Putting the “real” in reality TV. Lisa Hochstein‘s divorce from Lenny Hochstein is a hot topic in season 5 of The Real Housewives of Miami — and even her costars were shocked at the way everything played out.
“I just thought they were in, like, a little bit of a rut, but I was hopeful and thought that they would bounce back,” Nicole Martin exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season premiere. “So, I was surprised that it got to this point. The divorce and the girlfriend and all that stuff really caught all of us by surprise.”
Lisa, 40, and the plastic surgeon, 56, called it quits in May after nearly 13 years of marriage. At the time, Lenny told Us that he had started dating Katharina Mazepa, adding that their romance didn’t begin until after he and Lisa decided to split.
A hot mic moment from season 5, however, hinted that Lenny may have been considering divorce for a while. In a sneak peek released on Tuesday, December 6, Lenny can be heard telling his friend Vito that he thinks he’ll be single “in a couple months.” When the friend says he doesn’t want to see him split from Lisa, Lenny replies, “I do.”
Ahead of the premiere, Alexia Nepola (formerly Echevarria) exclusively told Us that she doesn’t think Lenny knew his mic was on during the explosive scene, but she was still surprised he let himself get caught. “Just because the camera wasn’t there doesn’t mean that your audio is not working,” the Alexia + Frankie’s Beauty Bar founder, 55, explained. “Especially when it’s something like that. Like, you’re literally plotting to leave your wife, so [producers] are listening to this.”
Adriana de Moura, for her part, said she was “blindsided” by news of the breakup. “I mean, marriages have the ups and downs, but when you are committed with two small children and for the long term, you’re gonna have some rough patches here and there,” the “Feel the Rush” singer, 57, told Us. “But I didn’t expect that either.”
Lisa and Lenny share son Logan, 7, and daughter Elle, 3. Last month, Lisa claimed in court documents that her estranged husband restricted her access to his finances, leaving her unable to pay for food for their kids. The doctor didn’t immediately respond to her allegations.
Despite the rocky moments depicted on the new season, Adriana thinks Lisa is “in a better place for sure” after the breakup, while Nicole believes the situation helped the cast grow closer to Lisa. “We all found different ways to show up for her,” the anesthesiologist, 37, told Us.
Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Miami premieres on Peacock Thursday, December 8.
Keep scrolling to see the RHOM cast’s thoughts on how Lisa and Lenny’s divorce plays out in season 5: