The Real Housewives and Their Shady Significant Others

Take a look back at some of the sketchiest husbands and boyfriends in the Real Housewives franchise, from cheaters to actual criminals

By TV Scoop Team Nov 16, 2019 1:46 AMTags
Shady Real Housewives Significant OthersGetty Images

Where fame and money go, shadiness often follows, and the Real Housewives are certainly no exception. 

The ladies across New York City, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, Orange County, New Jersey, Dallas, and Potomac have dated and married their fair share of questionable men. 

Some couples are still together, but others are a distant memory, memorialized here in this gallery of the Real Housewives' Shadiest Significant Others. In the mood for a famous actor leaving his wife less than a season in? Or a husband or two in prison for fraud? What about a guy faking cancer and abusing his girlfriend? 

You can find all of them here, if you just scroll down! 

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"Real Housewives" Who Have Powered Through Heartbreak

Currently, a whole bunch of Real Housewives and fellow Bravolebrities (and hopefully very few shady husbands) are gathered in New York City for BravoCon, the first ever convention for all of Bravo. The festivities began today and continue through the weekend, including some big reunions and the biggest episode of Watch What Happens Live ever. 

Stay tuned to E! News to get the biggest news coming out of the weekend! 

Dennis McKinley, Real Housewives of Atlanta

At first, fans thought Porsha Williams found her happily ever after with the businessman. Ultimately, Kandi Burruss' initial concerns turned out to be valid after infidelity rumors surfaced. Dennis would later deny any such claims. "These false and slanderous allegations against me are made solely to damage my reputation, jeopardize my ongoing businesses, and negatively impact my family," he shared. 

Big Poppa, Real Housewives of Atlanta

Yes, that's a photo of RHOA's Kim Zolciak. And that's only because the married sugar daddy who bankrolled her life for her first few seasons was never seen on cameras, for obvious reasons. Sleazy and secretive.

John Mahdessian, Real Housewives of New York City

There's nothing really shady about John, but when you consider his behavior with Dorinda Medley's RHONY costars, like dancing up on Kristen Taekman and fighting with Bethenny Frankel over her brand name, he earns a spot on this list. To say he's a divisive figure on the reality show is an understatement.

Paul "PK" Kemsley, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

After admitting to sneaking a peek up Erika Girardi's dress when she wasn't wearing any underwear and liking the view (ick), PK and his wife, newbie Dorit Kemsley, couldn't stop talking about Erika throughout their inaugural season. PK seemed to enjoy inserting himself into the ladies' drama a bit more than we care for, but it was the vile ways he continued to speak about poor Erika's private parts that really earned him a spot on this list.

Jim Marchese, Real Housewives of New Jersey

Jim and his wife Amber Marchese joined the Garden State gang in season six. Immediately, he proved to be more combative than his wife, entering into nasty fights with plenty of her co-stars. Did the pair get confused on who was actually the cast member?

Frank Curtin, Real Housewives of Orange County

Frank's biggest crime? Hiding the financial shambles his family was in from wife Lynne Curtin, resulting in her receiving an eviction notice on camera in season five. Not cool, Frank.

Peter Thomas, Real Housewives of Atlanta

We've never quite understood what Cynthia Bailey sees in Peter. He's always taken advantage of her money for bad business endeavors, he's incredibly chauvinistic, and he got caught on camera getting too close to comfort with someone other than his wife, which is now a storyline on the show.

Slade Smiley, Real Housewives of Orange County

Slade's more slimy than sketchy, working his way through a laundry list of RHOC stars in a completely transparent attempt to stay on TV. Icky, but ultimately harmless. Times have changed, however. In 2019, it was revealed that Slade and his fiancé Gretchen Rossi were expecting a baby. 

Matt Keough, Real Housewives of Orange County

Matt, a former baseball player, treated his wife Jeana Keough less than perfectly prior to their divorce. Ultimately, the RHOC star moved on with a new man that she keeps much more private. 

Josh Taekman, Real Housewives of New York City

Josh always seemed a little distant whenever he was on camera during wife Kristen Taekman's two seasons on RHONY. When an account linked to his name was unearthed in the massive Ashley Madison hack, the couple faced some tough headlines. Ultimately, Kristen told Bravo in 2019 that they are doing good. "All I can say is I think every marriage has its ups and downs and it's bumps in the road. We had one and we're stronger for it and here we are now," she shared. 

Tom D'Agostino, Real Housewives of New York City

Tom's been sniffing around Bravo's ladies of the Big Apple since his appearance way back in season one when he flirted with a then-married Ramona Singer and her friends. But it's his resurgence in season eight that's earned him a spot on this list. After his relationship with Luann de Lesseps led to an engagement in record time, we learned that he'd gone on several dates with a now-single Ramona (the number of which he'll contest until he's blue in the face, though he'll still make time to remark about the Singer Stinger's grapefruit scent AT HIS ENGAGEMENT PARTY) and been friends-with-benefits with Sonja Morgan for A DECADE. And then Bethenny Frankel got the damning photographic evidence of his public make-out session with a stranger the night prior to his engagement party, which he denied, then blamed on alcohol and an old friend with predatory clutches, and then tried to explain away by bullying Dorinda Medley into lying for him. What a catch.

David Beador, Real Housewives of Orange County

When Shannon Beador joined RHOC, her marriage to David was visibly strained. He really didn't seem like he wanted his life documented on camera. When news of his affair broke, we learned exactly why.

Kelsey Grammer, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

It's been rumored that joining RHOBH was Kelsey's parting gift to wife Camille Grammer. Too bad she had to learn that he was leaving her as season one went on, just the way everyone wants to learn they're being left by their spouse. That his new wife got pregnant so soon certainly didn't help matters.

Mario Singer, Real Housewives of New York City

Mario humiliated his wife Ramona Singer by cheating on her after seasons of rubbing their perfect marriage in everyone's faces, especially when Luann de Lesseps got divorced. They even renewed their vows in an elaborate ceremony just a few seasons prior to the cheating scandal. In 2019, however, the couple appeared to be in a much better place and even filmed scenes together at parties and friendly gatherings. 

Tareq Salahi, Real Housewives of D.C.

The Real Housewives of D.C. is widely known for being a rare boring misfire in Bravo's stable of Real Housewives shows. It's also widely known for creepy Tareq and his wife Michaele Salahi, who were so hungry for fame, they crashed a White House dinner all while Bravo cameras were rolling.

Apollo Nida, Real Housewives of Atlanta

Sure, Phaedra Parks married Apollo after he was released from one prison stay, but that doesn't mean anyone should've expected he'd shamelessly flirt with fellow Housewife Kenya Moore, physically fight with Kenya's assistant, get sentenced to another eight years in prison for bank fraud, and menacingly approach his estranged wife with a drill in their garage. But he did. He did all that.

Joe Giudice, Real Housewives of New Jersey

Before Juicy Joe's fraud scheme landed him and wife Teresa Giudice with prison sentences, he also frequently brawled with his wife's brother, Joe Gorga, got arrested for driving with his brother's license after his was suspended, and took a phone call on camera where he called Teresa his "b---h wife."

Brooks Ayers, Real Housewives of Orange County

Is falsifying medical documents to continue a highly suspicious claim that you're suffering from cancer worse than all the rest of the behavior on this list? Yes, we think so. Add in ex-girlfriend Vicki Gunvalson's daughter Briana's claims that Brooks abused her mom and there's no denying that he's the worst on this list.

The Real Housewives air on Bravo. 

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