Former Real Housewife Reveals Details of Fake Engagement Ring

Remember when Real Housewives of Orange County star Jo De La Rosa got engaged to Slade Smiley? Well, according to De La Rosa, her engagement ring was actually fake.

During a December 2019 appearance on Sirius XM’s Jeff Lewis Live, she spilled the beans about her short-lived engagement and the canary diamond ring that Smiley had given to her. “It was a placeholder,” De La Rosa said during the radio episode, as noted by Bravo. “The center stone was supposed to be changed in the future, but we never got there, obviously.”

De La Rosa continued, explaining, “I didn’t try and sell it, it was the thought that counted for me.”

De La Rosa was an original cast member on The Real Housewives of Orange County during the first two seasons of the show.

Slade Smiley Spoke out About De La Rosa’s Claims

After De La Rosa shaded Smiley, he later spoke out about her claims about the engagement ring. During a March 2020 episode of Smiley’s podcast, which he hosts with fiancée Gretchen Rossi, he threw some shade right back at her. “So apparently my ex is out doing the rounds of press — and this is someone that I have not been in a relationship with for 14 years, at least 14 years,” Smiley said during his podcast episode, as noted by People. “She appeared on a podcast of another Bravolebrity and thought that she would bring up a topic in what she called spilling some tea and she made the accusation that her engagement ring back from the day was fake. I think that’s hilarious because the truth of the matter is is that she was so desperate to be engaged for the show that she bought the ring herself. So for some reason you’re having an issue with the quality of the ring, it’s kind of on you, sister.”

Smiley continued, as noted by People, “Not to mention it’s 14 years ago.” According to People, Smiley also alleged during the podcast episode that De La Rosa was trying to get back onto The Real Housewives of Orange County. 

De La Rosa’s Ex Is Now Engaged To Her Friend

De La Rosa’s ex, Slade Smiley, is now engaged to her friend and former Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi. It’s unclear if De La Rosa and Rossi are still friends today, but Rossi and Slade appear happy and recently Rossi gave birth to a daughter named Skylar Gray Smiley.

Rossi seems to be super happy with Smiley, and recently posted a picture of the two of them on Instagram in early August. In the caption, Rossi wrote, “You won’t believe this but this was our First Date night (just Slade & I) since Skylar was born 🙈🤪 Yes it’s crazy to think we haven’t had a moment to ourselves, but between adjusting to being new parents together, work life, and just being utterly exhausted 24/7 , we realized Holy Crapoly we had not had one date night together!”

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