Liz McGraw has never been happier since quitting “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”
Alicia Carmody, McGraw’s longtime friend and “RHORI” co-star, exclusively spoke to Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” about the Cannabis Queen’s surprising exit from the show after only one season.
“I’m so happy for her, and I hear she’s thriving,” Carmody, 41, told us while promoting her partnership with Ziploc’s Lunch Confessions campaign. “It is a lot to put your family [out there], and I’m sure she did get hurt with the internet [backlash].”
Carmody echoed executive producer Andy Cohen’s sentiments that the “doors are open” should McGraw, 56, want to return in the future.
In the meantime, Carmody — who is in the midst of filming “RHORI” Season 2 — said she’s giving McGraw her “space.”
“I love her from afar. I always will love Liz,” she said.
“We started this [show] together,” she added. “I definitely miss her for certain things, but she had to do what she had to do.”
McGraw announced her exit from “RHORI” last month. She said she was taking “a step back” from the show to focus on her “family,” her “work” and her “passions.”
“The ‘RHORI’ cast is an amazing group of women who have created something special,” she wrote via Instagramat the time. “I’ll be watching next season, rooting for the continued success of this franchise.”
While McGraw didn’t specify exactly why she decided to leave the show, “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Tamra Judge told Page Six that she was “really struggling with the hate on social media.”
Part of that backlash came from McGraw’s clash with Carmody during the debut season of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”
As fans saw on the show, McGraw repeatedly challenged Carmody’s claim that she was homeless as a child. Carmody alleged that she and her mother were homeless after her father left them. Meanwhile, McGraw insisted that, because Carmody was able to move into her grandmother’s house, she was never actually without a home.
While McGraw has known Carmody since she was born, the latter told us that they were not as close as the show made it seem.
“No, I wouldn’t go that far,” Carmody said, when we suggested they were “like sisters.”
According to Carmody, she actually grew up “best friends” with McGraw’s niece since McGraw’s sister and Carmody’s mom were extremely close.
“I feel like that wasn’t talked about enough,” Carmody said.
“Me and Liz weren’t besties but we have [had] a connection since I was born, a little girl. I looked up to her.”
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Season 1 is currently streaming on Peacock.
The post Alicia Carmody says Liz McGraw is ‘thriving’ after quitting ‘RHORI’: ‘I definitely miss her’ appeared first on Page Six.
