Gretchen Rossi: Why I'm Hesitant to Marry Slade Smiley

USMagazine, Sunday, May 6, 2012, 9:00am (PDT)

Real Housewives of Orange County's Tamra Barney may be ready to walk down the aisle with her boyfriend Eddie Judge, but don't expect costar Gretchen Rossi to follow suit.

On Tuesday's episode of the Bravo series, Rossi -- who has dated Slade Smiley for three years -- is hard-pressed to come up with reasons why she should say "I do" to her boyfriend.

"I love Slade dearly, and I'm beyond supportive of everything he does, and when I met him, I fell in love with him, not his bank account," Rossi, 33, tells Barney. "However, it has been three years and things have been tough."

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Twice-divorced Barney -- who accepted her beau of two years' proposal in February -- warns her friend, 39, to be cautious when planning for her future, especially since Smiley is behind on child support payments for his son from a previous relationship.

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"When you marry someone, you take on their debt," Barney, 44, says. "It's hard as a woman to take on that big of a liability. Slade's behind in child support -- [Gretchen] shouldn't marry him. It's that simple."

Though previews for upcoming Housewives episodes show Smiley discussing the possibility of marriage with the couple's friends and family, Rossi seems to be set in her ways.

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"I'm financially sound, and I'm not willing to give that up. When you become married, things become community property, and I don't want Slade's creditors coming after me," she says. "I've worked too hard to have what I have to just be like 'OK, take it.'"

Tell Us: Should Gretchen and Slade get married?

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Gretchen Rossi: Why I'm Hesitant to Marry Slade Smiley