The inaugural season for a new Housewife tends to be dull. The newbie cast member tends to float in the background, get into one dispute all season that they attempt to milk for as long as possible, and then poof they're gone quicker than a lightning round of "Do You Regret It" on Watch What Happens Live. Noella and Dr. Jen on RHOC are not playing by those rules.
We know Noella's deal — whether we want to or not — so let's focus on Dr. Jen and her marriage to her husband Ryne. The two have seemed to have a contentious relationship, at best, since Jen joined the show this season. As an aesthetic medicine physician and surgeon, Jen is away from the family a lot, working, while Ryne (still can't believe that's not a typo) stays at home. He feels under-appreciated, while Jen feels unsupported. And what do couples do when they feel unfulfilled in their marriage? Sign up for a reality TV show!
It's the kiss of death for most couples, who think going on a reality show will solve their problems, but are Ryne and Jen doomed like other couples to come before them?
Jen's Update On WWHL
On Feb. 10, Jen appeared on Watch What Happens Live where Andy grilled her on her marriage to Ryne and where they stood today. For a rather unconvincing look into how her and Ryne have become stronger since the show started airing, check out the clip above. In the clip, Jen says that rewatching the show originally hurt and then helped her marriage to Ryne. (Although he doesn't watch the show, so I guess it just hurt her. Seems right.) She told Andy that the two never "had a great relationship" when it came to Ryne supporting her emotionally, so when certain conversations were had on camera, he stormed off.
As far as where they are now, Jen shared that she and Ryne are "pretty good," and in a "way better place." She thinks Ryne is genuinely proud of her and what she's accomplished in her career, but has a hard time not being recognized for his accomplishments at home as a SAHD.
The Two Did Split After Filming
In an interview with Us Weekly, Jen revealed that she and Ryne did actually split after the show finished filming. "We separated for a while and lived life without each other," she said on Feb. 9. She sites that time away from each other as an opportunity for them to have "more of an appreciation for who the other person was" which ended with them coming back together and putting "in the work" to stay together.
So at this moment in time, Jen and Ryne are still together — but they also seem very comfortable labeling themselves as a work in progress. Would you want to see Ryne and Jen's marriage play out for a second season, or have you had enough, Taylor Armstrong-style?
Images: Bravo