Why Did Yolanda Hadid Leave ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’? Inside Her Exit

Yolanda Hadid may still be in the spotlight, though many people got their first introductions to her during her time on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In light of the premiere of season 14, fans may be wondering why Yolanda left the reality show.

Why Did Yolanda Hadid Leave ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’?

The model made her RHOBH debut during season 3, and she remained on the show until the end of season 6 in 2016. One month after the season finale, Yolanda announced her decision to leave RHOBH in June 2016.

“I would have loved a more graceful exit then ‘Season 6’ but sometimes we don’t get to control the ending of the chapters in our life,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “I am leaving what’s over without denying its past importance in my life. I believe that every exit is a new entry and with that in mind I say goodbye to my @Bravotv Family as I continue to focus on my recovery, my children and bring back the privacy within our Home.”

After she thanked the show’s “fans for your love and unwavering support these past four years,” Yolanda said that she was “grateful for the housewife experience and all it has taught me.”

“I’m excited about this CHOICE and look forward to the next chapter of my life,” she concluded.

The decision to leave RHOBH came amid her struggles with Lyme disease, as well as her split from ex-husband David Foster in 2015 after four years of marriage.

Yolanda Hadid Believes ‘RHOBH’ ‘Wasn’t a Good Experience’ for Her

Nearly six years after her exit from the show, Yolanda opened up about the experience on the Bravo series during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in October 2022.

“The first season I went on, I was diagnosed with neurological Lyme disease, and I struggled every day of the season,” she said at the time. “I kind of stayed on because I thought, ‘OK, I’ll be better next season.’ I didn’t know Lyme disease was a life sentence. And now, here we are 10, 12 years, later I’m still struggling with it.”

The mother of three continued, “I always thought, ‘Next season I’m gonna do better. Next season, I can fully understand.’ So I was never [working] with a full set of brains on the show.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Lyme disease is an illness caused by borrelia bacteria. Humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria.”

Yolanda recalled having many arguments with her costars, and said it was “very hurtful” that some people questioned if she really had Lyme disease.

“Not just hurtful to me, but hurtful to my children and my family who loves me,” she said. “And they knew I was fighting for my life. So, from that perspective, it wasn’t a good experience for me. And, you know, that was the taste I was left with.”

Yolanda Hadid Won’t Return to ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’

Despite being a beloved star on the show, Yolanda has said that she has no plans to return to the show. “It was an experience you take on, but at this point in my life, I couldn’t,” she previously said. “I’m too sensitive. I couldn’t deal with that back and forth between women. It’s not my communication style or something that’s good for my life.”