Joyce Giraud de Ohoven

Joyce Giraud de Ohoven
Born	Joyce Giraud
Birthplace	Ponce, Puerto Rico
Nationality	Puerto Rican-American
Occupation	Actress, producer, model, television personality
Known for	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Season 4)
Spouse(s)	Michael Ohoven

Joyce Giraud de Ohoven (née Giraud) is a Puerto Rican-American actress, producer, model, and television personality. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, she gained widespread public recognition as a cast member during the fourth season of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which aired during the 2013–2014 television season. Before her tenure on reality television, Giraud had established a career in beauty pageants and entertainment, and she is married to Michael Ohoven, an Academy Award-nominated film producer. Since departing the series after one season, Giraud has continued to work in entertainment as a producer while maintaining an active family life. Described by Bravo as "vivacious, charming and fun-loving," she has been recognized as a prominent Latina figure in the Beverly Hills social scene and the broader entertainment industry.

Early Life

Joyce Giraud was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Details regarding her early childhood and family upbringing are limited in publicly available sources, though her Puerto Rican heritage has been a significant aspect of her public identity. She has spoken openly about her Latina background during her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where issues of race and cultural identity became recurring themes during Season 4.

Giraud experienced personal tragedy during the production of Season 4 of the reality series, when her father passed away. She later wrote about his death in a blog post for Bravo, expressing that she had preferred to keep the matter private and was upset when fellow cast member Kyle Richards disclosed the information to other members of the group. "I didn't want a pity party," Giraud explained, indicating the deeply personal nature of the loss and her desire to handle family matters with discretion.

Her formative years in Puerto Rico shaped her cultural identity, and she has consistently embraced her heritage in her public life and career. During her time on reality television, she was one of the few Latina cast members in the franchise's history and used her platform to address cultural stereotypes and racial issues, particularly in response to comments made by other cast members.

Career

Beauty Pageants and Early Career

Prior to her television career, Joyce Giraud competed in beauty pageants, representing Puerto Rico on the international stage. Her background in pageantry helped launch her career in entertainment, leading to opportunities in acting and modeling. Bravo's official biography described her as a "Latina beauty" who had established herself as an actress and producer before joining the network's reality television lineup.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

In September 2013, Bravo announced that Giraud would be joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for its fourth season, alongside fellow newcomer Carlton Gebbia. The announcement marked a notable addition to the franchise, bringing two new personalities into the established cast that included returning members such as Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Yolanda Foster (later Yolanda Hadid), and Brandi Glanville.

Throughout Season 4, Giraud was involved in several notable storylines and conflicts with other cast members. One of the most discussed incidents involved comments about race made by cast member Brandi Glanville. In a December 2013 blog post for Bravo, Giraud addressed the controversy directly, writing about how she felt Glanville had inappropriately categorized people based on race. The blog post, titled "How Dare Brandi Put Black People in a Box," was published during a period of heightened national conversation about racial sensitivity and coincided with the death of Nelson Mandela, whom Giraud described as "an amazing human being and one of my idols."

In her first blog post for the series, Giraud shared her initial in-person impressions of the other cast members and emphasized her commitment to authenticity, stating that she had "stayed true to herself" throughout the filming process.

Another significant storyline during the season involved a home invasion that Giraud and her family experienced. In a January 2014 blog post, she recounted the frightening incident and discussed her conflicted feelings about having a firearm in the home for protection. "I hope I never have to use a gun," she wrote, reflecting on the balance between personal safety and her discomfort with firearms.

The season's reunion episodes, which aired in early 2014, featured further tensions among the cast. Giraud wrote about her frustrations with the reunion taping, specifically expressing her displeasure with Yolanda Foster's behavior during the filmed discussion. In an April 2014 blog post titled "Joyce: Yolanda Annoyed the Hell Out Of Me," she discussed her perception that Foster had assumed the role of a "referee" during the reunion and described Brandi Glanville's behavior as "vile." She also addressed her interactions with Carlton Gebbia, noting that Gebbia had been "the first to label" during disputes among the cast.

After the conclusion of Season 4, Giraud did not return for the fifth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Both she and Carlton Gebbia, who had joined the cast at the same time, departed after their single season on the show.

Producing and Post-Reality Television Career

Following her departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Giraud continued her career in entertainment, particularly in producing. Her official Bravo biography had identified her as both an actress and a producer, and she has continued to work in that capacity in the years following her reality television appearance. As of 2025, Giraud has remained active in her professional endeavors while balancing her career with her family responsibilities.

Her marriage to Michael Ohoven, an Academy Award-nominated producer, has provided a connection to the film industry that extends beyond her own on-screen work. The couple's shared involvement in entertainment has been a consistent element of Giraud's public profile.

Personal Life

Joyce Giraud is married to Michael Ohoven, who is an Academy Award-nominated film producer. Their marriage and family life have been a consistent topic of public discussion, particularly during and after her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The couple has children together, and as of June 2025, Giraud has shared updates about her family, indicating that she has remained focused on both her marriage and parenting.

During the filming of Season 4 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Giraud's personal life became a significant part of the show's narrative. The passing of her father during production was an emotional moment that she preferred to keep private, expressing frustration when the news was shared among the cast without her consent. The home invasion that she and her family experienced also became a storyline on the show, bringing attention to security concerns faced by the family.

In a 2025 interview with Bravo, Giraud described herself as remaining "unapologetically" herself, a characterization consistent with the persona she presented during her time on the series. She has maintained her commitment to authenticity and her cultural identity as a Latina woman in the entertainment industry and in the Beverly Hills community.

Giraud has also demonstrated an interest in social and humanitarian issues. In her December 2013 blog post, she paid tribute to Nelson Mandela following his death, calling him one of her idols and reflecting on his legacy. She used the post to address broader issues of racial categorization and stereotyping, connecting Mandela's message to the conflicts she was experiencing on the reality series.

Recognition

Joyce Giraud de Ohoven's primary claim to public recognition in the United States came through her appearance on Season 4 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, one of the most-watched reality television franchises on the Bravo network. Her casting was announced in September 2013 alongside Carlton Gebbia, and the two were introduced as notable additions to the show's fourth season.

Prior to her reality television career, Giraud had been recognized in the beauty pageant world, representing Puerto Rico in international competitions. Her Bravo biography highlighted her multifaceted career as an actress, producer, and philanthropist, in addition to her work as a model and pageant competitor.

Despite appearing on only one season of the franchise, Giraud has maintained a public profile in the years since her departure. As of 2025, more than a decade after her season aired, Bravo continued to feature updates about her life and career, indicating a lasting connection with the show's audience. A June 2025 article on the Bravo website provided updates on her marriage, children, and career, demonstrating her continued relevance within the franchise's fan community.

Throughout her season on the show, Giraud maintained a series of blog posts on the Bravo website in which she shared her perspectives on the events depicted in each episode. These blog posts addressed a range of topics, from racial sensitivity and cultural identity to personal safety and family privacy, and they provided viewers with additional context and commentary beyond what was shown on screen.

Legacy

Joyce Giraud de Ohoven's tenure on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was brief—lasting only one season—but it contributed to ongoing conversations about representation and cultural identity within the reality television genre. As one of the few Latina cast members in the franchise's history, her presence on the show brought attention to issues of racial stereotyping and cultural sensitivity in a format that reaches millions of viewers.

Her conflicts with Brandi Glanville over racially charged comments became one of the more discussed storylines of Season 4 and reflected broader societal debates about race that were occurring in American culture during the 2013–2014 television season. Giraud's willingness to address these issues directly, both on camera and in her written blog posts for Bravo, contributed to the conversation around diversity in reality television casting and the treatment of cast members from underrepresented backgrounds.

The fact that Bravo continued to publish updates about Giraud more than a decade after her single season on the show suggests that she made a lasting impression on the franchise's audience. Her 2025 profile update, in which she was described as remaining "unapologetically" herself, indicates that the qualities she displayed during her season—authenticity, cultural pride, and directness—have remained defining aspects of her public persona.

Giraud's career trajectory also reflects the broader phenomenon of reality television serving as a platform for individuals to transition into or continue careers in entertainment and business. Her background in beauty pageants and acting, combined with her marriage to a prominent film producer, positioned her within the entertainment industry in a way that extended beyond her reality television appearance. Her continued work as a producer demonstrates a career that has evolved beyond the reality television format that first brought her to widespread public attention.