Real Housewives of Orange County fans probably remember Slade Smiley best for his inflammatory remarks and history of unpaid child support. Now, his ex-girlfriend Michelle Arroyo is, once again, accusing Smiley of neglecting their son Grayson in the wake of his tragic death.
In a statement to People published on Thursday, Arroyo calls out Smiley and his wife, former RHOC cast member Gretchen Rossi, for “capitalizing” on Grayson’s death. She further accuses them of “misrepresenting” their relationship with Grayson after Rossi posted several Instagram posts memorializing the 22-year-old.
“I have stayed quiet year after year on the inexcusable behavior and neglect by his father and his fiancée out of respect for my son, who wanted nothing more in this world than a real relationship with his father,” Arroyo’s statement read.
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She added, “Slade Smiley and Gretchen Rossi have grossly misrepresented the true nature of their relationship with Grayson, which was virtually nonexistent. I will not stand by and permit them to benefit from my son’s death for who they were barely there when he was alive and needed his father.”
The statement comes after Rossi posted an emotional tribute on Instagram to Grayson, who died of brain cancer at age 22 earlier this month. The post included several photos of Smiley with Grayson as a child. In a lengthy caption, Rossi described Grayson as “an angel on Earth and an incredible warrior.”
Additionally, the former Real Housewife reposted a video compilation from Entertainment Tonight featuring footage of her husband and Grayson as a little boy.
“Gretchen has posted video after video, including on Valentine’s Day, presenting a flagrantly false image of a loving stepmother to my child when the reality is she has not made the effort to nor seen him in over 10 years, which is why he is 12 years old in every picture she posts,” Arroyo responded to the posts.
Following Grayson’s death on Feb. 5, Arroyo created a GoFundMe page for the funeral costs. The description for the fundraiser, which notes that Arroyo was the “sole care provider and health care advocate for over 16 years,” didn’t do much to quell accusations that Smiley skimped on financial support for his son.
According to a court order obtained by People, Smiley owes $152,655.27 in child support payments. Arroyo also told the magazine that the last payment she received from Smiley in child support was “in August of 2019 for $36.19.” People also confirmed that payment.
Additionally, in her statement, Arroyo claims that Smiley only visited his son “occasionally” since 2008, “canceling last minute or simply not showing up at all with no warning.” She says that as Grayson got older, he “preferred not to see his father anymore” to avoid further disappointment.
“[Slade and Gretchen] can keep the money that rightfully belonged to my child,” Arroyo told People. “But they cannot shamefully capitalize on his sweet memory as I will no longer permit it, and in death I will be his voice. Enough is enough.”
Sources close to Smiley and Rossi responded in a statement to People: “It’s unfortunate that the Smiley family is not being allowed to grieve at this incredibly difficult time due to the false accusations being made by Grayson’s mother. Gretchen loves Slade and helped him build a touching tribute to his son and in turn has been attacked by Grayson’s mother. It’s a very sad situation."
Rossi is set to appear in the fourth season of Peacock’s Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which recently wrapped filming. Presumably, the former Housewife will have plenty of opportunities to publicly state her case during the impending rollout for the season.
