Heavy/NBCUniversal Annemarie Wiley.
Annemarie Wiley spoke out after she was publicly called out for her comments about her profession.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” newcomer, who works as a nurse anesthetist, is under fire amid a season 13 storyline that has her butting heads with co-stars Crystal Kung Minkoff and Sutton Stracke—over Stracke’s esophagus.
In January 2024, Wiley responded to an Instagram post shared by The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) that referenced the drama and accused her of “title misappropriation.” Wiley also said the storyline that spawned the drama was inauthentic.
Here’s what you need to know:
Annemarie Wiley Clapped Back in a Lengthy Instagram Post
During her first season on RHOBH, Wiley, 40, frequently talked about her career medical field. She said her job title was CRNA and talked about working in the anesthesiology field. During an episode of the RHOBH Aftershow, Wiley further explained what she does for a living. “A nurse anesthetist is an RN that practices anesthesia and an anesthesiologist is an MD that practices anesthesiology. So we do the same practice. We have the same scope of practice. We just get there two different paths,” she said.
But after the ASA questioned some of the other things she said on the Bravo reality show, Wiley clapped back. In a post on her Instagram story on January 20, 2024, Wiley wrote, “I do not condone the ASA defamation campaign. I’m a CRNA, a certified registered nurse anesthetist. I am extremely proud of my profession.”
“I will not be accused of title misappropriation because a cast mate needed a storyline on a reality TV show,” she continued. “This is my real life and my career. I am not an anesthesiologist nor have I ever claimed to be one. I have immense respect for physician anesthesiologists and I ask that the ASA and other Anesthesiologists show respect to CRNAs as well. This type of unhealthy discourse only causes friction and professional division.”
Wiley went on to claim that “political issues exist between physician anesthesiologists and CRNAs,” thus the public “attack” on her and her profession.
She then dropped a message to the Bravo powers-that-be. “The esophagus storyline was not funny,” she wrote. “Watching the show back now I hate that storyline just as much as everyone else. I would be mad at me too. It was a line of questioning I should never have started and for that I sincerely apologize. That storyline was inauthentically dragged on far too long and I have been dragged through the mud in the process. I just want to highlight the real in Reality TV.”
The ASA Called Annemarie Wiley a ‘Fake’
When talking about her career on camera, Wiley did not refer to herself as a physician anesthesiologist. But Minkoff claimed when she first met her future co-star at a party, she told her she was an anesthesiologist. On RHOBH, Wiley also argued with Stracke about advice her doctor gave her regarding her esophageal issues.
In an Instagram post, the ASA shared a comparison of anesthesiologists to nurse anesthetists. The chart noted that nurse anesthetists do not complete medical school and only need 5-7 years of higher education while physicians require 12-14 years of school.
The ASA captioned the chart with, “The Real Housewives know a fake. Anesthesiologists are medical doctors with more than 12 years of higher education and up to 16,000 hours of clinical training. Title misappropriation has no place in health care.”
Some fans commented that Wiley never called herself an anesthesiologist.
Annemarie Wiley Was Called Out By Real Housewives Doctors
On her debut RHOBH season, Wiley grilled Stracke’s claim that she has a “narrow esophagus” and told her that is “not a medical diagnosis.” She also told Stracke she just needs to chew her food more. Wiley also questioned Stracke about drinking alcohol while taking the medication Gabapentin and didn’t believe that her doctor said it was okay.
When Wiley described herself a as “board-certified nurse anesthetist,” Stracke told her she has a “board-certified” gastroenterologist.
Other footage showed Wiley talking about Stracke’s esophagus throughout the night at a group event.
“Real Housewives of Miami” star Dr. Nicole Martin addressed the drama in an Instagram Reel. Martin, who is an anesthesiologist, warned Wiley to stay in her lane. “It does not matter where you fall on the spectrum — all the way from being a tech to being a doctor. You joined the profession to be an advocate for patients, and as such, it is not our place to belittle, question, or demean a patient’s symptoms or diagnosis,” Martin said. “It was just very uncomfortable and cringey to watch Annemarie belittle Sutton’s symptoms in such a way.”
“Real Housewives of Dallas” alum Dr. Tiffany Moon, who is also a physician anesthesiologist, also weighed in. “I think it was very disturbing how Annemarie was weaponizing her medical profession to tell Sutton things about her own condition,” Moon said on Instagram. “Let’s not use our medical knowledge to come at people, especially when you’re wrong.”
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