Getting to a better place. Months after filing for divorce, former Real Housewives of Orange County star Dr. Jen Armstrong is working on her coparenting relationship with estranged husband Ryne Holliday.
The former reality star, 42, said that their relationship has been challenging, but they are “trying to be great parents together and learning to be friendly to one another” during an exclusive interview on Us Weekly’s “Getting Real with the Housewives” podcast.
In May, Jen filed for divorce after eight years of marriage and she requested legal and physical custody of their children — 10-year-old twins Vince and Vera and 9-year-old son Robert — whom she said are doing “great” post-split.
“I think there’s a lot of past stuff that we need to not be so resentful toward one another for,” Jen told Us Wednesday, October 26. “And forgive each other and become friends and just start there because we have children together and that is the most important thing.”
The plastic surgeon originally filed for legal separation after they briefly called it quits after wrapping season 16 of RHOC.
“I needed support and I didn’t have it and you just reach a point, I don’t wanna cry, but like, you tell me how many times are you not gonna have support?” Jen explained to Us. “How many times? It was enough for me.”
Shortly after news of her split broke, it was also announced that she would not be returning for season 17 of the Bravo series. However, she has no regrets about putting her personal life on camera and feels the outcome of her marriage would have been the same had she not done the show.
“I don’t know exactly what’s happening with Ryne, like a week to week, month to month, day to day thing, don’t know,” Jen told Us.“But I don’t feel like the show caused anything, it magnifies what’s already going on. It just puts you in a more intense situation. So no, I wouldn’t blame the show for that.”
While the cosmetic dermatologist is grateful for her experience on the show, she did wish she got another chance to share her story on the Bravo series since she alleges she was “heavily edited” during season 16.
“I don’t regret doing the show, but I wish I had a better support system throughout the show,” she explained to Us. “I feel like the first year you don’t really know what you’re getting into and so if you get a second season, you get your legs and you kind of know how it works, this is what I need, going into the next one. I feel like the next one would be way better just because you’ve experienced, you’ve got like the rookie season done. So, that would be nice and it would be great to have that opportunity.”