Real Housewife Gina Kirschenheiter Files Restraining Order Against Husband Matt After Violent Fight
Things got violent.
Instagram When it comes to the Real Housewives, no matter what city they're from, the drama never stops. Just weeks after Gina and Matt Kirschenheiter of The Real Housewives of Orange County reconciled, things took a turn for the violent. On June 22nd, Gina and Matt got into a "sudden, violent fight" that led to his arrest. Matt, 35, was jailed in Orange County. Officer Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriff's Department told Radar: "Matthew Kirschenheiter was arrested on June 22 at 2 a.m. and was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of felony corporal injury of spouse.” He posted bond and was released around 1am on June 23rd. Gina filed for an emergency domestic violence restraining order. The couple got back together earlier in June. All that's clearly over now as he was charged with felony domestic abuse related to the June 22nd incident. Who is Gina Kirschenheiter's husband?
1. He works in finance
According to his Hofstra University alumni profile, Matt Kirschenheiter graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance. He is currently employed as the Vice President, Regional Manager at PIMCO Investments in Newport Beach, California. He's worked at PIMCO since 2011 Prior to that he worked at Allianz Global Investors and Merrill Lynch.
2. Why wasn't he on RHOC?
Gina filed for divorce from Matt on April 2, 2018, just months before her season of the Real Housewives of Orange County premiered. He was never going to be on the show as his employer didn't want him to. Gina said it didn't have anything to do with their relationship and she also denied rumors that another woman was the cause of their split.
3. They tried to reconcile
Despite splitting in April, Gina and Matt, both 35, were trying to reconcile. On June 11, she posted birthday wishes to him with a wedding photo. On Father's Day she also posted a sweet Father's Day message. The couple has three children: Nicolas, 7, Sienna, 5, and Luca, 3.
4. He has an apartment in L.A.
Even before they split, Matt had an apartment of his own in Los Angeles that he stays in during the week as it's closer to his job. The couple and their kids moved from New York to Orange County after Matt got an amazing job opportunity in the OC. But then, he was offered another, even better job in Los Angeles. It made sense for their family for him to get a simple apartment close to work rather than relocating the entire family again. Gina said on RHOC that they considered moving the family to Los Angeles: "We considered it, but it's just hard because I'm so happy here. My kids are so adjusted, and I did the big move. It's really hard, but I adjusted. And it works for us."
5. What happened?
The alleged assault happened just after 2am on June 22. Gina returned home from a night out. Matt suddenly showed up and was pounding on the door. Once he was inside he threw her down on the couch. According to court documents, Gina said: “[He was] screaming in my face and saying he was going to kill me. He ripped my bra off, then took a pillow and hit me on the side of the head with it hard. I begged him to stop…to calm down…but he kept hitting me. He started to hit me on the side of the head with his open hand. When I tried to get up off of the couch, he threw me back down and began choking me. Then he started to hit me all over my body,” Gina continued. Gina was able to get away and ran to her neighbor's house and rang their doorbell. However, Matt was close behind her and “grabbed [her] and dragged [her] on the cement back into the house. He threw me back on the couch started hitting me again telling me he was going to kill me. His eyes were black and nothing I could say would bring him back to reality,” she said. Gina begged Matt to stop, telling him their three kids were nearby.
6. He's been charged with felony domestic
Matt Kirschenheiter has been charged with felony domestic violence related to the June 22nd incident. Prosecutors are pursuing "corporal injury — on spouse/cohabitant" and "false imprisonment effected by violence, menace, fraud or deceit" charges according to documents filed with the Orange County Superior Court. If convicted, Matt faces up to four years in prison on the domestic violence charge and three years for the false imprisonment charge.
7. Their divorce is final
Gina and Matt Kirschenheiter's divorce was finalized in August. The date of their split is noted as New Year's Eve 2018. Gina's restraining order against Matt is effective until January 15, 2020.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.