The Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Gina Kirschenheiter is ready to take fiancé Travis Mullen’s hand in marriage — but not his last name.
How to Watch
The Real Housewives of Orange County premieres Thursday, July 9 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. Episodes stream next day on Peacock.
During the RHOC Season 20 premiere (streaming on Peacock beginning July 10), Gina revealed to her mom, Susan, that a conflict sparked between her and Travis over her reluctance to part with the name she adopted after marrying her ex-husband, Matt Kirschenheiter, in 2010.
“When Matt and I split up, I intentionally kept Kirschenheiter because I wanted to have the same last name as my children,” she explained. “Travis’ side of it is it’s kind of weird for him for me to be married to him and have another man’s last name.”
When her mom said that she didn’t think Travis would have that type of “old-school thinking,” Gina replied, “I wouldn’t have thought that either, but Trav brought it up, which is weird. But that’s what I’m saying, because, like, very little bothers him. … Also, I don’t want to do anything that would hurt Travis’ feelings or feel disrespectful to him, especially just entering into a marriage together.”
RELATED: Gina Kirschenheiter Admits Doubts About Travis in RHOC Season 20 Trailer: “Can I Do This Forever?”
She elaborated in a confessional, “I was married and then I got divorced and then I was on my own and then I was with Travis. But the one constant through all of that was my kids. I feel badly, but I am a unit with my biological children. And I don’t know how to not feel that way.”
Susan then suggested that Gina could perhaps just hyphenate her last name. She reminded her that Kirschenheiter alone already has 14 letters, however, and could create a potential “customer service nightmare” in the future. “I would be on the phone for the rest of my life,” Gina joked. “Kirschenheiter-Mullen? What?”
Gina Kirschenheiter shares an update on her relationship with Travis Mullen
Elsewhere in RHOC‘s July 9 episode, Gina announced that she and Travis got engaged before filming began, and even after roughly seven years of dating, his proposal still came as a total surprise.
“We took the kids to Big Bear on a pretty-last-minute ski trip,” she recalled. “I had eaten my way through the holidays, so my pants were extra tight. I had two broken nails. Of course, this is the time this motherf–ker decides to propose to me.”
RELATED: Gina Shares an Update on Her Career With Travis As They Plan to Get Married (EXCLUSIVE)
Gina continued, “We have so much going on as a family that I did not know if we’d ever get engaged, honestly. Travis does have full custody of his children right now, but they’re still actively in court. You know, you kinda just gotta say, alright, well, do I want it to continue to hold up my life? No, I don’t.”
As for their professional real estate partnership through The Gated Group, Gina said “business has been booming” for them, too. “Every year that we’re in business, we double our business,” she shared in a confessional. “I just feel like I’m really entering a time in my life where everything is good. And I was like, s–t, I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
What to expect from Gina Kirschenheiter on RHOC Season 20
Despite how well things are going for Gina, viewers can expect more bumps on her and Travis’ journey to the altar. In the RHOC Season 20 trailer, for example, she admitted that she still had fears for their future. “There’s a part of me that is like, ‘Can I do this forever?'” she told a producer in one clip.
As her official bio further teased, “Gina Kirschenheiter is in pre-marital bliss after getting engaged to longtime boyfriend Travis, but her new relationship status raises several concerns for Gina to contemplate before she can walk down the aisle. Her friendship with Emily [Simpson] has never been stronger, but when Carmella [Garcia] tries to connect with her bestie, Gina looks for any hidden agendas. With a leveled-up career and image, the ladies take note of her glamorous new lifestyle and question her financial decision making.”
Now that RHOC‘s milestone 20th season is officially underway, don’t miss an update on Gina and Travis’ wedding planning.
