Dr. Nicole Martin, who joinedThe Real Housewives of MiamiSeason 4 reboot in 2021, was a fresh face who brought a new perspective. She was younger than the OG cast, a successful anesthesiologist, and an unmarried mother. Her calm and collected way of reacting to conflicts, ease of putting her point across, and innate talent to get under the skin of her fellow castmates who were giving her a tough time quickly made her a fan-favorite. One of the best things about Martin was thatshe was almost always right whenever she was embroiled in drama. She also has a sense of humor that she used to her advantage when dealing with veterans who weren’t fans of sharing their thunder. Despite being picked on incessantly byMarysol Patton,Larsa Pippen, andAlexia Nepola,Nicole Martin always maintained a dignified stance in her responses.
What’s highly endearing about theRHOMstar is that she is a successful career woman and a dedicated mothercapable of standing on her two feet with or without the backing ofreality TV. She would be best described as one of the flag-bearers of bringing a new spin and flavor to thetypicalRealHousewivescastwho aren’t financially independent and rely on their husbands to lead luxurious lives. So naturally, fans were devastated when Martin announced thatshe would not return forRHOMSeason 7. The mom of two, who had recently given birth to her and fiancéAnthony Lopez’s daughterGenevieve Nicole, was suffering from postpartum anxiety. Topping this off with the tense environment of the show, her career, and long shoot hours, Martin felt it was time totake a step back and focus on her growing family. It also highlights how reality TV is possibly not equipped to support women amid such life changes and provide them with a toxic-free work environment.
Nicole Martin Brought Diversity to ‘RHOM’
Nicole Martin joinedtheRHOMcastin Season 4 whenthe show returned after an eight-year hiatus.Martin entered the strata of reality TV thinking of it as a new opportunity as she brought some much-needed dimension to the age-oldReal Housewivesfranchise. Her level-headed personality and career-oriented mindsetwere a welcome change from the usual content of showcasing over-the-top lifestyles and interpersonal altercations between the cast. Martin’s introduction alsopossibly pulled a new demographic of viewers toRHOM. According toBravoin her cast bio, Martin mentioned that joining thecoveted reality TV showwas a risk she wanted to take after being highly calculative throughout her life. The anesthesiologist intended touse her new platform to give young women career and life advice.
It’s evident that from the get-go, Martin’s intentions onRHOMsteered on a different tangent from surface-level spats,emphasizing motivation and encouraging viewers to come into their own.Her authenticity has also made her deeply relatable. She chose not to put a ring on it while raising her family with her now fiancé, Anthony Lopez, despite facing judgment from some of her co-stars, which is commendable. A great moment that emphasized how Nicole Martin held her own and stood by her choices was her response whenPippen made a snide comment on her having a kid out of wedlockonWatch What Happens LiveWith Andy Cohen.
Nicole Martin has had severalmoments onRHOMthat live rent-free in fans’ minds, where shestuck up for herself against catty veteransand cemented a place for herself within the franchise. The anesthesiologist often found herself embroiled in conundrums with Nepola, Patton, and Pippen, but she handled the situations gracefully and logically. She rarely sowed the seeds for altercations and was often giving it back to her fellow cast mates for doing wrong by her. One savage moment that deserves special recognition was the incident duringRHOMSeason 5 whenPippen spread rumors that Martin had been sleeping around with the physicians at her workplace. Martin, being the savage queen she is, sent Pippen an “uninvite” from her engagement party that left both the latter and the viewers utterly gobsmacked. She did so most creatively with an engraved mirror with “Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the fake one of them all? Take a good look. I see who you are, do you? See yourself uninvited to our engagement party” written on it.The rumors could’ve jeopardized her professional life, so the act deserves to be commended.
Martin had revealed in an interview withTodaythatshe feels like she lives in an alternate universe from some of her fellow cast mates, given their contrasting personalities. There was even the incident during lunch hosted byAlexia Nepola, during which she invited an attorney to answer the ladies’ questions. WhenMartin asked about character defamation, Nepola got defensiveand said she was paying for the attorney’s time. Martin handed her Black Amex card to the attorney to answer her question, leading to Nepola’s outrage. While these are just a few badass moments when Martin defends herself, she revealed in the same interview thatshe finds it amusing how the women continue to attack each other’s professions, children, and spouses on the show, creating a toxic environment. Martin also believes that apologies go a long way and can detox nasty feelings and distasteful comments that are prevalent on the show.
Postpartum Anxiety Pushed Martin to Exit ‘RHOM’
Fan-favorite cast member Nicole Martin decided to step back from being a part ofRHOMSeason 7. In an exclusive tête-à-tête withPEOPLE, the anesthesiologist revealed that she had beenstruggling with severe postpartum anxiety after the birth of her daughter Genevieve Nicoleon June 11, 2025 — she was born prematurely. The reality TV star had to undergo a C-section and further revealed thather postpartum anxiety had caused her to experience heightened levels of worry, which are not normal. Martin confessed how, as a result, she gets consumed by the overwhelming sense of worry, and it has taken atoll on her mental healthas well. The mom of two shared how being a mom is her favorite role, butdealing with the anxiety has been extremely challenging.
While it’s not clear what triggered her condition, some of the common signs include an increased heart rate, lack of appetite, nausea, stomach aches, shortness of breath, inability to relax, self-isolation, and so on. Being in such a sensitive mental state is not ideal when working in the high-powered and seldomtoxic environment of reality TV, which pushed Martin to take a step back from taking on a full-time role onRHOMSeason 7. The reality TV star revealed that despite her love for her fellow cast members,the tense atmosphere and cut-throat characters could not be ignored, as well as juggling the long hours of the shoot. The decision was made while keeping her family’s and her best interests in mind. She also shared a post on her Instagram detailing her decision to step back fromRHOMwhile also providing her followers with educational insights.
Nicole Martin’s Exit Will Have Adverse Effects on ‘RHOM’
Nicole Martin’s exit is justified, given the various things she has on her plate with her new baby and postpartum struggles. However, it cannot be ignored thather departure leaves an unavoidably large void inRHOM.The anesthesiologist had challenged the show’s status quo and brought in first perspectives that attracted new audiences and lifted the franchise from being just a show that solely focused on surface-level issues that were instigated by the cast. Due to how practical and level-headed her personality has always been, fans don’t find Martin’s exit surprising. She also doesn’t rely heavily on the platform like her contemporaries, as she has a successful career outsideRHOM. The same PEOPLE interview also revealed thatMartin was offered a full-time contract for Season 7 before she announced her departure.
Nicole Martin has also shared thatshe doesn’t intend to bid adieu to the show forever, and this may as well be a temporary goodbye. She still wants to pop up occasionally in a friend’s role. Martin has also expressed feeling guilty about letting down her audiencesbut has had to prioritize what she feels is right. There’s no doubt that Nicole Martin shook up the game onRHOM. Her exit also poses a question about howproducers could’ve done a better job at combatting the toxicity on setand making necessary changes to accommodate cast members who’ve been facing mental health challenges —especially amid pregnancy. Considering how Martin’s exit leaves big shoes to fill, theproducers must retrospect how they set the tone for the upcoming seasonand whetherRHOMwill fall back into its quintessential ways, possiblyrisking the alienation of an entire demographicthat used to tune in due to Martin’s presence.
The Real Housewives of MiamiSeason 7 is currently undergoing filming. In the meantime, you can stream the show’s previous seasons on Peacock.
The Real Housewives of Miami
The Real Housewives of Miami follows six of the most connected and influential women of Miami as they live their lives to the fullest in this sunny city where the party never stops.
