KiKi Monique, the journalist on the heart of the drama on this season of The Real Housewives of Orange County involving Katie Ginella, spoke solely to Us Weekly about her facet of the story.
Throughout season 19, Tamra Judge accused Katie, 41, of telling KiKi a rumor involving Gretchen Rossi.
The rumor that was reportedly shared was about an notorious dinner (nicknamed: “bare wasted”) at Tamra’s dwelling throughout season 8 in 2013. Katie reportedly informed KiKi that Gretchen, 46, claimed she needed to be hospitalized after the occasion and that medication have been present in her system – the implication being she was allegedly roofied.
On the present, Katie denied telling KiKi the rumor however admitted to speaking to her previously. Tamra, 57, didn’t imagine Katie and stated she heard the knowledge that Katie informed KiKi from one other reporter who was associates with KiKi. Different RHOC stars have forged doubt on her claims.
Now, KiKi is sharing her facet with Us. The journalist and content material creator stated she went to observe Katie after she was introduced as a brand new RHOC forged member and realized Katie was really following her. Us understands Katie began following KiKi for her true crime content material.
KiKi stated she adopted Katie again, which led to Katie sending her a direct message.
KiKi Monique Courtesy of KiKi Monique
KiKi stated the 2 exchanged temporary messages. Katie and fellow RHOC star Jennifer Pedranti then appeared as company on KiIi’s radio present, Actuality Checked on Radio Andy SiriusXM, in September 2024. She stated this was the primary time she met Katie through Zoom.
“I used to be actually excited [about Katie coming on] as a result of I had actually been a cheerleader for Katie that entire season, and I knew she needed to say some issues on my present to contradict a number of the issues that Emily [Simpson] had put on the market in that season,” KiKi informed Us.
After the episode, KiKi stated Katie put her on a gaggle textual content chat with Jen, 48. The journalist stated Katie informed her to allow them to know at any time when she was in Orange County, so they may meet up.
A month later, KiKi stated she headed to Orange County with a buddy and determined to textual content the group chat. She stated Jen stated she was out of city. Katie reportedly texted again telling KiKi she was searching for the RHOC reunion, which was days away, however might meet afterward.
KiKi stated the 2 met for lunch later that day. “We have been actually simply having an excellent time. I clearly requested her about, you recognize, ‘Oh, you’re searching for a reunion. Can I see your reunion costume?’ I used to be, I used to be doing issues that anybody that’s nosy like me could be asking and simply actually, you recognize, similar to having an excellent time,” she informed Us.
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She stated the 2 talked concerning the upcoming reunion. “It was her first season as a Housewife and I did need her to succeed, so we’re simply speaking about that and we’re actually simply having an off-the-cuff lunch, nothing very critical,” she stated.
“After which because the lunch type of went on, that’s when she talked about that she’d had a dinner with Gretchen. Now, I, once more, this was October 2024. So, Gretchen had not been introduced as a Housewife,” KiKi stated.
KiKi stated Katie then introduced up the “bare wasted” rumor. She claimed Katie stated one thing alongside the strains of “Do you know that at that [Naked Wasted dinner], that afterward [Gretchen] needed to go to the hospital and so they discovered medication in her system.”
KiKi stated she was “floored.” She stated she requested Katie if there was a police report, if the police have been concerned or if manufacturing did something. Katie stated she didn’t know anything.
When requested if Katie ever requested her to unfold the rumor, KiKi stated, “Completely not.”
KiKi informed Us, “And that’s the one factor I do additionally need to clear up. She by no means got here to me and stated, ‘I would like you to take this data and do one thing with it.’ And so, I don’t like that that’s being informed as a result of, you recognize, regardless that she’s referred to as me a liar, she didn’t do this.”
She stated she continued to remain in contact with Katie after the assembly.
Katie Ginella Casey Durkin/Bravo through Getty Photos
KiKi, who stories on celeb information, stated the story about Gretchen got here up in her thoughts once more after listening to in January that Gretchen was rejoining the RHOC forged after her exit in season 8.
KiKi stated, “‘I [didn’t] need this to come back out,’ but when there’s any fact to the story — as somebody who needs to unravel issues like this — I do really need to discover out if there’s any fact to this as a result of, if she went to the hospital, if there is sort of a toxicology report, I might like to know.”
KiKi stated she reached out to a trusted media supply who’s a buddy. She requested her buddy for assist in determining if the rumor was true or not.
“And that journalist helped me, and when he bought again to me, I used to be very snug that that story concerning the hospital simply wasn’t true,” she stated. “So, I did nothing with it ‘trigger there was nothing to do with it.”
KiKi added, “I ended up having a separate dialog with [a second] journalist, and that dialog included plenty of issues, however this story [also came] up.”
“It was an off-the-record dialog. I by no means anticipated it to get again to anybody on the forged, however it was taken to Tamra Choose, and that’s the way it ended up arising on digital camera. I didn’t know that that occurred,” she continued. “All I do know is on the finish of February. I’m on the tarmac about to fly to New York for 2 weeks. I get a textual content from Katie saying, ‘Are you round to movie?’”
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KiKi stated she responded with a query mark. Katie reportedly informed KiKi her title bought introduced up on digital camera. Kiki stated she replied with an exclamation mark and requested, “Who and what about?”
Katie then talked about it needed to cope with Tamra. KiKi stated she requested what it was about and Katie allegedly stated she was unsure. KiKi stated this was the final time she spoke to Katie.
On the present, the forged requested Katie to name KiKi to clear every part up. Katie claimed she reached out to KiKi however by no means heard again. KiKi stated this was not true and that she did reply to her messages.
After receiving the textual content from Katie, KiKi informed Us that she spoke to 2 journalist associates, off the report, concerning the rumor. She stated she came upon that certainly one of them had informed Tamra.
Gretchen Rossi Ethan Miller/Getty Photos
“And I’m freaking out trigger, like, I don’t need to be concerned on this. The entire level was to not have this story be introduced, you recognize, to digital camera, and now it’s type of the alternative has occurred,” she informed Us.
She stated she went into denial mode till she obtained a name from a RHOC producer asking her to shoot a scene with Gretchen on account of her title being introduced up throughout filming. “And that’s the place I used to be like, ‘I had two selections. I can simply ignore this and be like, I don’t need to be part of it,’” KiKi stated. “However now that I do know that my popularity is being questioned and I’m being referred to as a liar.”
KiKi stated she had lunch with Gretchen and Gina, 41, which was filmed and aired this week on RHOC. She stated she informed Gretchen what Katie informed her. ‘And Gretchen was horrified. She denied it. She stated she by no means stated it. I didn’t actually know how you can really feel as a result of once more, at this level, I additionally didn’t know who to imagine,” KiKi defined to Us. “Up till that time, clearly, like, I actually solely had a relationship with Katie, however I’ve a girl in entrance of me who’s crying and saying she didn’t say this, and I can imagine [it]. Do I imagine that Gretchen might have stated one thing concerning the hospital and Katie might have taken it and ran with it? I can imagine that too.”
When requested why she felt Katie was telling a unique story, KiKi informed Us she felt she was attempting to “shield” herself and “the opposite ladies on the present.”
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“[Katie] figured I might simply be collateral harm as a result of who was going to imagine me, particularly if I preserve getting labeled a blogger …[which] on this Bravo world, it’s a really adverse factor,” she informed Us.
“And for somebody like me who has single-handedly constructed up her profession and her popularity on her personal, which I’m sorry, on this specific trade in L.A. as a plus-size black girl could be very tough to do when you don’t have any contacts, no connections,” Monique added. “And I did all of it by myself, to have that type of simply ripped away immediately as a result of any person needs to name you a liar is essentially the most hurtful factor about this. I don’t know why she selected to throw me below the bus, apart from she doesn’t see me as beneficial.”
KiKi didn’t maintain again when requested how she feels about Katie now.
“It’s actually upsetting trigger, truthfully, in my thoughts, I assumed I might be getting an apology from her for calling me a liar to all of those individuals watching a present. She is aware of I’m not a liar, however as an alternative, she has chosen to double, triple down, proceed to say that she didn’t inform me,” she stated. “And proceed to make it look like I’m a liar. After which she went as far as to dam me. So now it’s like, I don’t know, it’s tremendous hurtful and I’m over right here attempting to salvage my popularity.”
A supply aware of the state of affairs tells Us, “There’s a piece of this story with KiKi that has but to be informed.”
KiKi appeared on this week’s episode of RHOC and may be heard on Actuality Checked on Radio Andy SiriusXM channel 102 with cohost Dorinda Medley.
