Gina Kirschenheiter admits she initially felt “bad” when Travis Mullen moved back in with her, as she realized just how much the physical separation affected their respective kids.
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The Real Housewives of Orange County mom addressed the topic in a recent interview with The Daily Dish, explaining how her three children — Sienna, Nicholas, and Luca — have adapted to blended family life. As many Bravo fans know, Travis and his kids — Presley, Bennett, and Joseph — moved in with Gina’s family in 2020, just six months after he and the OC Housewife began dating.
Although the couple appeared to be thriving under one roof, Gina became increasingly concerned about their living situation — citing a lack of space as well as issues stemming from Travis’ previous relationship. She ultimately asked Travis to move out in RHOC Season 18; however, it wasn’t too long before they reunited in a new and much bigger house.
Gina Kirschenheiter says her & Travis Mullen’s kids are like siblings
“Honestly, I could cry because my children are so happy,” Gina said about her family’s living situation. “And that, you know, then you feel so bad for the year that you took off. But seeing how much the kids missed each other — like, our children truly love each other. They truly regard each other as brothers and sisters, and we truly are a family. So being back under one roof and really showing the kids that we deserve to be a family, we’re a strong family, and it’s gonna be OK, I think was very important for all of us.”
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Gina said living apart from Travis also strengthened her commitment to him, which is why she doesn’t necessarily “regret” the decision. Gina acknowledged that she and Travis had to face different challenges that were simply out of her control, and living separately wouldn’t change that.
“That was part of my learning lesson, right? I thought I could control that, alleviate that, desensitize myself from that, by being in a separate home. And I can’t,” she explained. “If I want to be all in on this relationship, then I need to be all in on all of it… I don’t regret it, but it’s also not fair to Travis either… We’re both very committed to dealing with it. And we accept it. And I think that I needed to be able to fully accept it and I do now.”
How Gina Kirschenheiter & Travis Mullen balance their work and home lives
Gina and Travis’ relationship isn’t strictly romantic. The longtime couple also works together at the Gated Group, the real estate team they launched in 2024. Gina confessed it wasn’t always easy balancing work and home life, but she and Travis have learned how to handle proverbial bumps in the road.
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“I mean we definitely drop some of the balls,” she said. “The fortunate thing about life that I have really figured out by now is we all bounce. You know, so if something falls down, you just bounce back up. And we’re good partners. We’re a good team.”
She continued: “I think this year was really cool for me because… I’ve always seen Travis as such a goof, fair, strong life partner, but also starting a business with him was a whole other kind of partnership, and I get to share my life with him in a different way. And, you know, we’re still together. We’re still living together, [and] that’s great.”
Get more details on Gina and Travis’ relationship, including the latter’s response to circulating engagement rumors.
— Additional reporting by Stephanie Gomulka
