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Real Housewives of Orange County season 18 introduced newcomer housewife Katie Ginella, a former golf reporter and friend of Gina Kirschenheiter’s who wedged herself into the group after her move to the area from San Diego. While fans got to know Katie throughout the season and saw her quickly land herself at the center of housewife drama, her husband, Matt Ginella, was a bit more elusive.
Who Is ‘RHOC’ Star Katie Ginella’s Husband, Matt Ginella?
Matt is a journalist who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Saint Mary’s College of California in 1995, according to his LinkedIn. He also graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in journalism in 2003.
Matt’s past roles include picture editor at Sports Illustrated, director of photography and senior travel editor at Golf Digest, travel insider at the Golf Channel and chief executive officer at Fire Pit Collective. He is currently an executive producer at Fire Pit Productions, a company that he also founded, according to his Instagram. In his Instagram bio, Matt describes himself as “the host of ‘Ginella’s Journeys,’ ‘BONFIRES,’ ‘In the Dirt,’ and ‘The Fire Pit Podcast.’”
How Did RHOC’s Katie Ginella and Matt Ginella Meet?
With both of their histories in the golf world, it’s no surprise that Katie and Matt first crossed paths on the circuit. She revealed on RHOC that she felt an instant connection with her fellow journalist.
“The first time Matt and I met, I was like, ‘Damn, he is so hot.’ Fell in love at first sight,” Katie said. “But then [he] told me he would meet me out for dinner with a big group of friends. Exhausted, I had worked 14 hours that day, I got ready, did my makeup, and he didn’t show up. I was like, ‘Screw this guy.'”
When asked by a producer what Matt’s excuse was for standing her up, Katie said he was “tired” because he “had to get up at 3 a.m. to do the morning show at [the] Golf Channel.”
Despite the rocky start to their romance, Katie said she gave Matt another chance, and they “just kept talking.”
“And I was going through [a] divorce, so he was really patient with me, and then he was like, ‘OK, I’ll wait. And he did,” she concluded.
When Did RHOC’s Katie Ginella and Matt Ginella Get Married?
Matt proposed to Katie with a light purple sapphire engagement ring while Katie was living in Orlando, Florida. At the time, she didn’t care what kind of bling Matt gave her, so they intended to get a simple engagement band together. However, she saw the purple bauble and thought it was perfect.
“Because I told him we’re getting engaged, I just wanted a band. The ring says nothing about a marriage in my mind,” Katie told The Daily Dish. “I tried on that [purple] one and I was like, ‘That’s gorgeous,’ and he got it right then.”
Matt and Katie tied the knot on October 15, 2016, at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. For their seventh wedding anniversary, the golf journalist gave his wife a ring “upgrade,” gifting her a gorgeous emerald-cut, solitaire diamond ring. Both the sapphire and the diamond can be spotted on Katie’s finger on RHOC.
Do RHOC’s Katie Ginella and Matt Ginella Have Kids?
Katie was secretly pregnant with her and Matt’s only child, Bandon, at their wedding. The couple announced the exciting news at the reception.
“I think at the time I was 11 weeks pregnant, and we announced at dinner after our wedding that we were having a baby,” she told The Daily Dish. “So that was definitely a giant secret. People were like, ‘Why aren’t you drinking?’ And I was like, ‘Oh just stressed, you know,’ but that was why.”
Katie and Matt welcomed Bandon in May 2017. In addition to their son, Katie has three other children — daughter Kaili and sons Gavin and Maxon — from her marriage to ex-husband Andrew Sundseth.
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