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Monica Garcia is off “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” — for now.
After news emerged that the business owner would not be filming for Season 5 following her tumultuous debut on the hit Bravo show, showrunner Lori Gordon told Variety Tuesday that fans should “never say never” about her potential return in the future.
“Women just need a cooling off period, and I think it's too soon,” Gordon said, referring to the final season's drama.
“They've made that clear. It's too early for them to return to a friendship, a friendship based on trust. Not enough time has passed.”
Garcia, who was the first Latina to join the cast, left “RHOSLC” following the explosive season finale reveal that she was behind Reality Von Tease's Instagram account.
The account has targeted cast members — specifically Jin Shah, who is currently serving a prison sentence — for years.
Her cover was blown when Heather Jay confronted her at a dinner party with Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks and Whitney Rose in Bermuda, after which she demanded that Garcia leave the vacation.
Gordon, along with Andy Cohen and Lisa Shannon — senior vice president of programming and development at Shed Media — claimed to Variety that Bravo had no idea Garcia, 40, was behind the account, which a production source previously told Page Six.
They also asserted that if they had known, she would never have been selected.
While Cohen, 55, also believes Garcia won't stay off the camera forever, he agreed it's too soon to bring her back onto the scene.
“I think if Monica had come out and been able to convince one of the women to come back to her side, the conversation might be different now,” he said. “But she didn't do it.”
Meanwhile, Jay, 49, was thrilled to learn that the unapologetic villain in Season 4 will lose her hair when filming begins again in February.
“Hearing that this production and that Laurie Gordon particularly wants us to have a cooling-off period is really wise,” she told Variety.
“Monica has no contact with any of us at the moment. That's all I can say for now.”
“There is no chance that Monica will ever be welcomed back into my work, or near my family, or near my friends,” she added bluntly.
“We've all embraced her, brought her into our jobs, brought her into our homes, and made her hang out with our kids,” Jay continued.
“It was uncomfortable to know that she did that, and she never felt uncomfortable and never felt guilty for taking advantage of us in that way.
“I have done more for Monica than I have done for my friends in 10 years, and I am deeply sorry about that.”
“And I wish I could tell her: ‘You missed the women’s village here.’” She added: “A village of women who could have supported you and helped you get through all these experiences that you are going through.”
“But instead, you're not on all of us, you're not on this job, and you're on the legacy that is Housewives.”
Moreover, gay He said on “Watch What Happens Live” on Tuesday She is “looking forward” to filming with her real friends.
Jay, along with fellow snowflake bearers Angie Katsanivas, Barlow, Marks and Rose, are expected to return to the show for season five.
No matter how much Jay wants to cut Garcia out of her life for good, Noah Samton, senior vice president of production at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, previously told The Hollywood Reporter that there are key reasons why she would be a perfect fit for Bravo's cameras.
“She's a wonderful cast member. She's open and vulnerable and represents a different kind of person in Salt Lake than we do on the show,” Samton said.
“She comes from a different background, and there's a lot about her that the audience can relate to in a different way than other women.”
“But at the same time, there's the deception, and there's the relationship with the other cast members,” Samton added.
“It's a really complicated puzzle. From a classification standpoint, you might want to find a way for her to come back.
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