Justin Hartley
While his decision to file for divorce from real estate agent Chrishell Stause became one of the biggest storylines in Selling Sunset's third season—Chrishell alleged he ended their marriage in a text message—the reasoning behind the This Is Us star's absence on the Netflix series was far less dramatic.
"I think it was just contractual," Selling Sunset creator Adam DiVello told Variety in 2020. "We certainly asked many, many times. I think it was just his contract with NBC."
Brittany Snow
While the Pitch Perfect actress' marriage to realtor Tyler Stanaland came up often during Selling the OC's debut season, Snow never filmed for the Netflix series. She may appear in the future, but for now, Tyler explained on the Reality TV with Kate Casey podcast, keeping his home life private is the "one thing that made me feel safe embarking on such a strange journey."
Aimee Osbourne
When The Osbournes debuted in 2002, viewers couldn't get enough of the wacky antics of rock star Ozzy Osbourne, his wife Sharon Osbourne and their children, Jack and Kelly. But the couple's oldest child, Aimee Osbourne, moved out of their house when she was 16 years old to avoid filming.
"To me, I'd grown up around having a pretty well-known dad anyway, and I always really valued my privacy within that family," Aimee explained during an interview with the New York radio station Q104.3 in 2020. "For who I am, as far as morally, and also just to give myself a chance to actually develop into a human being as opposed to just being remembered for being a teenager, it didn't really line up with what I saw my future as. It definitely worked great for the rest of my family, but for me and who I am, I just knew it was never something that I would have been able to consider realistically."
Pete Davidson
While the Saturday Night Live alum never physically appeared during The Kardashians on Hulu throughout his nine-month romance with Kim Kardashian, he could be heard speaking off-camera during one of Kim's interviews in the season one finale.
In a different confessional, she opened up about why she was reluctant to share details about her relationship with the comedian on camera.
"I just feel like I wanted to really make sure and not be like 'Oh my god, I met someone and I'm having fun' and then just like start talking about it on a show," she explained. "Then if we weren't talking months later I'd be an idiot. Or a whore, either one."
And, despite Pete making a quick cameo in the season two teaser, he will not appear in any upcoming episodes after their breakup in August.
Aaron Rodgers
The private feud between the Green Bay Packers quarterback and his immediate family became public knowledge after his younger brother Jordan Rodgers appeared on The Bachelorette in 2016. When Jordan brought JoJo Fletcher to Chico, Calif., for his hometown date, he shared that Aaron had been estranged from the rest of the family for two years.
"It doesn't need to be a topic," Jordan explained. "I'll just tell them we talked about it, and yeah." Of course, it became THE topic, with Fletcher even acknowledging the chair at the Rodgers family dinner table, saying she knew the family probably wished Aaron was sitting in it.
And when Jordan and Fletcher tied the knot in May 2022, Aaron did not attend the wedding. Still, the athlete is hopeful for a future reconciliation.
"Many people have issues with family and deal with them in their own ways," he said on an episode of the Aubrey Marcus Podcast released in August. "For me, I've always tried to deal with it quietly behind closed doors. That hasn't always been the case or hasn't been good enough for a lot of people who want to write about it, or pick it apart, or talk about it, or even some things that my family has said or done over the years that's been public."
Michael Owens
When Gemma Owens' family came to visit her in the villa on Love Island UK's eighth season, her football legend father was not on hand to meet her boyfriend, Luca Bish. But Michael's decision not to travel to Mallorca was not because he disapproved of their romance, but rather due to work obligations for his company, Manor House Stables.
"My wife will do that duty," Michael explained to Sky Sports' At The Races while supporting his horse at an event in July. "I'll represent the horses and she'll represent the daughter."