BravoCon 2022: The Fan Interaction That Had Vicki Gunvalson In Tears
BravoCon 2022 has shown us that "The Real Housewives" is truly more than just a television show.
Fans of the "Housewives" know that businesswoman Vicki Gunvalson is the absolute OG of the franchise. The first-ever iteration of the series, "The Real Housewives of Orange County," premiered all the way back in 2006 with Gunvalson on board from the beginning. With her spunky personality and her iconically hilarious meltdowns, Gunvalson quickly became a cast mainstay. According to IMDb, the reality queen appeared in the second-most amount of "RHOC" episodes, 268 (which is just one episode behind co-star Tamra Judge). After a whopping 13 seasons on "RHOC," Bravo made the decision to demote Gunvalson to the "friend of" role. This was a slap in the face to Gunvalson, so she left the show after Season 14.
Even though she isn't technically a "Real Housewife" anymore, the OG of the OC was invited to BravoCon 2022 to interact with her everlasting fans, and one fan's touching statement during a panel left Gunvalson in tears.
Vicki Gunvalson recounted her mother's tragic death
During the Most Golden Moments Power Hour panel at BravoCon 2022, Vicki Gunvalson was moved to tears by what one attendee said to the panel consisting of Gunvalson, Kyle Richards, Margaret Josephs, and Sheree Whitfield. According to a reporter from The List, the fan acknowledged how Gunvalson and Richards opening up about their mothers' unfortunate deaths on the "Housewives" helped her cope with her own mother's death.
Gunvalson then teared up as she recounted the harrowing moment when she discovered that her mom had unexpectedly died during the filming of Season 10. That day, her daughter, Briana, tried to call Gunvalson for two hours before she got in touch with "The Real Housewives of Orange County" production. They tried to get Gunvalson to take the call in her wrapping room, but the cellular service was bad. This is ultimately why Gunvalson answered the phone in her kitchen in front of the cameras. "It was so raw and real because she wasn't sick," she lamented. "Cherish every day because in a moment they can be gone."
Throughout the panel, Gunvalson was also emotional over her fond memories of "RHOC" and expressed that she missed being on the show. Page Six reported that Gunvalson filmed a one-off scene with Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador for the upcoming season, but she won't be returning to the cast as even a "friend of." Could this display of love for Gunvalson inspire a future casting decision?