, once compared herself to the LeBron James of the Housewives franchise, writing in an Instagram Story, “You can’t afford to lose me.†She has been a polarizing presence on the show, and was even booed by fans at BravoCon last year. Her departure might open up some options for Kathy Hilton, who has suggested that she wouldn’t return to RHOBH unless Rinna — in Hilton’s words, “the biggest bully in Hollywood†— was cut from the lineup. Sharon Stone celebrated the news with a series of clapping emojis, while former RHOBH star Lisa Vanderpump simply tweeted, “Ding dong.†Meanwhile, YouTube’s Trisha Paytas sees the new opening as an opportunity …
This post has been updated.