Katie Ginella‘s husband, Matt Ginella, detailed a “911” text and phone call he got from Slade Smiley during a podcast appearance last week.
As he looked back on the fallout involving Katie’s claims about what Gretchen Rossi, 46, had or hadn’t told her about the moments that followed her “naked wasted” ordeal with Tamra Judge, 57, Matt recalled the moment he was contacted by Slade, 51, amid the Real Housewives of Orange County cast’s girls’ trip to New Orleans.
“I get a 911 text from Slade. It gives me chills saying this right now. I was like, ‘What has happened to my wife?’” Matt shared on the August 29 episode of Don’t Let It Stu.Although he was initially worried that something had happened to his spouse, Matt learned after calling his co-star that Slade’s concern was in regard to a dinner date he and Katie, 41, had with Slade, Gretchen, Jennifer Pedranti, 48, and Ryan Boyajian, 49, months prior. “These are his exact words: ‘Katie might have just sealed her own fate … She told Kiki Monique what we told you guys the night of Maestro’s, and now it’s getting back out to the group. This is really bad. You need to call Katie, and you essentially need to have her hold the line and say it wasn’t said,’” Matt shared.According to Matt, Slade informed him that he was on the other line with executive producer Alex Baskin, claiming he was “pissed” about the suggestion that Gretchen had allegedly said she was roofied and hospitalized.
“[Slade] was in like, full backpedal, and I’m like, again, this guy started [RHOC]. I don’t know what his connections … I don’t know what his relationships are with top production or whatever. I don’t know if he’s on with Alex Baskin. I just know that I know Alex Baskin is important. He’s powerful, and apparently, he’s pissed,” Matt continued.But after calling Katie and asking her if she’d spoken to Kiki, Katie denied it.
Matt also recounted what had gone down at Maestro’s during their group dinner, alleging that Slade was there only to make sure that he and Katie would join him in being “anti-Tamra.”“This story was told to us. We didn’t ask for it. We’re sitting there going, ‘Wow, that’s crazy. That’s some crazy sh*t,’” he revealed.As for why Jenn has denied Katie’s claims about what Gretchen said that night about the “naked wasted” incident, Matt accused her and Ryan of “covering and pretending” on Gretchen and Slade’s behalf because they “hate Tamra so much.”
Matt then described how the story evolved as it was passed on.“A credible journalist gets told this story by Katie, apparently. Kiki said multiple times that it’s off the record, and I love hearing that now, she’s saying that she had an off-the-record conversation with Dave Quinn, who I guess took it to Tamra,” he stated. “The panic button was hit, and Slade was like, ‘Oh sh*t, that whole little embellishment I was doing for whatever reason…’”Moving on to the other women, Matt pointed out that Jenn and Katie “were real friends.” “This was a true friendship. Katie rode for Jenn, supported Jenn, believed Jenn, backed Jenn to the other women. She did everything that I think she thought Jenn would do for her, and Jenn didn’t,” he said.As for Emily Simpson, 49, Matt poked fun at her legal career.“For this mall cop of a lawyer to hire a lie detector when she knows it’s not admissible in court, the whole scene turns on a dime. It’s all a light, happy, ‘Oh, that’s not true.’ ‘Okay, that’s fine.’ But here comes Katie. Goes last. Misses all of them. ‘No one believes you.’ ‘You’re a horrible person,’” he recalled. “This has been a nonstop, relentless projection and assault and bullying of grown women to a grown woman. [Shannon Beador]’s storyline? Katie. Jenn’s storyline? Katie. Gretchen’s storyline? Katie. [Gina Kirschenheiter] and Emily’s storyline? Katie,” he concluded.