Tinsley Mortimer Denies She Was Forced to Decide Between Fiance and RHONY

RHONY hasn't lost one of its stars ... yet.

Despite reports Tinsley Mortimer has stopped filming "Real Housewives of New York" after getting engaged to Scott Kluth, she promises she'll be back in the city soon to finish out the season.

"It's important for me to set the record straight," she said in a statement to PEOPLE. "Any reports saying that I had to decide between Scott or the show are 100 percent untrue. We are enjoying this incredibly happy time in our lives."

"Scott and I have been celebrating our engagement in Chicago, where I will soon call home," she added. "The last few weeks have been such a wonderful whirlwind of excitement, and we both wanted to spend this special time with each other and our families. As with many relationships, life does not completely stop for love, which is why I will continue to honor my work commitments in NYC while Scott focuses on CouponCabin's busy season in Chicago."

Reports began circulating that Mortimer had quit "RHONY" to move to Chicago with Kluth in early November. Though she attended BravoCon with her co-stars, PEOPLE reports she has not been seen filming with them since and even skipped out on the cast trip to Mexico. The publication claims her exit from the show is expected to play out when Season 12 premieres in 2020.

"Scott gave her an ultimatum: 'me or the show,' and she choose the show," the insider said at the time. "He loves the limelight but hated the negative effect the show had on their relationship. And Tinsley, she's desperate to make the relationship work and was on the outs with the group as it was."

Luann de Lesseps seemed to confirm the rumors during a performance of her Countess and Friends cabaret show at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in New Jersey.

During a Q&A session with the audience, Lu reportedly joked that Tinsley's mom, Dale Mercer, was "probably jumping for joy" over the engagement, though she felt Dale was likely "more upset that Tinsley's not filming anymore now that she's marrying Scott than Tinsley is."

"I wish her all the best," she told the crowd. "She seems very happy, and I want her to be happy and get married. That's what she wants to do. She's very traditional. She wants to have a baby. It's time."

Tinsley joined the cast of "RHONY" for Season 9 in 2017. That year, she was introduced to Scott via former co-star Carole Radziwill. They've been long-distance dating (he lives in Chicago) on and off ever since.

Scott proposed last month on the steps of the Chicago Water Tower.