The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star Liz McGraw confirmed her plans to leave the Bravo show after one season.
“I’m full of gratitude for the amazing opportunity to appear on this show,” Liz, 56, captioned an Instagram announcement on Wednesday, July 1. “As filming for Season 2 begins, I have made the decision to take a step back and focus on my family, my work and my passions.”
She continued, “The RHORI cast is an amazing group of women who have created something special.”
Liz told followers that despite stepping away from the show, she’ll still be watching and “rooting for the continued success” of her friends.
“For now, I look forward to enjoying this little corner of the world from the other side of the camera,” she concluded.
Andy Cohen quickly shared his reaction in the comments section, hinting that there’s an opportunity for her to return.
“The door is always open,” he wrote. “Just sayin’!”
Liz made her Bravo debut in April as part of the original RHORI cast. She was joined by Rulla Pontarelli, Jo-Ellen Tiberi, Rosie DiMare, Kelsey Swanson, Alicia Carmody and Ashley Iaconetti.
As the bombshell season 1 reunion concluded on Sunday, June 28, Instagram gossip account Bravo & Cocktails shared that Liz would not return to the show. (Ashley, 38, confirmed in May that she had started production on RHORI season 2.)
Liz’s departure comes after she made headlines for her close-knit friendship with The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania, who appeared on RHORI in a “friend-of” role.
Liz said during the RHORI premiere in April that she and Dolores, 55, met “at a cannabis convention” and became fast friends. Liz told Us Weekly exclusively ahead of the first episode that she and Dolores speak “every day in regular life,” so it wasn’t a stretch to “hang out” when cameras were rolling.
Dolores, meanwhile, told Us what advice she shared with Liz before filming began.
“I always said, ‘Just be yourself,’” Dolores said. “[She] and I spoke very little about the show. Of course, she didn’t know what to expect, and you can’t really prepare somebody for that. You can’t plan life. You can’t plan scenes and things like that.”
Liz became a fan favorite among viewers when RHORI aired, something Dolores easily predicted.
“She’s very transparent. She’s very about telling the truth. She can’t stand a liar,” Dolores gushed. “If she has questions, we’ll bounce things off of each other, but it was very rarely about the show.”
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island season 1 is now streaming on Peacock.
