Jo De La Rosa

Jo De La Rosa
De La Rosa in 2010
Jo De La Rosa
Born	born 1974
Birthplace	Peru
Nationality	American
Occupation	Television personality, singer
Known for	The Real Housewives of Orange County
Spouse(s)	Taran Gray Peirson (m. 2023)

Jo De La Rosa is an American television personality and singer who first gained public attention as one of the original cast members of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County when it premiered in 2006. As part of the inaugural cast, De La Rosa became one of the earliest figures associated with the Real Housewives franchise, which would grow into one of the most expansive reality television brands in American media. Her storyline on the show centered largely on her relationship with Slade Smiley, and she appeared on the series during its first two seasons before departing to pursue a music career. De La Rosa later starred in her own Bravo spin-off series, Date My Ex: Jo & Slade, in 2008. After a long absence from reality television, she returned to The Real Housewives of Orange County in Season 19 in 2025, appearing alongside longtime cast member Tamra Judge. Outside of television, De La Rosa has pursued interests in music and entertainment, signing a record deal in 2007. She married composer Taran Gray Peirson in 2023.

Early Life

Jo De La Rosa was born in Peru and later moved to the United States, where she was raised. She eventually settled in Orange County, California, which would become the setting for her later television career. Details about her early family life and upbringing prior to her television debut remain limited in publicly available sources.

De La Rosa turned 40 in 2014, placing her birth year around 1974. Before entering the public spotlight through reality television, she was living in Orange County and was in a relationship with Slade Smiley, a real estate investor and insurance executive. Their relationship would become a central narrative element when Bravo began casting for its new reality series set in the affluent communities of Orange County.

Career

The Real Housewives of Orange County (2006–2007)

De La Rosa was cast as one of the original members of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered on Bravo in March 2006. The series was the first installment of what would become the Real Housewives franchise, and it followed the lives of women living in the gated communities of Orange County, California. De La Rosa appeared prominently during the show's first and second seasons.

On the show, De La Rosa's storyline focused significantly on her relationship with Slade Smiley. The couple's dynamic — including their age difference and the tensions in their relationship — became a recurring plot point during the early seasons. De La Rosa was notably younger than many of her castmates, which distinguished her perspective on the show.

After two seasons, De La Rosa departed The Real Housewives of Orange County to focus on her music career. Her exit from the show came at a time when the series was still in its early stages of building the audience that would eventually make it one of Bravo's flagship programs.

Music Career

Following her departure from The Real Housewives of Orange County, De La Rosa pursued a career in music. In March 2007, she signed a record deal, a development that was covered by regional media in Orange County. De La Rosa and her then-ex-boyfriend Slade Smiley both indicated at the time that a singing career represented her future professional direction.

De La Rosa's music aspirations were a notable element of her public persona during this period, as she attempted to transition from reality television fame to a career in the entertainment industry. While her music career did not produce a sustained commercial breakthrough, the pursuit kept her in the public eye and contributed to her continued media presence during the late 2000s.

Date My Ex: Jo & Slade (2008)

In 2008, De La Rosa and Slade Smiley reunited on television for the Bravo spin-off series Date My Ex: Jo & Slade. The show, which premiered in June 2008, followed De La Rosa as she navigated the dating world with the unconventional involvement of her ex-boyfriend Smiley, who acted as a kind of guide and advisor in her search for a new relationship.

The premise of the show drew on the unusual dynamic between the former couple, who maintained a close relationship after their breakup. The series ran for one season on Bravo and kept De La Rosa connected to the network that had launched her public career. While the show did not receive a second season renewal, it represented one of the earlier spin-off efforts in the broader Real Housewives ecosystem.

Period Away from Television

After Date My Ex ended, De La Rosa stepped away from regular television appearances for an extended period. During the years that followed, many of her former castmates and fellow Real Housewives franchise members continued to appear in the public eye, while De La Rosa maintained a lower profile.

A 2020 retrospective by E! News on the occasion of The Real Housewives of Orange County turning 15 years old featured updates on where original cast members had ended up, including De La Rosa. US Magazine also published a feature detailing the whereabouts of former RHOC stars, including De La Rosa.

During this time, De La Rosa reflected publicly on her experience watching Slade Smiley's subsequent relationship with Gretchen Rossi, another RHOC cast member who joined the show in later seasons. In an interview with US Magazine's podcast, De La Rosa discussed how observing Smiley and Rossi's relationship on the show had been difficult for her.

Return to RHOC Season 19 (2025)

In 2025, De La Rosa made a significant return to The Real Housewives of Orange County during its nineteenth season. Her appearances on the show came through her association with Tamra Judge, a longtime RHOC cast member who brought De La Rosa back into the show's orbit.

De La Rosa's return to the show brought her face to face with her ex-boyfriend Slade Smiley for what was reported to be the first time in years. In the July 31, 2025 episode, the two encountered each other at a party hosted by Heather Dubrow, creating a moment that drew significant media attention. Gretchen Rossi, who was also part of the Season 19 cast and had been in a long-term relationship with Smiley, expressed skepticism about the circumstances, stating that "Tamra showing up with Slade's ex certainly doesn't show that she's trying to move forward with me."

Prior to the episode airing, De La Rosa reflected on her Season 19 experience in an interview, describing her return as "wild" and teasing that "stuff goes down" during her appearances. A preview clip from the season showed De La Rosa praying with Tamra Judge for a peaceful reunion with the other RHOC cast members on their way to Heather Dubrow's party.

Tamra Judge later explained on the RHOC After Show that she had specific reasons for bringing De La Rosa around during Season 19, with other cast members reacting to the dynamic this created. Judge quipped that part of her motivation was to "piss off Gretchen Rossi," though she also described the friendship as genuine.

De La Rosa's Season 19 appearances also included conflict with Gretchen Rossi. De La Rosa took to social media to discuss an unaired confrontation between herself and Rossi, describing the encounter as having gotten "ugly."

Following her Season 19 appearances, De La Rosa discussed the possibility of a continued presence on the show, teasing her potential future on Bravo in an interview with US Magazine.

Personal Life

De La Rosa's relationship with Slade Smiley was a defining element of her early public life. The couple appeared together on the first two seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County and later reunited for the spin-off Date My Ex: Jo & Slade in 2008. After their breakup, Smiley entered into a long-term relationship with fellow RHOC cast member Gretchen Rossi, a development that De La Rosa later acknowledged had been emotionally difficult for her to watch play out on television.

De La Rosa eventually found a new long-term partner in Taran Gray Peirson, a composer. The couple announced their engagement, with De La Rosa expressing joy over the milestone, telling People magazine that she still felt like she was "dreaming." The engagement was also covered by US Magazine.

De La Rosa and Taran Gray Peirson married in 2023 in a wedding described as having an "enchanted forest" theme. People magazine covered the event with exclusive details, reporting on the ceremony and wedding details. The marriage was also reported by Screen Rant.

Recognition

As one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of Orange County, De La Rosa holds a notable position in the history of reality television. The series, which premiered in 2006, launched the Real Housewives franchise, which has expanded to include numerous cities and international versions. De La Rosa's status as an OG (original) cast member has been a recurring point of reference in media coverage throughout the franchise's existence.

When The Real Housewives of Orange County celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 2020, retrospective coverage from outlets including E! News revisited the original cast members, including De La Rosa, highlighting their roles in establishing the franchise. Screen Rant has included analysis of De La Rosa's contributions to the early seasons of the show in discussions of the series' best cast members by season.

De La Rosa's 2025 return to the show during Season 19 generated substantial media coverage from outlets including People, Yahoo Entertainment, Bravo's own digital platforms, and AOL, reflecting continued public interest in her as a figure within the Real Housewives universe.

A Glamour feature also profiled De La Rosa during her career, contributing to her coverage across major media outlets.

Legacy

De La Rosa's significance in reality television stems primarily from her participation in the series that launched one of the most commercially successful and culturally discussed franchises in the genre. As a member of the original Real Housewives of Orange County cast, she was part of the group that established the template for the Real Housewives format — a format that has since been replicated across multiple cities including New York, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, and numerous others, as well as international adaptations.

Her return to the franchise nearly two decades after her original appearances demonstrates the enduring interest that audiences and producers maintain in the original cast members of the series. The media coverage surrounding her Season 19 appearances in 2025 — including her reunion with Slade Smiley, her conflict with Gretchen Rossi, and her friendship with Tamra Judge — indicates that the narratives established in the show's earliest seasons continue to resonate with viewers and generate public interest.

De La Rosa's career trajectory — from original cast member to spin-off star to aspiring musician to long-term absence and eventual return — reflects broader patterns in how reality television personalities navigate fame, career transitions, and the possibility of returning to the medium that first brought them public attention.