Well, that was quick.
Just days after Lisa Rinna announced her departure from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” series executive producer and “Housewives” honcho Andy Cohen said he was open to the actress returning to the show sometime in the future.
“She has been really a huge part of Beverly Hills, and I really do hope that this is a pause. I hope she will come back. I really do,” Cohen said Monday on his SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live.
During the segment, Cohen referenced Tamra Judge, the long-running cast member of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” who was fired after the show’s 14th season but rehired for its upcoming 17th season.
“I’ve talked to Tamra about this a lot,” Cohen explained. “Tamra ultimately said to me before she came back to this; she said, ‘You know what? My time away from the show kind of helped me as a person.’ And she said, ‘I think it was actually really positive to leave and get some air and step back.’ So I just hope that Lisa will humor us and comes back.”
Rinna was a polarizing figure during her eight-season stint on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” where she held the longest tenure amongst the current cast outside original housewife Kyle Richards.
She had a reputation for stirring the pot, including questioning the sobriety of Richards’ sister Kim, pressing longtime friend Denise Richards on if she had a sexual encounter with Brandi Glanville, and most recently going after current castmates Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke.
Rinna often shared glimpses into her personal life, including her marriage to actor Harry Hamlin and her relationship with daughters Amelia Gray and Delilah Belle. Rinna’s mother Lois also made several appearances and was a fan favorite. After Lois died in late 2021, Rinna says grief caused her to lash out at her castmates on the show and on social media.
During the most recent Season 12 reunion — her last televised appearance as a housewife — Rinna dared Cohen to “put her on pause” — “on pause” being franchise lingo for being let go from the show with the potential of returning at a later date. (Another housewife currently “on pause” is Dorinda Medley from “Real Housewives of New York.”)
For now, there’s no official word on if or when Rinna will come back, but she will definitely NOT return for Season 13, which is set to begin filming soon. (Diana Jenkins announced Monday she is also exiting the show.)
And at least one of Rinna’s costars agrees with Cohen about the future.
“I think we’re all sad that Lisa’s leaving,” Sutton Stracke told E! News last week after Rinna’s exit. “She always loved to stir that pot and then we all liked to taste the soup, so I think we’ll miss Lisa’s soup, but I don’t think this is the last we’ll see from her.”
Listen to Cohen’s comments about Rinna’s exit below: