The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Katie Ginella is spilling the tea on her friendship with Audrina Patridge.
“Audrina and I met 12 years ago,” Katie, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly at a Let’s Help LA fundraiser event on Saturday, January 18. “I was working for Back9Network, which was on Direct TV Channel 262, and I was a reporter, and she was an investor. We met, and we hung out a lot.”
The pair became friends long before Katie became a cast member on The Real Housewives of Orange County. Once she joined the show for season 18 in 2024, it was Audrina, 39, who proved to be a supportive friend.
“I actually leaned on her a lot doing this reality TV thing,” Katie explained to Us while raising funds for Emergency Network LA. “She was so kind and so helpful.”
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Before stepping away from the cameras to live a quieter life in Orange County, Audrina appeared on The Hills and the reboot, which concluded in 2021.
Although Bravo has not confirmed any casting decisions, The Real Housewives of Orange County is expected to return for season 19.
“I would love for [Audrina] to join the Housewives,” Katie said. “She’s super spicy and super sharp, and she’s also got a lot of soul. I would love it, but I don’t think she’s interested. She’s a great friend of mine though.”
Back in October 2024, Us caught up with Audrina and asked about her friendship with Katie.
“I talk to her from time to time about what she’s going through on the show, which is wild,” Audrina said at ChainFEST LA. “Sometimes I sit back and go, ‘Wow, for once, I’m not in the mix of it. I get to sit on the outside and listen in.’”
At the time, the swimsuit designer expressed little interest in returning to reality TV.
“If I ever did reality again, it would have to be totally positive and inspirational, and I’ve done enough drama and chaos in my 20s,” Audrina joked. “I think I’m done with that.”
As fans wait to hear news about the new season of Real Housewives of Orange County, Katie joined costars Jennifer Pedranti and Shannon Beador for a fundraiser event at The Bungalow in Corona Del Mar, California.
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Inspired by the Los Angeles wildfires, the Bravo stars wanted to come together and raise money to help those impacted.
“Jen, Shannon and I saw that our neighbors in LA, which is only 40 miles north of us, were hurting,” Katie said. “We thought if we came together and had a sweet cocktail hour, people would feel better about donating their money and that’s what we did.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County is streaming now on Peacock.
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
