It’s a question Emily Simpson has apparently faced for years: Do her in-laws support her lifestyle?
The Real Housewives of Orange County mom addressed the topic during the November 20, 2019 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (which you can listen to as a podcast episode) when the eponymous host read a fan-submitted question about the source of her and Shane Simpson’s income.
Emily responds to whispers that Shane's parents "bankroll" her life
“Emily, I heard Shane’s parents bankroll your lifestyle. Is that true?” the viewer asked.
“Well, it’s no secret that Shane’s parents are very wealthy,” the Housewife replied. “And so he has lots of investments that they set up for him. I never made that a secret.”
Jennifer Pedranti reignites a rumor surrounding Emily & Shane's money
The “bankroll” rumors were reignited this month after Emily got into a heated exchange with her castmate Jennifer Pedranti. The back-and-forth played out in Part 1 of the RHOC Season 18 reunion (November 7) when Emily addressed the legal drama surrounding Jennifer's fiancé, Ryan Boyajian. Emily, a longtime attorney, claimed she had researched Ryan’s involvement in an alleged gambling scheme, and that all the information she “read” didn’t align with Jennifer’s comments.
“Then I’m sorry,” Jennifer replied. “I’ve read that your in-laws fund your whole life.”
Although she didn’t immediately push back on the claim, Emily took to Instagram several days later in an attempt to set the record straight.
“If my in-laws ‘funded our lifestyle’ I’d be living WAY larger than I am right now,” she wrote in a Story. “I’d be on private jets with Heather Dubrow. They do not.”
Emily reflects on how RHOC affected her and Shane's marriage
After exchanging “I dos” in 2009, Shane and Emily welcomed three children together: a daughter, Annabelle, and twin sons, Luke and Keller. Emily touched on her marriage during a BravoCon 2023 panel when she was asked how she and Shane managed to get through their televised marital issues.
“You know, Shane and I are just — I’m gonna get emotional,” she said. “Our 15-year anniversary is coming up in February (2024). We’ve been together a long time. We are fundamentally and deeply committed to one another. We’ve had rough years, as anyone would in a 15-year marriage. And so it just so happened to coincide that the first two seasons I filmed (RHOC), we weren’t in a great place. But I love him, I’m committed to him, and he feels the same way about me. He’s an incredible father."
Emily said RHOC made her marriage “stronger,” as it allowed her and Shane to see themselves in a different light.
“I really get to look at myself and think, ‘Wow, I am difficult to deal with,’” she said with a laugh. “It’s been a great learning tool for us, to learn from it and grow.”
