By Luisa Mata
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Villains are at the core of every show out there. Whether a comedy or a drama, the show always has someone playing a villain. This is the same case on reality TV, and one of the main reasons is that there is a show called House of Villains. Many people over the years on the Real Housewives franchise have stepped in and led the show as one of the main villains. Sometimes, though, the beauty of reality TV is that some of these cast members are not the main villains, but they show villain qualities.
Such is the case with Joe Gorga, who has been on the show as part of a family of one of the cast members but has created a lot of a stir in New Jersey. Some of the most iconic moments in Housewives history have been created thanks to these villains, who have made the shows what they are today. However, when it comes to being a villain, online hate comes with it, and they have learned to embrace and make it a part of them like Lisa Rinna did at BravoCon. From diamonds to peaches, housewives to non-housewife cast members, these are the ten baddest villains in Housewives.
10 Aviva Drescher
The Real Housewives of New York
When Aviva Drescher was introduced on The Real Housewives of New York, viewers met someone who was very scared of everything around her and needed her husband with her. This may have been seen as an issue, but Aviva went through a very traumatic experience during her childhood in which she lost her leg. Because of this situation, she became more hyper-aware of everything around her. This may have been helpful, but what makes Aviva a villain is that she would use many of her health problems against the ladies. Countless times, she couldn't tell the ladies she was sick and couldn't go to many activities they planned together.
Not only was she victimizing her health problems, but she also became condescending towards Carole Radzwill after being a good friend during her last season, saying that having a ghostwriter wasn't everyone. Even though she wasn't everyone's cup of tea, she created an iconic moment by removing her prosthetic leg and pushing it onto the table for all the ladies to see. After that moment, Aviva became an iconic villain because of her different personality and her no-filter persona.
The Real Housewives of New York City
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- March 4, 2008
- Cast
- Ramona Singer , Luann de Lesseps , Sonja Morgan , Bethenny Frankel , Dorinda Medley , Carole Radziwill
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 15
- Creator(s)
- Scott Dunlop
9 Gizelle Bryant
The Real Housewives of Potomac
Word on the street is that Gizelle Bryant is the biggest villain on The Real Housewives of Potomac. She may seem like a charming family woman, which she is, but the OG of Potomac has been involved in many of the most dramatic moments in the show, and she is at the heart of it all. She has used many instances during the show to manipulate how it'll make people look, and she is always trying to stir the pot.
Such is the case during The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip; ladies essentially ruined ladies' trips because they couldn't let go of someone taking their tequila bottle. This may seem like a minor argument, but she carried it on throughout the journey. She was making a big deal out of that and stirring the pot with Heather Gay to push her into telling her everything about Jen Shah. Gizelle has always been known to stir the pot, and word on the street is that if she doesn't do it right, or it gets too much, viewers could move on from her.
The Real Housewives of Potomac
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- January 17, 2016
- Cast
- Gizelle Bryant , Karen Huger , Robyn Dixon , Ashley Darby
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 8
- Creator(s)
- Scott Dunlop , Tom Ciaccio
8 Kenya Moore
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
She is Gone with the Wind fabulous and has made her mark known on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Kenya Moore has become one of the most iconic Housewives because of how she came into her show and was not afraid of being the villain.
When she came in, many alliances were already shifting within the group, and it was the perfect opportunity for her to stir the people into a pro at knowing how to push people's buttons. It is shown when she starts her feud with Marlo Hampton by crashing her event to promote her hair care line. From then on, her feud with Marlo heightened, and she made the ladies aware that she would never get on her wrong side because she would be ready to take them down.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
TV-14
Reality
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- October 7, 2008
- Cast
- NeNe Leakes , DeShawn Snow , Sheree Whitfield , Lisa Wu , Kim Zolciak , Kandi Burruss , Cynthia Bailey , Phaedra Parks , Kenya Moore , Porsha Williams , Claudia Jordan , Kim Fields , Shamari DeVoe , Eva Marcille
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 15
- Creator(s)
- Scott Dunlop
- Writers
- Scott Dunlop
- Streaming Service(s)
- Bravo , E! , Peaco*ck
- Franchise(s)
- The Real Housewives
7 Brooks Ayers
The Real Housewives of Orange County
As a non-housewife cast member, Brooks Ayers kept many of the ladies of The Real Housewives of Orange County on their toes. Back in Season 7 of RHOC, the OG of the OC, Vicki Gunvalson, introduced her boyfriend Brooks to the world, and no one was expecting what would come after meeting him. When she dated him, her friend at the time and cast member Tamra Judge expressed her dislike for him and how she didn't trust him. Vicky would not listen, so Tamra enlisted the help of Vicki's daughter, Brianna Culberson, who also stated she disapproved of Brooke for her mom. There was something about Brooks that made people not trust him, but Vicki was in love, and she didn't care what anyone said.
What made Brooks such a great villain, though, is that in Season 10, Vicki announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer again, but all the information she was giving was not making any sense. Meghan King was one of the ones who asked the most questions when it came to his cancer diagnosis because it hit close to him since her ex-husband's ex had cancer, and she was one of the people who was with her through her treatment. During the investigation that Meghan went through about Broook's illness, she uncovered how he was forging many medical documents to make it look natural. Not only was he forging medical records, but both Vicki and Brooks would keep Tamra in the loop about the papers, since they knew she wouldn't understand many of the medical terms, like Meghan or Heather Dubrow. In the end, it was revealed he was lying about having cancer, and he said that even Vicki knew he was lying. This made the OG of the OC lose credibility with her cast and even viewers.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- March 21, 2006
- Creator
- Scott Dunlop
- Cast
- Tamra Judge , Vicki Gunvalson , Shannon Storms Beador , Heather Dubrow
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 18
6 Joe Gorga
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
As the brother of the primary cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Joe Gorga has established himself as one of the show's main villains solely because he constantly opposes his sister, Teresa Giudice. Viewers met Joe in Season 3 when his wife Melissa Gorga was introduced to the series. When he came on the show, viewers could tell he had many underlying issues with Teresa, and it would be at any moment when things could take a turn. Their relationship has been up and down for many years, and there is no speaking between all the parties. One of the main reasons he is seen as a villain is how he can weaponize his feelings for Teresa and make himself look like the victim. With this act, he has made many people change their perspective on his sister and increase his allies.
There was a point in which Joe and Teresa could get along because of their parents, but there was some apparent jealousy even when their parents were alive. One of the last stunts he pulled to show how he victimizes himself was him and Melissa not going to Teresa's wedding. Everyone was eager to know if they would show up, since they were the only family she had left, but they decided two days before the wedding not to attend. This became the moment in which the world of RHONJ, as viewers know it, would change.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- May 12, 2009
- Cast
- Teresa Giudice , Melissa Gorga , Joe Gorga , Dolores Catania , Gia Giudice , Milania Giudice , Jacqueline Laurita , Margaret Josephs
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 14
5 Danielle Staub
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
The only person, besides Jackie Goldschneider, to have gone head-to-head against Teresa Giudice and lived to tell the story is Danielle Staub. This OG of The Real Housewives of New Jersey showed her true self from the show's beginning and was unapologetic about her personality. It wouldn't have been a New Jersey episode if she and Teresa had not gone at each other's throats throughout their time together on the show. She made herself known and quickly became a fan-favorite, but to the viewer's disappointment, she left before Season 3. There was a void felt after she left, and she returned to a friend role for Seasons 8–10, which created some of her best and most iconic moments as a villain.
Not only did she come back as a friend, but to everyone's surprise, she came back as one of Teresa's friends. Their friendship did not make sense to many cast members, but their relationship grew after Teresa was in jail. Danielle's time during the later seasons was tested because she was going to head with Margaret Josephs, who was one of the reasons why her engagement fell apart. The two going at it throughout Season 10 divided the cast.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- May 12, 2009
- Cast
- Teresa Giudice , Melissa Gorga , Joe Gorga , Dolores Catania , Gia Giudice , Milania Giudice , Jacqueline Laurita , Margaret Josephs
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 14
4 Jen Shah
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
"The only thing I'm guilty of is being Shah-mazing." Viewers can agree that one thing in that statement is true. Jen Shah established herself as a villain on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City because, for three seasons, everything revolved around her. What made Jen a villain is not only the fact that she got arrested for fraud, but also her no-filter persona and strong personality, which made many of the ladies in the cast scared of her, especially Heather Gay. Jen was explosive, and a hot-headed personality like hers meant it would not be an easy journey to have a friendship with her. Throughout her time on the show, she manipulated Heather to be her ride-or-die, but it wasn't reciprocated, which made many viewers look at her with a side-eye.
Besides not being a good friend to Heather, she created many rifts between her and the other cast members during her time on the show, and many of the friendships she had drifted away because of her arrest. Not only was she manipulative of Heather, but it was recently revealed she was the one who gave her the now-infamous black eye.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- November 11, 2020
- Cast
- Whitney Rose , Lisa Barlow , Meredith Marks , Heather Gay , Jen Shah
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 5
3 Brandi Glanville
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
As one of the most unique diamonds to have been a part of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Brandi Glanville cemented herself as one of the show's main villains for years. She had many friendships during her time on RHOBH, many of which created iconic moments, but her quick remarks towards her other cast members made her the icon she is now. She was the youngest to come on the show during Season 2, and she made waves when she stepped by from the get-go, getting into arguments with the OG of Beverly Hills, Kyle Richards, and her sister, Kim Richards. She always kept all the ladies on their toes, and even after different cast shakeups, she managed to be a mean girl to Eileen Davidson, Lisa Rinna, and Lisa Vanderpump.
Even after leaving the show and coming back, she stirred the pot by alleging that she had an affair with Season 9 cast member Denisse Richards. To be able to be gone from the show for so long and come back from creating such a big scandal is something that needs to be studied.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- October 14, 2010
- Creator
- Scott Dunlop, Alex Baskin, Kathleen French
- Cast
- Kyle Richards , Adrienne Maloof , Camille Grammer , Lisa Vanderpump
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 14
2 Kelly Dodd
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Kelly Dodd was a master at being a villain because she always spoke her mind and had a very colorful way of speaking. However, her no-filter manners were so bad that Heather Dubrow did not want to continue being a part of The Real Housewives of Orange County because of her. She made for a great villain on the show because she constantly kept the whole cast on their toes; even one of the loudest ones of the cast, Tamra Judge, was intimidated by her. For many years, Kelly made their lives a living hell, and she managed to get into a fight with every single one of the cast. Kelly has quickly become one of the most controversial cast members to have stepped foot on The Housewives, and she created enemies that will last forever.
She is a person who is not afraid to say what she is thinking, and she doesn't bother to think about what everyone else is thinking. She is an action person and knows how to push people's buttons. Some of her moments that viewers will never forget were her critiquing Shannon Beador on her weight gain, critiquing Emily Simpson's husband's height, calling out Shannon's ex-husband for cheating on her at a party, and her recording herself with a pig face and calling Vicki Gunvalson an (explitive) pig.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- March 21, 2006
- Creator
- Scott Dunlop
- Cast
- Tamra Judge , Vicki Gunvalson , Shannon Storms Beador , Heather Dubrow
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 18
1 Lisa Rinna
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
"These lips were made for talking, and that's just what they'll do." Lisa Rinna had much to discuss during her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but her journey did not start her off as a villain. She only became a villain as the seasons progressed, and her popularity increased, which meant she became more calculated. The Lisa Rinna viewers loved was gone, and it was heartbreaking to see. When she started on the show, her most significant thing was to "own it!" She did it because she became the pot stirrer the show needed. After a lackluster Season 4, Lisa joined the show and, in a way, saved and created what RHOBH is now. Still, with great power comes great responsibility, and she started to stir things quickly in Beverly Hills.
When she came on the show, she was friends with everybody, but after showing "concern" towards Kim Richards and calling her an alcoholic, their relationship became strained and created rifts in the show. Besides having Kim as an enemy, she tried to take down and unmask Yolanda Hadid, attempted to take down Lisa Vanderpump, accused Dorit Kemsley of doing c*ke in their bathroom, and constantly attacked her ex-friend Denisse Richards. The last was a turning point for her in Beverly Hills, as viewers know it because she started to act very calculated, which can be seen during her one-on-one with Denisse Richards and saying, "Oh, you're so angry." This moment turned many viewers against her for her condescending tone. After her last season, when she created an enemy of another of Kyle's sisters, Lisa left the show, but this was without her embracing her new villain title. During her last BravoCon, Lisa was booed by the audience, who clearly said she did not like it, but she embraced it and even enjoyed it.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
TV-14
Reality TV
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Release Date
- October 14, 2010
- Creator
- Scott Dunlop, Alex Baskin, Kathleen French
- Cast
- Kyle Richards , Adrienne Maloof , Camille Grammer , Lisa Vanderpump
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 14
KEEP READING: Every Version of 'The Real Housewives,' Ranked
- Reality TV
- TV
- The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008)
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