Gambling
RHOC’s Ryan Laughs at Being Called a ‘Money Launderer’ Weeks Before Alleged Involvement in Gambling Scheme
The Real Housewives of Orange County is ending season 18 with a bang.
The finale episode on Oct. 31 saw cameras pick back up three weeks after filming ended with Jenn Pedranti and Ryan Boyajian’s engagement party. The ladies came back together after news broke that Ryan was connected to an alleged gambling scheme. (He was never actually indicted and was granted full immunity in the case.)
“Ryan is being accused of laundering money through casinos in Vegas,” Emily Simpson can be heard saying as articles about the case popped up on the screen.
“What the f—? This is huge,” Tamra Judge said.
Cameras then cut to Jenn and Ryan at home discussing the news, where Jenn noted that “it feels like this is a lot to me.”
“I thought it was for you too,” she added, wondering why Ryan was so calm about the situation.
“Life throws things at you that you cannot control, and that’s why it’s called life,” he assured her. “I love you and I’m so sorry that we’re here.”
Jenn, however, was not letting it go that easily, tearfully declaring, “Everybody now wants to question me, and it’s gonna be a bloodbath for me.”
“I don’t give a s— [that] your friend group wants to come and sit with me and say, ‘What are your business dealings?’ Because I’m not a part of his bookie business,” Ryan maintained, referring to his friend Mathew Bowyer — who was at the engagement celebration weeks prior — now under indictment.
At the party, cameras caught Ryan joking with the men about rumors they were under investigation.
“This is my money launderer,” Bowyer said about Ryan, who laughed at the comment, later revealing to Terry Dubrow that he “might” go to jail because he doesn’t “rat on” his friends.
In a confessional, Tamra said, “Jenn is an idiot if she’s gonna marry this guy after finding this out.”
“Jenn’s irresponsible and makes dumb decisions, and she’s oblivious,” Emily then said. “She has to have some idea.”
Gina added: “It’s gotta be blinded by love. No one’s this dumb.”
“I believe everything is the Lord’s plan, and everything’s working for us,” Ryan went on to tell Jenn.
Meanwhile, Katie Ginella told Gina Kirschenheiter her husband stayed in the corner at the party because he didn’t want to interact with Bowyer since “at any time in the night, the feds could’ve come and raided” the event.
“If she stays with him, it will ruin her life,” Gina said.
The rest of the women met for lunch and reacted to the news, where Emily said “Ryan is dealing in something that is illegal,” although Ryan was never actually indicted.
“It’s around $16 million into his account and he didn’t know where that came from?” she continued.
“I knew that he was involved in something but I had no idea it was this bad,” Tamra told cameras after raising flags about the investigation earlier in the season.
“I would just say if she chooses to go ahead and get married to him, she’s a dumbass,” Emily continued.
Back at Katie’s house, Jenn arrived, sharing that everything has been “a lot” lately, and she “just left the house” when she saw the news. “I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t know what to think, I didn’t know what to feel,” she said.
When Gina told her, “I feel that you are in an unhealthy relationship,” Jenn didn’t understand why she thought that.
“What part of him is not good for me?” she questioned.
“Everything that’s happening right now,” Gina quickly responded.
Jenn proceeded to express how happy she is with Ryan, noting that in her previous marriage — which lasted 23 years — she “couldn’t have a conversation” with her even if she “begged for it.”
“Now I have a man who feels like my best friend,” she cried. “I feel like I tell him everything. I feel like he tells me everything.”
“You’re placing yourself in the line of fire,” Gina chimed in. “All your concern should be right now is for yourself and your kids.”
Katie added: “I want you to be happy and peaceful and not worry about all this bulls— going on around you, Jenn.”
“I just f—ed it all up,” Jenn sobbed.
As the episode came to an end, Gina told cameras, “I think it is incredibly hard for Jenn to come to terms with the fact that she blew up her life and left her husband and put her family through a lot for this man, who isn’t who he presented himself to be.”
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The Real Housewives of Orange County‘s season 18 reunion kicks off Thursday, Nov. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.