Gina Kirschenheiter, a star of the hit reality series The Real Housewives of Orange County, has announced her engagement to long-term boyfriend Travis Mullen. The 41-year-old television personality shared the joyful news on Wednesday, revealing she is "still on cloud 9" after the romantic proposal.
A Magical New Year's Eve Surprise
The couple were on a family ski trip to Big Bear, California, when Mullen, 40, decided to pop the question as the year turned. In a clever ruse, he led Kirschenheiter to the back porch of their holiday home, claiming he was "scoping out the right spot for a family picture." Instead, he got down on one knee, leaving the Long Island-born realtor in "complete shock."
"My nervous system was trying to catch up to what just happened in this magical moment," Kirschenheiter recalled in an exclusive interview with People magazine. "And I was also trying to process the iceberg that was being presented to me as well! I of course said 'yes,' and melted into what was the sweetest kiss I've ever felt!"
A Ring Symbolising Their Blended Family
The engagement ring, created in collaboration with Wove, holds deep sentimental value. It is an 18K yellow gold piece featuring a six-carat centre diamond, flanked by six smaller stones. This design was intentionally chosen to represent their blended family of six children.
"The ring is absolutely perfect! The thought he put into it blows my mind," the blonde socialite gushed. She emphasised that having all their children present made the moment even more special. "It meant so much to be there as a family celebrating all together. We were all so happy. Truly a pinnacle moment."
From Instagram DMs to Life Partners
The couple's romance began in mid-2019 after they were set up by a mutual friend. Kirschenheiter made the first move, sliding into Mullen's Instagram direct messages. Their relationship progressed quickly, and they have since become inseparable "life partners," even co-founding a real estate company, The Gated Group with eXp Realty, in 2024.
"We have navigated through some pretty intense issues that life has handed us already but it has only drawn us closer and made us stronger," Kirschenheiter explained. "He is truly my person and always has been."
Both have children from previous marriages. Kirschenheiter shares three children—Nick, 13, Sienna, 11, and Luca, 10—with her ex-husband Matthew Kirschenheiter, from whom she finalised a divorce in 2019 after an eight-year marriage she has described as abusive. Mullen has three children—Presley, 14, Bennett, 12, and Joseph, 9—from his previous marriage to Meghan Mullen, which ended in 2016; he remains in a custody battle with his ex-wife.
The engagement announcement was met with a flood of congratulations from her RHOC co-stars and Bravo executives. Shannon Beador, Heather Dubrow, Gretchen Rossi, Tamra Judge, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Angie Katsanevas, Dolores Catania, and executive producer Andy Cohen all sent their best wishes, with Cohen exclaiming, "Love wins!"
In a poignant parallel to her personal joy, Kirschenheiter is also celebrating five years of sobriety this month, marking a significant personal milestone following a DUI arrest in 2019. She has spoken openly about the positive impact this decision has had on her life.
Fans are now left wondering if they will see the wedding planning play out on screen. It is currently unclear whether Kirschenheiter, who joined the RHOC cast in 2018, will return for the show's upcoming twentieth season.
