Dr. Nicole Martin, who joined The Real Housewives of Miami Season 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 that she 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 by Marysol Patton, Larsa Pippen, and Alexia Nepola, Nicole Martin always maintained a dignified stance in her responses.
What’s highly endearing about the RHOM star is that she is a successful career woman and a dedicated mother capable of standing on her two feet with or without the backing of reality TV. She would be best described as one of the flag-bearers of bringing a new spin and flavor to the typical Real Housewives cast who aren’t financially independent and rely on their husbands to lead luxurious lives. So naturally, fans were devastated when Martin announced that she would not return for RHOM Season 7. The mom of two, who had recently given birth to her and fiancé Anthony Lopez’s daughter Genevieve 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 to take 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 joined the RHOM cast in Season 4 when the 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-old Real Housewives franchise. Her level-headed personality and career-oriented mindset were a welcome change from the usual content of showcasing over-the-top lifestyles and interpersonal altercations between the cast. Martin’s introduction also possibly pulled a new demographic of viewers to RHOM. According to Bravo in her cast bio, Martin mentioned that joining the coveted reality TV show was a risk she wanted to take after being highly calculative throughout her life. The anesthesiologist intended to use her new platform to give young women career and life advice.
It’s evident that from the get-go, Martin’s intentions on RHOM steered 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 when Pippen made a snide comment on her having a kid out of wedlock on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
Nicole Martin Had Several Savage Moments on ‘RHOM’
Postpartum Anxiety Pushed Martin to Exit ‘RHOM’
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 that her departure leaves an unavoidably large void in RHOM . 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 outside RHOM. The same PEOPLE interview also revealed that Martin was offered a full-time contract for Season 7 before she announced her departure.
Nicole Martin has also shared that she 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 audiences but has had to prioritize what she feels is right. There’s no doubt that Nicole Martin shook up the game on RHOM. Her exit also poses a question about how producers could’ve done a better job at combatting the toxicity on set and 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, the producers must retrospect how they set the tone for the upcoming season and whether RHOM will fall back into its quintessential ways, possibly risking the alienation of an entire demographic that used to tune in due to Martin’s presence.
The Real Housewives of Miami Season 7 is currently undergoing filming. In the meantime, you can stream the show’s previous seasons on Peacock.
