Noella Bergener
| Noella Bergener | |
| Born | born 1985 |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Television personality |
| Known for | The Real Housewives of Orange County (Season 16) |
| Spouse(s) | James Bergener (divorced); Bobby Schubenski (married 2024; filed for divorce 2025) |
Noella Bergener is an American television personality who came to public attention as a cast member on Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC), the Bravo reality television franchise set in Orange County, California. Her single season on the show, which aired in 2021–2022, was marked by the public unraveling of her marriage to personal injury attorney James Bergener, generating significant tabloid coverage and viewer interest. Since departing the series, Bergener has remained a recurring figure in entertainment news, particularly regarding her financial circumstances and personal relationships. In August 2025, it was reported that she had secretly married Bobby Schubenski before filing for divorce approximately six months later, continuing a pattern of high-profile personal developments that have kept her in the public eye well beyond her time on reality television.[1]
Early Life
Limited publicly sourced information is available regarding Noella Bergener's early life and upbringing. Based on reporting that described her as 40 years old in August 2025, she was born approximately in 1985.[2] Much of what is known about her background emerged through her appearances on The Real Housewives of Orange County and associated press interviews, where she discussed her personal journey leading up to joining the reality television franchise.
Career
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Bergener joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County for its sixteenth season, which premiered in late 2021. As a newcomer to the franchise, she held an orange — the show's symbol for full-time Housewife status — and quickly became a central figure in the season's storylines. In a January 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Bergener discussed her path to joining the show, her conflicts with fellow cast member Heather Dubrow, and the personal challenges she faced during filming, most notably her divorce from James Bergener.[3]
Her time on the show was defined in large part by the dramatic circumstances of her marriage dissolution. When viewers first encountered Bergener on the series, she was navigating what has been described as a bitter divorce from her husband.[4] The real-time nature of the divorce proceedings playing out during filming provided significant material for the season and established Bergener as one of its more dramatic personalities. Her feuding with Dubrow, a returning cast member for Season 16, became one of the season's most talked-about dynamics.
Despite generating considerable attention during her debut season, Bergener did not return for Season 17 of the series. Her departure left her as a one-season cast member, a distinction she shares with several other Housewives across the franchise's various iterations.
Post-RHOC Career
Following her exit from The Real Housewives of Orange County, Bergener has not publicly disclosed significant professional ventures or employment. In mid-2025, approximately three years after her departure from the show, she made headlines by revealing that she had no earned income. According to Us Weekly, Bergener stated that she had no income in the years following her exit from the series.[5][6]
This disclosure drew attention in part because of reports detailing her ongoing monthly expenditures. In November 2025, The Tab reported that Bergener's monthly spending amounted to a five-figure sum, a fact that generated significant public commentary given her stated lack of income.[7] The juxtaposition of high monthly expenses with no stated earned income became a widely discussed topic in entertainment media and among fans of the Real Housewives franchise.
Personal Life
Marriage to James Bergener
Noella Bergener was married to James Bergener, a personal injury attorney. The marriage and its dissolution became a central storyline during her appearance on Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County. As described in multiple reports, Bergener was thrust into a contentious divorce from James during her time on the show, with the proceedings playing out publicly alongside her reality television debut.[4][3] The divorce from James Bergener was characterized in press coverage as bitter and acrimonious, and it served as one of the defining narratives of her time on the series.
Marriage to Bobby Schubenski
In August 2025, Us Weekly exclusively reported that Bergener had secretly married Bobby Schubenski approximately six months prior to the report, placing the marriage in late 2024.[1] The marriage was not publicly announced at the time it took place, and its existence only became widely known through media reporting.
On July 28, 2025, Bergener filed for divorce from Schubenski, ending the marriage after roughly six months.[2] The filing was reported by multiple outlets, including Just Jared and Us Weekly, and was covered by entertainment media as a notable development given the brevity of the union and the secrecy surrounding the wedding itself.[1][2]
The quick progression from secret marriage to divorce filing drew comparisons to Bergener's first marriage, which had also ended publicly and contentiously. Yahoo Entertainment noted in its coverage that when audiences first met Bergener on RHOC, she was already dealing with her divorce from James Bergener, making the swift end of her second marriage a striking echo of her earlier experiences on the show.[4]
Financial Circumstances
Bergener's financial situation has been a subject of public attention and media scrutiny in the years following her departure from reality television. In July 2025, she disclosed to Us Weekly that she had no earned income, a statement that came three years after she left The Real Housewives of Orange County.[5] Despite this, reporting indicated that her monthly expenditures remained substantial, with The Tab revealing in November 2025 that her monthly spending reached five figures.[7] The apparent discrepancy between her stated lack of income and her continued high level of spending generated widespread discussion in tabloid media and among reality television audiences.
Recognition
Bergener's primary public recognition stems from her appearance on Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, one of the longest-running and most-watched entries in the Real Housewives franchise. While she appeared for only one season, her storylines — particularly those involving her divorce from James Bergener and her conflicts with Heather Dubrow — generated significant viewer engagement and media coverage.[3]
Even after her departure from the show, Bergener has continued to attract substantial media attention. Her personal life developments, including her secret marriage to Bobby Schubenski and subsequent divorce filing, as well as her financial disclosures, have been covered by major entertainment outlets including Us Weekly, Entertainment Tonight, Just Jared, and Yahoo Entertainment.[1][2][6] This sustained media interest, years after her single-season appearance, speaks to the level of public attention she continues to command within the reality television landscape.
Her willingness to discuss her personal and financial circumstances publicly has kept her name in entertainment news cycles. The revelation of her lack of income and her five-figure monthly expenses were covered across multiple outlets in 2025, making her one of the more frequently discussed former Housewives alumni despite her brief tenure on the show.[5][7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "RHOC's Noella Bergener Secretly Got Married and Filed for Divorce (Excl)".Us Weekly.August 29, 2025.https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/rhocs-noella-bergener-secretly-got-married-and-filed-for-divorce-excl/.Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "'RHOC' Alum Noella Bergener Secretly Married Bobby Schubenski, Then Filed for Divorce Six Months Later".Just Jared.August 29, 2025.https://www.justjared.com/2025/08/29/rhoc-alum-noella-bergener-secretly-married-bobby-schubenski-then-filed-for-divorce-six-months-later/.Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Noella Bergener on Her Journey to Join 'RHOC,' Beefing With Heather Dubrow and Her Divorce (Exclusive)".Entertainment Tonight.January 18, 2022.https://www.etonline.com/noella-bergener-on-her-journey-to-join-rhoc-beefing-with-heather-dubrow-and-her-divorce-exclusive.Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "RHOC Alum Noella Bergener's Secret Marriage and Quick Divorce Filing Revealed".Yahoo Entertainment.September 1, 2025.https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/rhoc-alum-noella-bergener-secret-191208841.html.Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "'RHOC' Alum Noella Bergener Says She Has No Income 3 Years After Show Exit".MSN.July 14, 2025.https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/rhoc-alum-noella-bergener-says-she-has-no-income-3-years-after-show-exit/ar-AA1Irege?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1.Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "RHOC Alum Noella Bergener Makes Shocking Income Confession".Yahoo Entertainment.July 14, 2025.https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/rhoc-alum-noella-bergener-makes-132427550.html.Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "The whopping five-figure amount RHOC alum Noella Bergener spends per month has been revealed".The Tab.November 14, 2025.https://thetab.com/realityshrine/2025/11/14/the-whopping-five-figure-amount-rhoc-alum-noella-bergener-spends-per-month-has-been-revealed/.Retrieved 2026-03-19.