KiKi Monique, the journalist at the center of the drama on this season of The Real Housewives of Orange County involving Katie Ginella, spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about her side of the story. During season 19, Tamra Judge accused Katie, 41, of telling KiKi a rumor involving Gretchen Rossi. The rumor that was reportedly shared was about an infamous dinner (nicknamed: "naked wasted") at Tamra's home during season 8 in 2013. Katie reportedly told KiKi that Gretchen, 46, claimed she had to be hospitalized after the event and that drugs were found in her system - the implication being she was allegedly roofied. On the show, Katie denied telling KiKi the rumor but admitted to talking to her in the past. Tamra, 57, didn't believe Katie and said she heard the information that Katie told KiKi from another reporter who was friends with KiKi. Other RHOC stars have cast doubt on her claims. Now, KiKi is sharing her side with Us. The journalist and content creator said she went to follow Katie after she was announced as a new RHOC cast member and realized Katie was actually following her. Us understands Katie started following KiKi for her true crime content. KiKi said she followed Katie back, which led to Katie sending her a direct message. KiKi Monique Courtesy of KiKi Monique KiKi said the two exchanged brief messages. Katie and fellow RHOC star Jennifer Pedranti then appeared as guests on KiIi's radio show, Reality Checked on Radio Andy SiriusXM, in September 2024. She said this was the first time she met Katie via Zoom. "I was really excited [about Katie coming on] because I had really been a cheerleader for Katie that whole season, and I knew she wanted to say some things on my show to contradict some of the things that Emily [Simpson] had put out there in that season," KiKi told Us. After the episode, KiKi said Katie put her on a group text chat with Jen, 48. The journalist said Katie told her to let them know whenever she was in Orange County, so they could meet up. A month later, KiKi said she headed to Orange County with a friend and decided to text the group chat. She said Jen said she was out of town. Katie reportedly texted back telling KiKi she was shopping for the RHOC reunion, which was days away, but could meet afterward. KiKi said the two met for lunch later that day. "We were literally just having a good time. I obviously asked her about, you know, 'Oh, you're shopping for a reunion. Can I see your reunion dress?' I was, I was doing things that anyone that's nosy like me would be asking and just really, you know, just like having a good time," she told Us. RHOC's Shannon Beador Pulled Over by Police While on DUI Probation She said the two talked about the upcoming reunion. "It was her first season as a Housewife and I did want her to succeed, so we're just talking about that and we're literally just having a casual lunch, nothing very serious," she said. "And then as the lunch kind of went on, that's when she mentioned that she'd had a dinner with Gretchen. Now, I, again, this was October 2024. So, Gretchen had not been announced as a Housewife," KiKi said. KiKi said Katie then brought up the "naked wasted" rumor. She claimed Katie said something along the lines of "Did you know that at that [Naked Wasted dinner], that afterward [Gretchen] had to go to the hospital and they found drugs in her system." KiKi said she was "floored." She said she asked Katie if there was a police report, if the police were involved or if production did anything. Katie said she did not know anything else. When asked if Katie ever asked her to spread the rumor, KiKi said, "Absolutely not." KiKi told Us, "And that's the one thing I do also want to clear up. She never came to me and said, 'I want you to take this information and do something with it.' And so, I don't like that that's being told because, you know, even though she's called me a liar, she did not do that." She said she continued to stay in touch with Katie after the meeting. Katie Ginella Casey Durkin/Bravo via Getty Images KiKi, who reports on celebrity news, said the story about Gretchen came up in her mind again after hearing in January that Gretchen was rejoining the RHOC cast after her exit in season 8. KiKi said, "'I [didn't] want this to come out,' but if there's any truth to the story - as someone who wants to get to the bottom of things like this - I do actually want to find out if there's any truth to this because, if she went to the hospital, if there is like a toxicology report, I would love to know." KiKi said she reached out to a trusted media source who is a friend. She asked her friend for help in figuring out if the rumor was true or not. RHOC's Katie Ginella Shares Why She Thinks the Cast May Be Targeting Her "And that journalist helped me, and when he got back to me, I was very comfortable that that story about the hospital just wasn't true," she said. "So, I did nothing with it 'cause there was nothing to do with it." KiKi added, "I ended