The drama on The Real Housewives of Orange County has taken a fiery turn, with Matt Ginella, husband of cast member Katie Ginella, throwing serious shade at Slade Smiley, the fiancé of Gretchen Rossi. What started as a heated exchange over allegations has spiraled into a public feud, with Matt questioning Slade’s character and his apparent fixation on the Housewives franchise.
On a recent episode of the Don’t Let It Stu podcast, Matt didn’t hold back, diving into the ongoing tension with Slade, who first appeared in Season 1 as Jo De La Rosa’s boyfriend. Matt suggested that Slade sees himself as a central figure in the Housewives universe, despite not being an official cast member. “I don’t think people are totally understanding or even putting value on Slade’s role in all of this,” Matt said. “I’ve been with Slade, let’s say, three times. All three times, I’ve heard the story about how he started Housewives, behind the gates, original cast, very involved in production.”
Matt went further, revealing that even Bravo executive Andy Cohen reportedly had to remind Slade that he’s “not a Housewife.” According to Matt, Slade’s self-perception is inflated, as he’s been romantically linked to multiple Housewives stars over the years. “In his mind, he is on his, I think, his fourth Housewife in terms of relationships,” Matt quipped. He contrasted this with his own stance, telling Katie, “I love you so much. [If] this were to not work out, you know the last thing I would do is go date another Housewife. Like that’s not happening.”
The shade didn’t stop there. Matt took aim at Slade’s past, referencing a 2009 arrest for civil contempt due to unpaid child support. “The idea that I’m in some sort of character war with a guy who was arrested for being a deadbeat dad … I didn’t have this on my bingo card, but here we are,” Matt said pointedly. Slade, at the time, attributed his financial struggles to “enormous medical bills” for his son Grayson, who tragically passed away in 2023 at age 22.
The feud traces back to a bombshell claim on the new season of RHOC. Katie alleged that Gretchen told her Tamra Judge had once drugged her, a serious accusation that stirred the pot. Matt claimed Slade sent him a frantic “911 text” urging him to get Katie to retract the statement. “These are his exact words: ‘Katie might have just sealed her own fate … She told Kiki Monique what we told you guys [about the allegations against Tamra], and now it’s getting back out to the group. This is really bad. You need to call Katie, and you essentially need to have her hold the line and say it wasn’t said,’” Matt recounted, noting the text gave him “chills” out of concern for his wife.
Slade, however, has denied making such a call and accused Katie of lying, escalating the tension further. Matt’s latest comments paint a picture of Slade as someone overly invested in the Housewives world, with a history that raises eyebrows. As this feud unfolds, it’s clear the drama is far from over, leaving fans eagerly watching for the next chapter in this RHOC saga.