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Credit: Todd Williamson/Bravo
Gina Kirschenheiter reacted to Heather Dubrow enlisting Carmella Garcia, rather than her, to help find a home for her daughter, Max, after Thursday’s episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
As Heather, 57, explained why she felt that Carmella, 44, was better suited for the job, and Tamra Judge, 59, accused Gina, 42, of not being on Heather’s level and of being jealous of Carmella, Gina admitted to being hurt by Heather’s decision, as she noted that she would’ve appreciated a phone call.
“It was hurtful for so many reasons,” Gina began on the September 10 episode of the RHOC: After Show.
According to Gina, she wanted to give Heather the “benefit of the doubt.” However, she noticed a pattern with her castmate.
“Carmella, she’s a real estate agent, yes, but she works for Oppenheim, who is a heavy hitter in my area. The year before it was [Josh Altman]. The year before that it was [Josh Flagg]. It’s like every year, Heather finds a way to use another real estate agent that’s not me,” she explained. “It bothers me.”
That said, Gina acknowledged that Carmella was more familiar with the market in San Diego, where Heather was hunting for a place for Max.
“It all made sense to me. But you pick up the phone, and you say, ‘Hey, I’m looking for Max in San Diego. I’m gonna use Carmella, and I want to make sure you know about it and that you’re okay with that,’” she suggested.
Then, after Emily Simpson, 50, mentioned that Heather had previously spoken poorly about Carmella, Gina suspected, “I guess maybe that’s why she didn’t make that phone call.”
Meanwhile, Heather told Tamra that she didn’t “think [she] owed” Gina a heads up.
“My head was like this: I wasn’t looking to buy anything, but I’m thinking San Diego, rental, 22-year-old. Carmella is from there. She’s literally a real estate agent in that area, and her kids are around the same age as my kids. She would totally understand what would be safe, where the kids are,” Heather explained.
As Heather admitted she “felt bad that [she] hurt her feelings,” Tamra reflected on Gina’s past behavior with Jennifer Pedranti, 49, saying, “She tried to help Jenn with a rental, and we saw how that went,” as a flashback featured an argument between the two.
“She’s not at your level,” Tamra told Heather of Gina as she accused Gina of investigating Carmella’s past sales.
“What was the point?” Heather wondered.
“I think Gina was a little jealous,” Tamra replied.
But, as Gina noted, “Realtors look up realtors all the time, and Carmella knows that.”
“I’ve never looked at Carmella like my direct competition. If she lived in my area, she would be,” she added.
As for Carmella, she said she was caught “off guard” by Gina’s research.
“If I’m trying to build my career, you need to spend less time worrying about what someone else is doing and more time on your own deals. Her focus is in the wrong place,” she stated.
Carmella then said that after realizing how upset Gina was, she “backed off.”
“I kind of just like backed off and then Heather fell off the grid, so I’m not really sure what happened. I hope she doesn’t feel like I didn’t follow up,” she noted.
But Heather did feel that way, sharing, “Everyone dropped the ball on me. I never heard from Carmella or Gina again.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County season 20 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
