Katie Ginella came into the spotlight as the leading cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County. She has a complex personal history involving her family and relationships. Find out everything in this article.
Ginella is a rising reality television star and former golf reporter who is passionate about the sport. She became a household name after joining The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC) as a new and energetic addition.
The South Korean native joined the cast of RHOC for its 18th season as a housewife alongside Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, Shannon Storms Beador, and Gina Kirschenheiter.
She made history as the first Asian American cast member of the show.
In addition, she marked a significant change in the show’s format, becoming the second time a seventh ‘Housewife’ was introduced. The first occurrence of this format shift was in Season 12 when Peggy Sulahian joined the main cast.
Key Takeaways:
- Katie Ginella is a native of South Korea and was adopted by a Catholic family in Georgia.
- She is married to Matt Ginella, with whom she has a son named Brandon, who was born in 2017.
- Ginella was previously married to Andrew Sundseth, with whom she had a messy divorce.
- With her ex-husband, she welcomed three children.
What Is Katie Ginella’s Age? A Native Of South Korea Raised By White Parents
Ginella was born on April 23, 1984, making her 40 years old as of this writing. She is originally from South Korea and was adopted by a Catholic family in Georgia.
While Katie has yet to reveal details about her adoptive and biological parents, she mentioned her family background and adoption story in RHOC Season 18, Episode 14.
She revealed that her Korean mom gave birth to her at 15 while working in a factory and kept her for three days.
Earlier, in Episode 2 of RHCO Season 18, Katie had stated that her adoptive parents couldn’t have children, so they sought adoption. Firstly, they adopted her brother and sister, and “then they heard of adoption from Korea.”
In October 2024, during her interview with Bravo HQ, Ginella stated that she was determined to visit South Korea to meet her biological mother.
Ginella said, “We were actually supposed … to go meet my birth mother in May, and then it got pushed back to June.” She continued, “And then my father-in-law went into care at a hospital. He was ninety and went into care and then into hospice, and he passed away in July.”
She mentioned that her husband’s production company is filming a documentary about her trip, and they have had to adjust their schedule.
They initially planned to go sooner but decided to delay the trip after the Real Housewives reunion filming, as she did not want personal matters affecting her appearance on the show.
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Katie Ginella Is Married To Her Husband Matt Ginella: Relationship Details
Katie Ginella married Matt Ginella, a journalist and former Golf Channel correspondent. The couple met through mutual friends, and despite a rocky start where Matt didn’t show up for their first dinner, they eventually grew close.
Despite a rocky start to their romance, where Matt missed their first dinner date, Katie gave him another chance, and they continued communicating.
Matt proposed to Katie with a light purple sapphire engagement ring while she was living in Orlando, Florida. Although they initially planned for a simple engagement band, Katie instantly fell in love with the purple stone and thought it was perfect.
Matt and Katie married on October 15, 2016, at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri.
To celebrate their seventh anniversary, Matt gifted Katie a stunning emerald-cut solitaire diamond ring, upgrading the purple sapphire engagement ring he had previously given her.
Both rings can be seen on Katie’s finger in RHOC.
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Katie Ginella Is The Mother Of Four Children
Katie Ginella is the mother of four children: Bandon, Kaili, Gavin, and Maxon. During her wedding, Ginella was secretly pregnant with Matt’s only child, Bandon. They made the exciting announcement during their reception, sharing the news with their guests.
While talking with The Daily Dish, she said, “I think at the time, I was 11 weeks pregnant, and we announced at dinner after our wedding that we were having a baby.”
Katie continued, “So that was definitely a giant secret. People were like, ‘Why aren’t you drinking?’ And I was like, ‘Oh just stressed, you know,’ but that was why.“
The duo finally welcomed their child, Bandon, in May 2017. Katie regularly shares the photos of her child on her Instagram handle. Meanwhile, her three kids, Kaili, Gavin, and Maxon, were born from her past marriage with Andrew Sundseth.
Kaili was born on April 23, 2004. Ginella married at 21 when her daughter was 14 months old.
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Katie Ginella Was Married To Andrew Sundseth: Their Messy Divorce
As mentioned earlier, Katie Ginella was previously married to Andrew Sundseth. Her divorce from Andrew Sundseth was messy, involving allegations of emotional abuse, but there were no reports of cheating or police involvement.
In their 2016 divorce settlement, Andrew was granted full custody of the children, while Katie was awarded visitation rights.
Katie was required to pay child support and maintain a life insurance policy. She also paid $5,000 toward Andrew’s legal fees.
After the divorce, things continued to be tumultuous. Katie accused Andrew of emotional abuse toward the children, including calling their daughter derogatory names and letting the younger boys be left alone for hours.
Legal disputes also arose over issues such as school enrollment and child safety. Eventually, Katie was awarded primary custody of Kaili in 2019, while Andrew retained custody of Maxon and Gavin.
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