Gina Kirschenheiter broke her silence after giving an emotional victim impact statement in her ex-husband Matt Kirschenheiter’s domestic battery case where he pleaded guilty earlier this week.
“Say what you need to say. Stand up for yourself,” the Real Housewives of Orange County wrote in a statement via Instagram on Thursday, April 22, according to Us Weekly. “It will hurt just as bad as not standing up for yourself but the long term pain will be lessened exponentially.”
The mother-of-three also gave fans an update on how she’s doing following her ex’s trial earlier this month.
“It’s been a hard last few days but it will be ok. It always is,” she captioned the Instagram statement. “❤️ endless gratitude to everyone who has been sending me love and supporting me.❤️ #movingforward #livewithintention #personalgrowth #healingisajourney #closingachapter.”
The Bravo reality star appeared in front of a judge in the Orange County Superior Court on Tuesday, April 20. During the hearing, Matt pleaded guilty to one count of domestic battery with corporal injury of a spouse and guilty to one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit.
Gina broke down in tears while reading her statement on Tuesday, detailing past abuse. “I thought I was going to die. I still get chills thinking about how I begged you to, ‘Stop. Think about the kids.’ And you responded by saying, ‘Your mom is going to die tonight,’” she said, recalling past trauma inflicted by her former spouse. “It echoes in my brain, and it sinks deep in my heart. That night, it literally felt like I was in a house with a stranger whom I’d never met before. Your eyes were completely black, and you were not Matt. It was so hard for me to believe that it was even you, but it was.”
Gina admitted that it’s “taken me a long time” and a lot of self-care and therapy to get through the pain she experienced that night.
“I have managed to forgive you for most of it. I accept that I will always have this painful memory from that night. I’ve come to terms with that,” she concluded.
The judge sentenced Matt to 180 days in county jail. He will not, however, have to go to jail if he completes a number of conditions over a 178-day period. The requirements include wearing a bracelet monitor, finishing a 52-week batterer’s program, and participating in three years of formal probation.
Gina and Matt were married from May 2010 to July 2018. They share three children Nicholas (8), Sienna (6), and Luca (5). The former couple has since moved on, Gina began dating Travis Mullen, who has three children of his own. The two have since moved in together.
As for Matt, he appeared in the latest season of RHOC along with his new girlfriend.
Photo Credit: Bravo Media/NBCUniversal via Tommy Garcia; Orange County District Attorney's Office
