Gina Kirschenheiter may be in hot water with the court. The Real Housewives of Orange County star’s lawyer was reprimanded by the judge after she skipped her restraining order hearing against her estranged husband, Matthew Kirschenheiter, on Tuesday, July 16.
Us Weekly can confirm that the 35-year-old was a no-show at the hearing. According to her lawyer, Gina was under the impression that they agreed to continue the date on the protective order issue. The reality TV personality is currently in New York with the estranged couple’s three kids: Nicholas, 7, Sienna, 5, and Luca, 4. Matthew, for his part, was in the courtroom on Tuesday.
Gina was granted a temporary restraining order against Matthew last month after he was arrested on suspicions relating to domestic violence. (He was not officially charged with a crime.) The Bravo star is petitioning for the restraining order to be permanent after alleging that Matthew was abusive on multiple occasions during their nine-year marriage.
“You guys are representing what people are saying but those people aren’t here,” the judge told Gina and Matthew’s lawyers on Tuesday. “This is what I know. I know that the petitioner came in, requested a temporary restraining order based upon what she alleged. She met the proof, which is a very low bar, but she met the proof with respect to past acts of abuse, and a temporary restraining order was issued. Then counsel came in with their own stipulation to amend it and set forth some visitation, which is fine. So you’re back today, but the petitioner is not here. Why is she not here?”
Gina’s attorney, Tracey Lundquist, maintained that she “thought it would just be the attorneys this morning.”
“I will fall on that sword,” Lundquist told the judge.
By the end of the hearing, Gina’s temporary restraining order against Matthew was extended until their August 14 court date. Matthew, for his part, is allowed supervised visits with his two sons and daughter every other week until the next hearing. According to his lawyer, however, the financial planner would prefer to have unsupervised visits.
“There is nothing in her paperwork that indicates professional monitoring for the children is necessary,” lawyer Haylee Rosen told the judge. “My client has never been arrested, let alone convicted of anything. He has no DUIs. I think the mother doesn’t have a driver’s license anymore. He’s a great and devoted father to his children, whether it’s here in California or New York.”
Rosen was referring to Gina’s arrest for driving under the influence in January. The reality TV personality pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more on July 9.
Gina was subsequently sentenced to three years’ informal probation. She also has to submit to six months in an offender alcohol program and complete 20 hours of community service.
