RHOC: OG Housewife Jo De La Rosa Comes Face to Face with Ex Slade Smiley for the First Time ‘in Decades’

This week’s Real Housewives of Orange County featured an unexpected reunion.

On the July 31 episode of the Bravo series, Tamra Judge showed up to Heather Dubrow’s birthday party with a blast from the past — RHOC alum Jo De La Rosa.

“I just want to say thank you so much for going with me because Eddie was like, ‘It’s a hard pass,’” Tamra told Jo, highlighting her husband’s discomfort over their tension with Jenn Pedranti and Ryan Boyajian.

“I am super nervous, I don’t wanna be around Ryan,” Tamra explained before acknowledging: “I know it’s just as stressful for you because it’s probably the first time you’ve seen Slade in decades!”

Jo laughed, “I mean, it’s been a minute.”

Jo was previously engaged to Slade Smiley, and their relationship was documented in the early seasons of RHOC.

When they broke up, Slade had a brief fling with another former Housewife, Lauri Peterson, before he started dating his current partner Gretchen Rossi, who was on the show from seasons 4-8 and returned this season as a friend. They have now been together for 16 years and share a daughter.

“I asked Heather if it was okay if I brought Jo and she said, ‘Yes, yes. Bring Jo,’” Tamra clarified. “So if Gretchen is threatened by Jo, that’s her problem.”

When they arrived at the party, Jo’s presence turned heads as Gretchen and Slade insisted there was no chance of a reconciliation with Tamra amid their longstanding feud.

“Tamra showing up with Slade’s ex certainly doesn’t show that she’s trying to move forward with me,” Gretchen said, calling Tamra “thirsty.”

Adding, “That’s so her to bring Jo. Out of all the people that Tamra could have brought, Tamra is clearly trying to poke.”

The idea of making amends with Tamra doesn’t sit right with Gretchen.

Heather’s husband, Terry Dubrow, quipped, “Can’t everything be fixed with an apology?”

“No Terry,” Gretchen snapped. “No changed behavior? Like Tamra for the last 15 years? Absof——lutely not.”

“Maybe she’s changed now,” he suggested, but Gretchen continued to push back: “Oh really? But you’re gonna walk in with my husband’s ex? That’s really good changed behavior.”

Later in the episode, Gretchen and Slade went up to Jo to say hello.

Jo seemed surprised to see her former fiancé as she stood up to give them both hugs. At Bravocon 2023, Jo and Gretchen agreed to move forward with a clean slate.

“Hi Slade,” Jo said, to which he awkwardly replied, “Hi Jo.” Gretchen then chimed in, “Nice to see you.”

“It doesn’t matter if Jo and I are good,” Gretchen said in her confessional. “It has to do with Tamra. Didn’t work. Try again. You’re getting rusty, girl.”

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The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.