Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais knew her time on Bravo‘s hit show was over when she clocked that she had no real “friends” on the cast.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Garcelle shared her gratitude for her tenure as a Real Housewife, and when she knew her presence on the show wouldn’t be ‘reality.’
Grateful Garcelle:
“First of all, when I joined that show, obviously, I knew the show. I had friends on the show, and I knew it was popular. I had no idea that my being announced was going to go, like, crazy viral.” Garcelle learned about the online buzz her casting generated from a friend. “Natalie texted me, ‘You’re trending on Twitter.’ And I was like, ‘Why? I’m making pork chops for the boys.’ I didn’t understand what was happening.”
Joining the season 10 cast of RHOBH “changed” Garcelle’s life by introducing her to a passionate fanbase. “It gave me a new audience that I didn’t have before. It gave me a different brand recognition and all that. But knowing when to leave, my spirit was not … My spirit was no longer there. I couldn’t do it anymore. I just couldn’t do it.”
All good things come to an end:
The actress/Executive Producer knew her time on RHOBH was over when filming the season 14 reunion. “When I sat on that stage and looked around, I felt like I didn’t have any friends. And if the show is based on friendships, I didn’t have any friends on that show anymore.”
“And so it just didn’t feel right for me. My spirit just didn’t feel like that’s where I needed to be.”
Garcelle offered advice to others who may feel stuck in unhealthy environments — whether professionally or personally. “It was hard because, again, I’m an immigrant. You don’t leave jobs that are paying you. So that wasn’t an easy decision.”
Still, she knew that choosing herself ultimately mattered more than filming a reality tv show. “Once again, I had to choose me. I chose me in the marriage when I walked away. I chose me here.”
“You gotta do like the movie and get out,” she joked. “Life is too short. This is our one time. There’s no do-overs. This is not a rehearsal. Protect it. Keep the joys that you wanna keep. Take out the negativity that you don’t want in your life.”
Sharing hope with her audience, Garcelle added, “I always feel like God will provide if you take that leap of faith.”
