Years before Bling EmpireChristine Chiu was offered to be the bearer of the diamond at The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills!
PEOPLE caught up with the fashionista/entrepreneur, 41, at the Gold Gala on Saturday, May 11, which honored Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander excellence in entertainment, sports, business and more.
Chiu cleared up long-standing rumors that she was set to join the cast The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for season 5 (2014).
“I actually got a contract for it,” Chiu told PEOPLE exclusively. “At that time, someone on my father’s side passed away, and then my dog was on the brink of death, so emotionally I don’t think I was quite ready.”
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“And my husband’s family was very against reality TV, so I actually had to withdraw,” she added. “NBC Universal [the parent company of Bravo] he was very kind to let me do it.” Christine is married to Dr. Gabriel Chu and is the managing partner of his plastic surgery practice.
Bravo did not comment on the castings of previous seasons.
Christine Chiu in the Netflix reality series Bling Empire. Netflix
The final cast for season 5 ended with Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Brandi Glanville, Yolanda Hadid and newcomers Eileen Davidson and Lisa Rinna.
RHOBH wouldn’t have an Asian cast member until Crystal King Minkoff joined in Season 11. Kung — who is a friend of Chiu’s — announced her exit from the show last month after the Season 13 reunion.
With the departure of Kung Minkoff, there is only one AAPI woman in the entire Bravo franchise: The Real Housewives of New York Thanks Jessel.
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“I look at the statistics and the ratio and I feel like there really needs to be more representation of Asian Americans,” Chiu noted. “I think Crystal did a great job and I’m very sad that she’s no longer in the game. We were just in Japan together.”
When asked if Chiu — who ended up participating in the Netflix reality series Bling Empire — would ever join RHOBHshe replied, “I don’t know if I would ever go on. It takes a whole different set of balls.”
Chiu also gave an update on her son Gabriel, aka “Baby G,” who viewers have met Bling Empire.
“Baby G is almost 6 years old,” Chiu proudly said before sharing plans for his upcoming birthday. “We just joined Club 33 at Disneyland. So maybe we’re planning something there, but he’s obsessed with Pokémon. That’s why we went to Japan. Track down Pokémon. So, probably something Pokémon!”
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Source: HIS Education