Come Again? Lisa Rinna Talks Departure From 'RHOBH' — "We Were Getting Death Threats"

Whether you love to hate her or hate to love her, Lisa Rinna has made her presence known since the day she set foot on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She has constantly brought the storylines and made all of us laugh, and at times it felt like she was carrying Bravo on her back. (If you can't tell, we here at Distractify are Rinna STANS.)

However, Season 12 was hard for Lisa with the drama involving Kathy Hilton coming to a head.

Social media users had been gunning for her to be fired all season long, and she even got booed when she walked onstage at BravoCon (although she did give the audience her middle finger, which is truly icon behavior).

Once Season 12 wrapped, viewers questioned whether or not Lisa would be returning to RHOBH. On Jan. 5, 2023, Lisa herself revealed that she wouldn't be a part of the Season 13 cast, and months later, she revealed what the last straw was.

So, why did Lisa Rinna leave RHOBH? And did Bravo fire her?

In a May 25, 2023, interview with ES magazine, Lisa spilled the beans on her departure from the Bravo franchise. Unfortunately, it appears that Lisa's portrayal on the show — and fan commentary and interactions — ultimately caused her to make the tough decision.

"I think the world itself has gotten so volatile that the response doesn’t match what we’re doing," Lisa told the outlet. "I didn’t want to live like that. I don’t think that’s healthy. The way the fan base reacts to the show now is not how it was when I first started. We were getting death threats."

She continued: "Some of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen in print in my life, and it’s a reality show! It’s a stupid show! I thought: 'It’s time to go.' I’m not sure how much longer that can exist in the zeitgeist, to be honest with you."

Lisa shared that after going through all the ups and downs with being on the series, she knew "it was time."

"Who wants to leave a job?" Lisa asked. "Eight years of that kind of show… What more could I have done, besides generate more memes?"

Not to mention, Lisa's decision was made after she received a sign from her late mother, Lois. In case you're out of the loop, Lois (who made multiple appearances on the show) passed away in November 2021 at the age of 93 after suffering from a stroke.

Lisa said that she had a vision of Lois, who encouraged her to part ways with the franchise.

"I was sleeping and I heard her say to me: 'It’s time for you to go,'" Lisa told the outlet.

Lisa consulted with a psychic who confirmed the message.

"I told a psychic and she said, 'Oh yeah, she’s come to me and told me that. She wants you to be happy and follow your dream, but she says it’s time for you to go,'” Lisa recalled. "I’ve never told anybody that, except for the psychic. I’m guided by my mom, for sure."

From there, Lisa went on to announce her departure from the show.

Unfortunately, rumors about Lisa and other cast members being fired were in full motion ahead of the RHOBH Season 12 finale. However, Kathy Hilton, who has a "friend" role, teased at 2022 BravoCon that she would definitely not return with the same cast.

Interestingly, it appears that if Lisa didn't decide to ultimately leave the franchise, the chances of her returning to the show could have gone either way. After all, Lisa's contract with Bravo was up after Season 12.

"After weighing her options and business obligations, she and Bravo mutually decided that she would not return to RHOBH," People reported in January 2023.

Now that we have all the tea about Lisa's departure, this officially concludes her reign. You may be a lot of things, Lisa, but at least you owned it every step of the way!

Here's to you having more time to name your wigs, spend with your beautiful daughters, and dance around your house while Harry Hamlin ignores you.