Annemarie Wiley will not be returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for a second season, a decision she says was not hers.
The 41-year-old nurse anesthesiologist — who shares four kids with former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley — revealed the news of her exit on Instagram on Thursday, in a lengthy statement ahead of the show’s 14th season.
“I just got word today that I will not be returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” she wrote. “To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement.”
PEOPLE first reported news of Annemarie’s casting in March 2023. At the time, the Bravo show was midway through shooting the franchise’s 13th season, and brought Annemarie into the fold through longtime castmate Kyle Richards.
“I never auditioned for this show. The show found me and asked me to be on it out of the blue, 6 weeks after the cast had already started filming,” said Annemarie Riley, who is also a competitive athlete in track and basketball. “I was thrown into filming 2 weeks later, mid-season.”
Though Annemarie’s debut in the season’s sixth episode earned her praise with fans, they quickly soured to her as she got into a seemingly never-ending debate with Sutton Stracke about the size of the Sutton store owner’s esophagus. It was a topic of conversation, Annemarie claimed Thursday, that producers told her to do.
“I was very excited about the opportunity, and I thought following exactly what I was instructed to do throughout filming last season was the way the ‘game was played,’ she explained. “Listening to what I was instructed to do was my rookie mistake. … Contrary to what was shown on TV, I am not obsessed with the esophagus! LOL.”
Annemarie went on to say that she was displeased “fans never got to see the real me or even a glimpse of my unique life story,” and that many things about her were “taped but never shown last season.”
“What I am is a woman — a proud Black woman — who is truly blessed with a wonderful strong Black man as my husband, who lifts me and our four wonderful children up with so much love and positivity on the daily,” she wrote. “It was an important mission of mine for the next season to show a solid Black family unit and that ‘true Black love’ exists, even in Beverly Hills.”
The reality star also explained that she was hoping to explore “my struggle with losing my mother to lung cancer within weeks of taping, and my struggle with adoption trauma and what was going to be, and still will be, a new life journey for me to find my biological parents.”
Her note ended in a message of gratitude for those who did stand by her, and of luck to her fellow Beverly Hills Housewives.
“To the fans that saw past what was portrayed and saw the REAL me, thank you so much for the love and support,” she said. “I wish all the ladies good luck on the next season and thank you Bravo for the opportunity.”
And though unhappy with the way her story was told, Annemarie said she’s learned from the experience. “As an athlete, challenges only make you stronger and more determined to prosper!” she said. “I’m excited for the new opportunities ahead that celebrate positivity, truth, authenticity, and the values I truly align with.”
“Until we meet again!” she said.