Bravo Photo: Mitchell Haaseth; Virginia Sherwood/ BravoFrom now on, we will always have a soft spot for Gretchen Rossi from The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Why?
Because, like us, Gretchen loves NeNe Leakes from The Real Housewives of Atlanta!
"I'm really good friends with NeNe," Gretchen told us at last night's Dancing With the Stars' Girls Night Out dinner, hosted by celebrity jeweler Pascal Mouawad at his home in Beverly Hills. "NeNe is one of my favorite people ever. She is so cool."
Gretchen and NeNe met on a commercial shoot for Bravo.
"She is one of the most confident women I have ever met and I love that about her," Gretchen said. "She would sit there and go, 'I'd watch me too if I were watching the show.' She's so all about herself…I'm a strong, confident woman, but just in a very different demeanor."
Gretchen also obviously has some love for fellow RHOC player Slade Smiley. Gretchen and Slade made no secret about their new romance last night. They were inseparable and played tonsil hockey throughout the evening.
Even so, Gretchen continues to wear the engagement ring from her late fiance, Jeff Beitzel. "Slade is one of the best men I've come across in my life besides Jeff," Gretchen explained. "And I know he's a secure enough man that whether or not I'm wearing this ring would not matter to him at all."
—Additional reporting by Dahvi Shira