The Real Housewives kicked off with its first franchise, Orange County, in 2006. What transpired was seven other cities with new cast members and storylines filled with drama du jour. Over the past 14 years, fans have gotten to know the wives and families of the series' on a whole other level. Housewives like Nene Leekes, Vicki Gunvalson, and Bethenny Frankel have been around since the show's inception.
With Bravo fans creating a cult following over the franchise, viewers have become attached to their favorite housewives and enemies. And sadly, their losses feel like viewers' losses as well. Watching the cast break down over the loss of a loved one is gutting. To take a look back on 10 of the saddest losses in the franchise, keep scrolling.
Russell Armstrong (RHOBH)
Taylor Armstrong and her husband, Russell's, life played out in front of cameras on The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills. From the outside, these two had a picture-perfect marriage. But as it turned out, they had some skeletons in their closet.
Not only was Russell abusive to Taylor but he got himself into some serious trouble with financial issues and couldn't pull himself out. In 2011, after Taylor and Russell had separated, Russell hung himself in the home he was sharing with a roommate.
Dennis Shields (RHONY)
RHONY's Bethenny Frankel's new late boyfriend Dennis Shields for 30 years before the two began dating. The two were on and off since 2016 until he was found dead in New York City from an accidental overdose.
Bethenny came back to film for Bravo after Dennis's death and was distraught. Not only were the insanely happy together but they were also secretly engaged. The loss of Dennis was a horrific loss for Bethenny and it showed on TV. She had multiple meltdowns and couldn't help but miss her late love.
Vicki Gunvalson's Mom (RHOC)
Despite how some fans feel about Vicki Gunvalson, no one deserves to find out about the loss of a loved one on camera. In 2015—while Bravo was filming the star for the RHOC—Vicki answers the phone and falls to the floor as she just found out her mother passed away unexpectedly. What's even more uncomfortable is that it happened at Shannon Beador's home.
Vicki had nowhere to go at that moment. All the women rallied around Vicki as she left in tears to pay respects for her sweet mother.
Antonia Gorga (RHONJ)
Antonia Gorga (not to be confused with Joe Gorga's daughter, Antonia) was the mother of RHONJ stars, Teresa and Joe Gorga. The siblings have a rollercoaster of a relationship but they can both agree that they love their parents more than anything.
In season eight's premiere episode, Teresa is seen grieving over the loss of her mother. At 66 years old, she died due to a bad case of pneumonia. The loss of her mother was hard on Teresa as just got out of jail and her husband Joe was currently in jail serving his sentence. It was a lot of bad news at one time.
Bobby Zarin (RHONY)
Jill Zarin was a former cast member on The Real Housewives of New York. She was super close to the girls before she left after season four. During her time on the Bravo reality show, her husband Bobby's ongoing struggle with cancer was an upsetting storyline for the family. And sadly, he lost his battle in 2018, after her time on the show.
Jill may have had her ups and downs with the girls on the show but Bobby was always a shining light and great provider and father to their daughter. His loss fell heavy on RHONY fans.
Mark Vanderpump (RHOBH)
Lisa and Ken are both open books and also very private. They've shown their lives on RHOBH along with Vanderpump Rules. Not much is known about their family back in the UK, however.
In April of 2018, the world found out that Lisa's brother, Mark, died of suicide. Real Housewives viewers saw the toll it took on Lisa as she got very emotional throughout the season, which wasn't really like her. To this day, Lisa claims Mark's suicide attempt was a "cry for help that went horribly wrong.”
Jeff (RHOC)
When Gretchen Rossi first joined the cast of RHOC, she was engaged to a man who was 24 years old than her. His name was Jeff and he already had his life sorted out. He was a very successful businessman who already had adult children and a beautiful, younger woman on his arm.
However, when Jeff became ill from cancer, Gretchen fell apart. Although her castmates believed Gretchen was only with an ill older man for money, Gretchen claims it was for love. Jeff eventually lost his battle to cancer, which was hard for those who knew him.
Monty Brinson (RHOBH)
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alumni, Kim Richards, was married to Monty Brinson for three years int he '80s before divorcing. But unlike many divorced couples, Kim and Monty remained best friends and parents of Brooke. Monty made a few appearances on the show and it was obvious the two had a very close and respectful bond. Sadly, Monty got sick with cancer and passed away in 2016.
Knowing Kim's history with substance abuse, her sisters and friends were concerned for her wellbeing after his passing.
AJ (ROHA)
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss was once engaged to a man named AJ. His name and their relationship were brought up on the show, mainly because Kandi's mom didn't approve of him. The two ended up calling it quits shortly after.
Sadly, in 2009, Kandi found out her ex-fiance was killed in a fight in a strip club parking lot and was stunned by the news. During that year's reunion episode, Kandi couldn't help but bawl over the great loss in her life.
Daddio (RHOBH)
Lisa and Ken's dog Giggy may be a star in his own right but the death of Giggy's dad, Daddio, was just as emotional. The Vanderpumps adore their animals and have created Vanderpump Dogs to show their admiration for their four-legged friends.
In 2015, Lisa broke the news that their beloved Daddio passed away while they were traveling and it was devastating for the couple. For fellow pet fans who cheered on for the Vanderpumps simply because of their dedication to animals, this was a sad death.