Vicki Gunvalson’s Daughter Warned Her Not to Return to ‘RHOC’

Vicki Gunvalson rejoined the cast of RHOC for its 20th season. Gunvalson was an original cast member on The Real Housewives of Orange County and left after its 14th season. While Andy Cohen said he was thrilled to have her back on the show, her daughter did not feel the same way. Here’s why she thought that this would be a terrible idea for her mother.

Vicki Gunvalson has returned to ‘RHOC’

After many seasons away from the show, Gunvalson is returning for its milestone 20th season. While the show did not ask her back for the 15th season, they believed that they needed her for this anniversary. Gunvalson was an original Housewife on the show’s first season.

“I was so excited to give Vicki that orange back,” Cohen said at BravoCon. “We don’t take it lightly that The Real Housewives of Orange County is turning 20, and so we thought it would be a really fun thing to bring her back. And I really wanted to do it in front of all of you.”

Gunvalson has said that it feels good to be back on the show. 

Vicki Gunvalson said her daughter did not want her to rejoin the cast of ‘RHOC’

Though Gunvalson looked forward to her return, her daughter, Briana Culberson, thought it was a bad idea. She noted that Gunvalson lost many relationships because of the reality series. 

“Briana said, ‘No, Mom. The show has never been good for you. You’ve always lost relationships,’” Gunvalson said, per People.

A number of Gunvalson’s romantic relationships played out on the show. As she is in a relatively new relationship with Michael Smith, Culberson worries that the show could cause problems for them. 

“She really enjoyed me with Michael, and we were just starting a new relationship, a couple years old, and she’s like, ‘Why do you want to do this? Don’t put him on,’” she said. 

While Gunvalson did not take her daughter’s advice into account regarding rejoining the cast, she acknowledged that it could cause problems in her relationship. As a result, she said she will keep him off the show as much as possible.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, I won’t put him on,’” she said. “She’s very protective over me.”

Still, Gunvalson told fans that they would see a bit of Smith on the show. 

She said her husband did not want her to join the cast at first

This is not the first time that a family member has told Gunvalson not to join RHOC. When the show first approached her about joining the cast, her then-husband Donn Gunvalson did not think reality television was a good idea.

“My husband at the time, Donn, said, ‘There’s no way we’re doing a reality show. You work too hard. I work too hard. I want to come home and have peace,’” she said.

She said she initially turned down the opportunity.