The men ofThe Real Housewives of Orange Countyare usually just background noise — but Katie Ginella’s husband Matt Ginella is not holding back when it comes to Gretchen Rossi’s fiancé, Slade Smiley. And yes, the shade is messy enough to deserve its own orange.

Matt Ginella Shades Slade’s Role On RHOC

Matt recently popped up on theDon’t Let It Stupodcast to address the ongoing feud with Slade, who allegedly called him to get Katie to walk back comments she made about Gretchen and Tamra Judge. According to Matt, the call was bizarre — and it only fueled more drama.

“I don’t think people are totally understanding or even putting value on Slade’s role in all of this,Matt said.I have been with Slade, I don’t know, let’s say it’s three times. All three times, I have heard the story about how he started Housewives, behind the gates, original cast, very involved in production.”

He added that Andy Cohen himself supposedly had to remind Slade that he isnot a Housewife.Matt also threw in a dig at Slade’s romantic track record:In his mind, he is on his, I think, his fourth Housewife in terms of relationships … [That’s] not happening for me.”

Katie Ginella’s Husband Calls Out Slade’s Past

The sharpest jab came when Matt brought up Slade’s legal history.The idea that I’m in some sort of character war with a guy who was arrested for being a deadbeat dad … I didn’t have this on my bingo card, but here we are,he said.

Back in 2009, Slade was arrested on an outstanding warrant for falling behind on child support payments. He later said enormous medical bills for his late son Grayson, who sadly passed away in 2023 at the age of 22, were the reason for his struggles.

And just to keep the drama sizzling, Matt also shared a chilling911 textSlade allegedly sent him, warning:Katie might have just sealed her own fate … You need to call Katie and have her hold the line and say it wasn’t said.”

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About Perry Carpenter

Perry Carpenter has been covering entertainment news for more than 20 years — and yes, she absolutely has opinions about the latest Bravo casting shake-ups. Throughout her career, she has specialized in celebrity news and television, with a particular obsession for all things Bravo, "The Challenge," "Outlander," of course, Travis & Taylor, and the ever-expanding Taylor Sheridan universe. A member of the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors, Perry has built a storied freelance career covering pop culture's biggest moments and smallest Easter eggs. Her work has appeared in Showbiz Cheatsheet, Daily Express, Radar Online, and on her Muck Rack profile.