‘RHONJ’ Housewives ‘Get to Dodge a Bullet’ After Reunion Canceled, Kyle Richards Says (Exclusive)

Kyle Richards has thoughts on The Real Housewives of New Jersey not having a reunion this year.

“Gosh, it seems like an easy way out,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told PEOPLE exclusively at the Posse Pride Party in Hollywood last Thursday, June 7. “It seems like they get to dodge a bullet.”

Richards should know. As an original cast member on RHOBH, she’s had to attend 13 consecutive reunions, including an emotionally tense season 12 sitdown with her sister Kathy Hilton that left Richards in tears and wanting out of the season-ending toast.

Garcelle Beauvais, Richards’ RHOBH castmate, shared similar sentiments.

“That’s a part of the [show], right? So not to have it is a little shocking. But there’s gotta be a reason for it, whether it’s toxicity or something,” Beauvais said at the Pride event, which supported LGBTQ-advocacy group GLAAD and cast mate Erika Jayne’s new single “Dominos.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

When asked if she would want the option to skip a reunion, Beauvais, who has four seasons under her belt, replied, “I would always want to skip it [laughs]. But it’s the Super Bowl — it’s the Super Bowl of what we do.”

As PEOPLE exclusively reported, the RHONJ cast will not have a traditional reunion following the currently airing season 14, due to ongoing strife between the cast, which includes Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, Rachel Fuda, Jackie Goldschneider and Jenn Fessler.

The same rift led to RHONJ having split panels at BravoCon over the past two years.

“It’s too bad,” Giudice — also an original cast member on her franchise — said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Sunday, June 9. “Pretty much everything I had to say, everyone’s going to see it this season,” the reality TV star added.

“This will all make sense when you see the finale,” Cohen said on SiriusXM’s Reality Checked with Kiki Monique last week. “It is one of those classic Jersey finales that people will be talking about for a long time to come.”

Cohen, who serves as an executive producer on the franchise, further explained: “And when all of us producers saw the last cut of the finale, we all came to the decision separately — and then we talked — we all had the same thought that the finale is kind of the finale and the reunion all in one.”

“They have this final epic group encounter that feels like the last supper,” he continued. “And it’s just so Jersey and it’s shocking and dramatic and it’s amazing TV. I’m telling you when you see it, I think that you’ll feel complete. I really do. And there will be something that Bravo is cooking up in place of a reunion. and that is to be announced.”

Every season of every Real Housewives show has ended in some sort of reunion, even during the pandemic, except for season 13 of The Real Housewives of New York City, which was poorly rated and received and producers felt too much time had passed since filming. The entire RHONY cast was replaced the following season.

Season 14 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently airing on Bravo. Season 14 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills — starring Richards, Jayne, Beauvais, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke and newcomer Bozoma St. John — is currently in production.