Monica Garcia FIRED from ‘RHOSLC’ After Exposing Bravo!

Monica Garcia FIRED from ‘RHOSLC’ After Exposing Bravo! 

Monica Garcia has been fired and won’t be joining the cast of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City for its fifth season, according to multiple reports. 

Monica Garcia Fired

After a tumultuous reunion filled with explosive revelations made by the newcomer, sources confirm that Monica has been let go from the Bravo hit series. The decision, coming hot on the heels of the reunion drama, has certainly shaken up the cast dynamics for the next season, leaving fans in an uproar.

Why Was Monica Garcia Fired

Despite Monica’s impactful debut on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, the rookie sealed her fate when she exposed the production company that produces the Bravo reality series. According to Monica, during her initial casting interview she informed production that she was behind the Instagram finsta account, RealityVonTease. The account was used to troll and diss the cast. Reunion host, Andy Cohen, seemed shocked and outright denied Monica’s explosive admission, “We wouldn’t have cast you,” he firmly told Monica.

The perception among many viewers is that Monica exposing production knew about her  Instagram finsta and hired her anyway contributed to her departure from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. One person wrote, “Monica being fired feels like scapegoating. She owned up to her actions, unlike production that knew about it.”

Another person stated, “Monica should have left production out of the drama. That’s why she got fired.”

A person noted, “Honestly, Monica spilling the tea about the finsta to production and still getting cast is wild. Andy is pissed and she won’t be back.”

Has ‘RHOSLC’ Season 5 Started Filming

Season 5 starts filming in February, with returning cast members: Heather Gay, Meredith Marks, Lisa Barlow, Whitney Rose, and Angie Katsanevas.

Producers Speak Out

Bravo’s executive producers, in an interview with Variety, confirmed that Monica won’t be returning to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City for its fifth season. They mentioned that the cast needed time to regroup. On Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen hinted that Monica’s departure might just be a temporary break. 

Monica Garcia’s Impact

Monica, the first Latina cast member and a mother of four, has been hailed for revitalizing The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with her dynamic presence. Her performance on the show garnered acclaim from critics and fans, including actress Jennifer Lawrence, who at the Golden Globes lauded the cast’s Oscar-worthy acting. Recently, The Los Angeles Times also recognized Monica’s contribution, attributing the show’s transformation into compelling television to her impactful involvement.

During the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 finale, Monica acknowledged her involvement with the controversial Instagram account RealityVonTease. She admitted to being one of several individuals managing the account, which targeted cast members with negative posts. Notably, Monica implicated Heather Gay’s hairdresser, Tenesha, in the operation of the account, a claim seemingly supported by Tenesha’s online activity, which included sharing screenshots from private messages linked to the account. This revelation was a significant part of the season’s dramatic conclusion.

Monica Comes Clean

Monica asserted her involvement in the RealityVonTease Instagram account, mainly to expose former cast member, Jen Shah. Jen is currently serving a prison sentence for her involvement in a telemarketing scheme. Monica emphasized that her actions were aimed solely at Shah and not at other cast members, maintaining that her role in the account was about revealing the truth rather than causing harm.

Heather confronted Monica for her role as a “cyberbully internet troll.” Heather claimed she had extensive evidence, including “receipts, proof, timeline, [and] screenshots,” to support her accusations against Garcia. This moment in the show garnered significant attention and even became a meme among fans. It was so notable that it was quoted by U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

Other Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast members echoed Heather’s sentiments regarding Monica’s supposed deception. Lisa Barlow and Meredith Marks expressed their frustration and disbelief, with Lisa accusing Monica of deceiving them and Meredith emphasizing Monica’s failure to be truthful during their time together on the show. 

During the first two parts of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion, Monica faced significant scrutiny from her fellow cast members. They criticized her for what they perceive as infiltrating their group under false pretenses. The other housewives have essentially portrayed her as a fan who posed as an ally while covertly speaking ill of them. This has led to a sense of betrayal and mistrust among the group towards Monica.

Discussions about Monica’s future on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City were ongoing as of January 19. These discussions were being held by Noah Samton, Senior VP of Production at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, and Lisa Shannon, Senior VP Programming and Development at Shed Media. The nature of these talks and their potential impact on Monica’s role in the series were not disclosed in detail.

“[We’ve] had about 7,000 conversations about that subject. We probably have another few hundred ahead of us still,” Samton told The Hollywood Reporter on Jan. 19, noting that showrunner Lori Gordon was involved in the conversation as well.

“[Monica’s] a great cast member. She’s open and vulnerable and she represents a different kind of person in Salt Lake than we have on the show. She comes from a different background and there’s a lot about her that the audience can relate to in a way that’s different from the other women. But at the same time, there’s the deception, there’s the relationship with the other cast members. It’s a really complicated puzzle,” he continued. “From a rating standpoint, you would want to find a way for her to come back. But it’s really challenging in this situation. We’re just trying to figure it out.”

Shannon added, “It’s a situation we’ve never been in before. … This is a different beast than I think any of us have dealt with. So we’re kind of moving our way through it.”

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion concluded on January 23, at 8 p.m. ET, on Bravo. All episodes are streaming on Peacock.

 

Stay Connected With All About The Tea: Twitter Ι Instagram Ι YouTube Ι Facebook Ι Send Us Tips