Highlights
- Real Housewives like NeNe Leakes and Teresa Giudice earned big salaries for their drama-filled moments and storylines on TV.
- Stars like Eileen Davidson and Melissa Gorga also pocketed hefty sums for their roles, adding depth and authenticity to the franchise.
- Denise Richards, Phaedra Parks, and Porsha Williams navigated complex personal dramas on RHOA, contributing to the show's success.
There is no doubt that all the women who have graced Bravo’s hotshot Real Housewives franchise over the years are reality TV icons in their own right. These stars understand the essence of quality storylines, authentic displays of their personalities, and unfiltered truths, and these largely contribute to their fame. While they garner influence on TV, some leave every season pocketing large salaries.
The Real Housewives franchise has produced some of the most talked-about moments in reality TV history thanks to stars like NeNe Leakes, Teresa Giudice, Denise Richards, and Kandi Burruss. In return, some of these women became the highest-earning Real Housewives stars. This article will look into which real housewives make the most money, their successes, and career highlights.
10 What Was Eileen Davidson's Salary On The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills?
Net Worth: $3 Million
Eileen Davidson joined the Real Housewives franchise as a main housewife on the most successful housewives show, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," for three seasons. Davidson was on the show from season five to seven, giving fans some of the most memorable reality TV moments. Before her exit from the series, the “Days of Our Lives” star earned $750,000 per season.
From leaving Lisa Vanderpump’s magazine cover celebration without notice to getting wine hauled in her face, Eileen Davidson had her fair share of diva moments. She later returned to the show in seasons eight and ten as a friend.
Some of Aileen Davidson's highlights on RHOBH per ScreenRant:
- Eileen Davidson's dramatic argument with Kim Richards in Amsterdam
- When Eileen left Lisa Vanderpuml's party abruptly without informing her.
9 What Is Melissa Gorga's Salary On The Real Housewives Of New Jersey?
Net Worth: $3 Million
Melissa Gorga’s journey on the Real Housewives of New Jersey started in season 2 when she joined as a friend. According to Stylecaster, the reality star rose through the ranks, and by 2022, she earned $750,000 per season. Gorga had family ties from the start, as her dynamics with fellow star Teresa Giudice played out. Having her husband, Joe Gorga, on the Bravo franchise also added depth to her storylines.
The RHONJ star graduated from New Jersey City University with a degree in elementary education and wanted to be a teacher. According to Bustle, Melissa Gorga did not eventually follow this path after her husband, Joe Gorga, said he wanted a traditional wife.
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Melissa Gorga Highlights on RHONJ according to Reality Tea
- Melissa Gorga's stripper-gate feud with Teresa Giudice
- When Melissa Gorga begged Teresa Giudice to stop hurting her family
8 What Is Denise Richards' Salary On The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills?
Net Worth: $4 Million
The Hollywood star became a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member in 2010, having joined the show in its ninth season. Richards struck a good deal with Bravo with a $1 million salary from the start. She owed the high pay to her star power acquired from her acting career years before reality TV.
However, Denise Richards, who often faced fans' criticism for her parenting style, was on the show for only two seasons as she was unwilling to return due to many rocky moments on the show. Some of Richards’ most dramatic moments involved conversations about her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, and her next spouse, Aaron Phypers.
Denise Richards' career before RHOBH:
- Denise Richards was a teen model
- Denise Richards' acting credits include "Two and a Half Men," "Starship Troopers," "Spin City," and "The World is Not Enough," among others.
7 What Was Bethenny Frankel's Salary On The Real Housewives Of New York?
Net Worth: $80 Million
One of the OG housewives of the Bravo Franchise, Bethenny Frankel, built her reality TV resume right from the premiere of Real Housewives of New York in 2008. According to Reality Blurb, Frankel started with a $7,250 salary from season 1, and as the show progressed, she moved up the salary ladder. By 2018, Frankel was making $1 million dollars per season. Frankel also doubles as the most successful housewife with her achievements as a bestselling author and her lifestyle brand SkinnyGirl, among others.
Leading up to her exit from the show, Bethenny Frankel was entangled in a major drama with Andy Cohen. She has accused him of being toxic while pulling the strings of the show. Although Frankel and Cohen talked about their feud on Watch What Happens Live, the issue escalated with the TV star accusing Bravo of the poor treatment of cast members.
Bethenny Frankel's iconic moments on RHONY:
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- When Bethenny Frankel shared her opinion on the other housewives' fashion choices
- When Frankel coined her catchphrase, "Get off my jock!"
6 What Is Teresa Giudice's Salary On The Real Housewives Of New Jersey?
Net Worth: $500,000
Teresa Giudice’s long run on the Real Housewives of New Jersey featured several unfiltered moments of her friendship and family issues. According to Radar Online, the TV star makes an estimate of $62,000 per episode. Distractify also reported that the mom of four makes over $1 million after every season with an abundance of drama, like leaking storylines. Over the years, Giudice’s storylines have included facing her legal woes and family strife with her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, and other issues.
The original RHONJ cast member proved to be quite a valuable part of the show with the birth of her daughters, deportation drama, and jail time. Teresa Giudice gained so much fame on the Bravo show that she was given a wedding special when she married her second husband, Luis Ruelas, in 2022.
Some of Teresa Giudice's memorable moments on RHONJ per Reality Tea:
- Teresa Giudice's table flip in RHONJ season one Finale
- When Teresa Giudice pushed Andy Cohen in the season 2 reunion of the Real Housewives of New Jersey
5 What Was Phaedra Parks' Salary On The Real Housewives Of Atlanta?
Net Worth: $6 Million
Before her highly controversial exit from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Phaedra Parks was one of the highest-earning housewives, pocketing $1.3 million per season. Parks joined the show in its third season but quickly became a fan favorite, thanks to her memorable reads and complicated friendship with fellow stars.
Phaedra Parks also had her fair share of family drama playing out in the show. The star lived quite an ironical life as a lawyer who married Apollo Nida, who would later be convicted on fraud charges. While she navigated this complex aspect of her family life, she raked in views. Ultimately, Parks was fired from RHOA due to a damaging rumor she spread about Kandi Burruss and her husband.
Phaedra Parks' memorable moments on RHOA per RadarOnline:
- When Phaedra Parks snitched on Apollo Nida amid his legal woes.
- When Parks spread a sexual abuse rumor about Kandi Burruss and her husband.
4 What Is Porsha Williams' Salary On The Real Housewives Of Atlanta?
Net Worth: $1.5 Million
Porsha Williams’ presence on RHOA started in season five and through the years, she became one of the most important recurring stars. Per Radar Online, Williams made $1.3 million by the twelfth season. The reality star left the show in 2021 after starting a new life with her third husband, Simon Guobadia, who later engaged her in a bitter and dramatic separation.
Why did Porsha Williams leave RHOA? Although she stopped being a cast member around the time she married Simon Guobadia, Williams revealed to People that she did some self-reflection and decided to leave. The star explained:
"I had already decided that it was time for me to step away at least six months before I told any of the executives… I was turning 40, I was hitting my 10-year mark on the show, and I really just had to reassess where I was and what I wanted totally out of my life.”
3 What Was Cynthia Bailey's Salary On The Real Housewives Of Atlanta?
Net Worth: $2.5 Million
Cynthia Bailey joined RHOA in season three as a refreshing change from the numerous personality clashes with other housewives. Bailey did not come off as the diva type, but she held her own during some iconic moments on the show. By her final season in 2016, she earned $1.8 million.
The reality star formed friendships with stars like NeNe Leakes and Kenya Moore, and there was no shortage of strife there. A large percentage of her screen time saw her ironing out several issues with Leakes because their rapport was quite tumultuous. Cynthia Bailey's rocky marriage with Peter Thomas was one of her unfiltered life dramas that played out on the show. Her marriage to Mike Hill was also briefly displayed before she made her exit.
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Cynthia Bailey Moments on RHOA:
- Cynthia Bailey's friendship contract with NeNe Leakes.
- Cynthia Bailey's physical squabble with Porsha Williams in season eight.
2 What Is Kandi Burruss' Salary On The Real Housewives Of Atlanta?
Net Worth: $30 Million
This multi-talented entertainer made a name for herself as a Grammy-winning songwriter and Xscape singer when she signed on to RHOA in season two. According to the List, Kandi Burruss, who became one of the OG cast members, earns $2.3 million per season.
Kandi Burruss led fans into her world of entrepreneurship, her marriage to Todd Tucker, and managing a blended family. Burruss often leaned on the calm side of being on TV but proved to be quite the firebrand when the drama came calling.
Kandi Burruss' moments on RHOA per Reality Tidbits.
- Kandi Burruss clapped back at NeNe Leakes during the RHOA season six reunion.
- When Kandi Burruss got physical during Leakes' Pillow Talk slumber party.
1 What Was NeNe Leakes' Salary On The Real Housewives Of Atlanta?
Net Worth: $14 million
NeNe Leakes is a reality TV icon who became one of the most popular housewives ever by the time she reached her peak on RHOA. Leakes kicked off the show as one of the original cast members and was earning $2.8 million before calling it quits at the end of season 12. Leakes had some of the most memorable highlights on RHOA with her comebacks, reads, friendships, marriage to the late Gregg Leakes and motherhood.
