Delusional? Gretchen Rossi & Slade Smiley STILL Insist They Weren't Fired From 'RHOC!'

Is Gretchen Rossi living in a fantasy world?

It's been more than a year since the former Bravolebrity was fired from The Real Housewives of Orange County. But the 36-year-old and her fiancé, Slade Smiley, 41, are still telling friends they quit the reality show that made them stars.

"Gretchen and Slade say they walked away from a lucrative multi-season contract with Bravo," an insider close to the couple exclusively tells RadarOnline.com. "They claim that they desperately wanted to get away from all the drama."

However, the 36-year-old former cast member is telling a tall tale. As RadarOnline.com reported in September 2013, Bravo producers dropped Rossi after season 8 due to her ho-hum storyline.

Even an allegedly staged engagement scene couldn't save her from the chopping block.

Also, sources insist the cash-strapped Rossi and Smiley would never have walked away from their paycheck.

"They need money," an insider insists. "They would have remained on the show for years if they had had the choice!"

Since saying goodbye to the O.C., the pair has appeared on Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars. Rossi also has a cosmetics and clothing line, Gretchen Christine.