‘RHOC’ Cast Member Gretchen Rossi Settles Defamation Case for $523K

Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi won over half a million dollars in a defamation case that started in 2010.

The 39-year-old Rossi sued Jay Photoglou in 2010 for allegedly lied about her cheating on her fiance with him. Rossi claimed he threatened her, stole personal property and posted nude photos of her online.

The jury awarded Rossi $523,250 in the case, reports The Blast. But Photoglou tried to have the judgement tossed in 2012, and field for bankruptcy.

Since then, the two have been fighting over the judgement in bankruptcy court. Rossi insisted that it couldn’t be changed because Photoglou got himself into bankruptcy because of “willful and malicious injury” he caused to another person.

The judge agreed with Rossi, and Photoglou will have to pay up.

“Gretchen is glad this case with Jay Photoglou is behind her,” Rossi’s representative told Page Six. “She is thankful the courts recognized the type of individual he is and provided justice. Even Photoglou’s attempt at filing [for] bankruptcy to avoid paying the $523,000 judgment Rossi has against him didn’t work.”

The statement continued, “The BK Courts have ruled in Rossi’s favor on all counts which included stalking and threats. She can now begin collecting on Photoglou whose debt to Rossi with interest is now above $800,000.”

Rossi appeared on RHOC in seasons four through eight, ending her run in 2013. Her boyfriend, Slade Smiley, proposed to her at the end of her run on the series and they are still together.

Rossi later returned as a guest star in season 12 and has continued her feud with Tamra Judge. As PEOPLE notes, back in August 2017, Judge took to Instagram to lash out at Rossi after she showed her support for Judge’s estranged daughter, Sidney Barney.

Rossi has her own handbag line, Gretchen Christie.

In a 2015 interview with OK! Magazine, Rossi said she was “very grateful” to be on the Bravo show, but left it because of the fake drama.

“That’s not the way I was on the show and that’s part of the reason I wanted to step away from the show,” Rossi told OK. “It’s meant to be a reality show and when it starts going to a new level where people are making up lies about your family and your business and it starts to affect you outside of the show, that draws the line for me.”

Photo credit: Instagram/ Gretchen Rossi