Danielle Olivera Says Her 'Summer House' Exit Took A "Tremendous Amount of Thought"

Season 8 of Summer House was riddled with twists and turns. The cast — Lindsay Hubbard, Kyle Cooke, Carl Radke, Amanda Batula, Paige Desorbo, Ciara Miller, West Wilson, Danielle Olivera, Gabby Prescod, and Jesse Solomon — each endured individual issues, which were paired with the drama happening within the house, including Ciara and West's in-house romance falling apart and Lindsay and Carl's breakup playing out on the show months after the couple ended their engagement after three years together.

Although Season 8 officially ended with a two-part reunion, one if its stars had one more secret to share with fans. Danielle, who had starred on the show since Season 1, announced she would leave, shocking her day one supporter.

So, what was the reason behind Danielle's departure? Let's delve into her own words and her exciting plans post-Summer House!

Danielle joined Summer House in Season 2 and shared much of her life on the show. Fans watched her deal with personal struggles, from her breakup with her boyfriend, Robert Sieber, to launching her Donne fashion app in Season 8. However, after seven seasons, she shared via Instagram that the latest season was her last.

"I wanted to share that I’ve come to the heartbreaking decision to not return as a full time cast member on the upcoming season of Summer House,” Danielle's Instagram message from June 25 read. "Obviously this decision didn’t come without a tremendous amount of thought. Ultimately, I just need to trust my gut."

Before announcing her departure, Danielle had caught flack online for expressing her opinions on Summer House. Specifically, she had been vocal about Lindsay and Carl's relationship since their engagement. In Season 7, Danielle questioned the couple's motivation for getting married. Ultimately, her opinions backfired, as fans quickly turned on her.

Danielle didn't share whether the public's opinion of her affected her decision, but she did say in her Instagram farewell that she had to make a decision that would "prioritize" her needs, which ultimately led to her deciding to bow out of the upcoming season.

"If I can’t put 100% of myself into filming, genuinely and authentically, it really doesn’t feel right doing it in a full-time capacity," Danielle explained. "The network, production, my cast, and especially all of you deserve that."

"Right now, I need to protect and prioritize the things that matter most to me — my company, my people, and of course, myself."

Danielle added in her Instagram post that she was "so grateful" to NBCUniversal and Bravo for supporting her decision to leave the show. She further shared reminded fans that her Season 9 departure wasn't the first time she stepped back to focus on herself, as she did the same back in Season 4. Danielle said the choice "ended up working better than I imagined" and she felt certain it would happen again if and when she comes back.

For now, the fashion entrepreneur is enjoying her time out of the Hamptons and spending it doing whatever she desires. However, since she's real-life friends with the cast, fans shouldn't be surprised if they see a few cameos, as she hinted at being involved in Season 9, in some capacity.

"However I'm involved this summer, you can bet I'll be rooting for another incredible season from my Summer House fan," Danielle said, teasing. "My goodness, Season 9 you guys!!! Best of luck and sending so much love."

So far, Danielle is the only Summer House cast member departing the series. The new season began filming in June 2024 and could possibly add new cast members.

Summer House is available to stream on Peacock.