Dr. Nicole Martin Has Been Candid About Her Parents' Past on 'Real Housewives of Miami'

The Gist:

• The Real Housewives of Miami star Dr. Nicole Martin has discussed her tumultuous childhood with her parents, Sirel and Miguel Martin.
• When Nicole was a child, her father served jail time for money laundering, forcing her mother to raise her alone.
• In a Season 6 episode of RHOM, Nicole compared her co-star Lisa Hochstein's impending divorce to her childhood.
• Nicole Martin's father, Miguel, unexpectedly died in November 2023.
• Nicole discussed her father's numerous children and girlfriend on RHOM.

In Season 6 of The Real Housewives of Miami, the cast is seemingly finally ready to get over their "new school vs. old school drama." During the cast's trip to Palm Beach, several feuds are resolved, and the OGs are willing to give the newbies — the ones who arrived to the Bravo show when it returned on Peacock after eight years — another chance.

One person who is over the drama is Dr. Nicole Martin. After forgiving Marysol Patton for the hazing she received over the last few years on the show, Nicole offered encouraging words to her friend and longtime RHOM star, Lisa Hochstein.

Amid Lisa's separation from her husband, Lenny Hochstein, Nicole shared how her mother gracefully picked up the pieces following her late father's legal woes. Here's what Nicole has said about her parents.

Fans of RHOM have seen Nicole discuss her rocky relationship with her parents, primarily her father, since she joined the cast in Season 4. During the fourth season, the Miami, Fla. native shared that her father had been arrested for several years during her childhood. The arrest caused Nicole's mother, Sirel, to raise her and her brother as a single mother.

Nicole briefly spoke about her mother's dedication to their family in Season 607 of RHOM. In a confessional, Nicole reflected on how Lisa having to start over amid her divorce from Lenny Hochstein is much like what she witnessed her mother do when she stepped up to care for her children alone. Nicole said her mother was in "her mid-40s" when her father was arrested and she had to "apply for her first job ever."

However, Nicole said her mother figured it out, and she believed Lisa would eventually do the same.

"You're a lot stronger than you think," said Nicole. "My mom figured it out, and I know Lisa will too."

Nicole's transparency about her upbringing has also included her being honest about where she stood with her father after his arrest during her childhood. In Season 4 of RHOM, the board-certified anesthesiologist had a counseling session with Miguel, with her therapist acting as a moderator.

During the session, Nicole was able to share with her father that she felt neglected by him as a child, both when he was in prison and when he came home.

"My dad is an old-school Cuban man, and my dad is used to living his best life with little regard for anyone else," Nicole said about Miguel.

Nicole did credit her father for providing for her financially once he was home from jail, though she still felt he was emotionally unavailable during her upbringing. However, she was ready to get back on track with her father in Season 4 and said her son Greyson's birth significantly affected their reunion.

"I know this isn't going to be easy," Nicole said of forgiving her father. "But I know I've gotta let this go if there's any hopes of having, you know, a true bond with my dad."

Nicole's willingness to form a good relationship with her dad was unfortunately ruined shortly after their counseling session. During a dinner at Nicole's house, Miguel arrived drunk and told his adult daughter he planned on having more children. Nicole was visibly upset by the visit, though the father and daughter were able to continue working on their relationship.

Sadly, in November 2023, Nicole confirmed her time with her father had been cut short. On Nov. 19, Nicole posted an Instagram tribute confirming Miguel had unexpectedly died. The news came just weeks after Nicole announced she was pregnant with her and her fiance, Anthony Lopez's second baby.

In her tribute, Nicole shared multiple photos of her with her dad, her brother, Anthony Lopez, and their son, Greyson. She then admitted "so many things were left unsaid" before her father passed away.

"I haven’t been able to find the words and still can’t," Nicole began her Instagram tribute. "Everything happened so fast and it still doesn’t seem real. Part of me is still waiting for one of your crazy phone calls. So many things left unsaid and moments we didn’t share," she added. "Trying not to dwell on the missed moments and focusing on the improvements we made. You had a zest for life and I know you’re having a party up in heaven. Rest in peace dad. Love you."

Amid the news of her father's death, Nicole received several heartfelt comments from her RHOM family, including her BFF Guerdy Abraira, Alexia Nepola, Larsa Pippen, and Julia Lemigova.

Before her father died, Nicole often shared how eccentric he was on RHOM. In Season 6, fans watched as Nicole's dad, Miguel, explained his plans to have more children before his untimely death.

In a scene from Episode 608 of RHOM, Nicole and Miguel have dinner, where he drops his bombshell baby news. As Nicole processed possibly having a baby the same age as her younger sibling due to her and Anthony's plans to become parents, she asked her father how many children a new baby would bring his count to. Miguel replied by saying if he had two children, it would bring him up to eight children.

Miguel's number stunned Nicole, as she only remembered having four siblings. Her older brother Mikey, who is also her mother's child, and two more half-siblings. However, Miguel informed her he had two other children he never told her about because "she's so particular."

Nicole doesn't speak about any of her siblings outside of Mikey. In the scene with her dad, the show bleeped her siblings' names for protection, so we don't know much about them.

Although she didn't understand it, Nicole seemingly tried to support her father's decisions about having another baby. However, she admittedly wasn't supportive of his much-younger girlfriend, Isis, at least not at first.

Nicole discussed his dad's girlfriend on RHOM before, calling her a "hoochie mama" in front of her mother. She was also critical of Isis and her dad's age difference, as Isis is 20 years old and Miguel was, well, not. Still, in Season 6, Nicole tried to make things right with Isis by agreeing to meet her at dinner. However, Miguel said his girlfriend couldn't come due to her having sciatica, which Nicole didn't believe.

It's unclear if Miguel and Isis were together before his death.

Catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of Miami on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.