Why Did Lydia McLaughlin Quit 'The Real Housewives of Orange County'?
Lydia McLaughlin quit her full-time role on The Real Housewives of Orange County on Friday afternoon -- for the second time.
Years following her announcement that she was leaving the show after starring in just one season, Season 8, McLaughlin took to her blog to confirm her news with her fans and followers. A short time later, the mother of three opened up about the reason behind her sudden exit.
“The decision to film and sign on for season 13, like my husband and I were talking a lot and so we included our kids in the conversation and we did a family vote and I was kind of on the fence … obviously they would support me if I really decided to do it again, but I just felt like that was a really good indicator of maybe just the stress it puts on them,” McLaughlin explained to Us Weekly magazine on Feb. 9.
McLaughlin first confirmed the news of her exit in a blog post on Friday, revealing that she and her family, including husband Doug McLaughlin and their three kids, Stirling, 8, Maverick, 6, and Roman, 2, weighed heavily on her decision to leave the show. She also joked that she can only handle starring on one season at a time and need a break.
Although McLaughlin butted heads with Shannon Beador throughout the 12th season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, she told the magazine that she and Beador actually made amends after the season wrapped production. Then, in an odd turn of events, both Beador and her costar, Tamra Judge, blocked McLaughlin on social media.
Following production on Season 12, McLaughlin said that while she and Peggy Sulahian are friends and have been for some time, she isn't close with any of the other women in the show. In fact, she isn't even friends with them. Instead, she's close to several former cast members of the series including Gretchen Rossi, Alexis Bellino, and Heather Dubrow. As she explained, she and the current members of the cast are just "too different."
As for who she would like to see take her spot on the long-running reality series, McLaughlin said she hopes Bravo TV can find another "voice of reason" to join the group before filming begins on Season 13.
“Hopefully I was those things and you know, I think everyone will miss my sparkle,” she added.
