It’s no secret that The Real Housewives doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to couples on the show staying married (although in fairness, reality shows in general don’t seem to be good for marriages). Vicki Gunvalson of The Real Housewives of Orange County talked about how being on television caused strain in her relationship with her then-husband Donn Gunvalson that ultimately led to their divorce.
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When they first signed up for the show, the Gunvalsons were optimistic that they could thrive where other couples hadn’t.
“Donn said, ‘Look at all these reality TV stars that are losing their marriages over this,'” Vicki said on the 100th episode special of RHOC. “He goes, ‘I’ll be damned if we’re gonna be one of them.’ And I said, ‘Honey, we’re never gonna be one of them.’ Seven years in, we were one of them.”
“They didn’t really spend that much time together and when they did they were fighting and they didn’t really get along,” Vicki’s son Michael said in an interview for the special. “And to see that played back and have other people’s perspectives was super awkward.”
Vicki reflected more on her Bravo blog: “The bottom line is we let doing this show influence our relationship; we let it put stress on our relationship without consciously being aware that it was actually happening.”
Although they are no longer married and Vicki’s dating life has been a point of controversy on the show, Vicki says that she and Donn have a cordial relationship.
“Although Donn and I didn’t have a perfect relationship, we loved each other and wanted the best for one another. Even though we are separated now, we still want the best for one another and want each other to be happy,” Vicki wrote. “And by the way, those of you who want to know how he’s doing, he’s actually great. He lives in the desert and talks to Briana a lot and sees Troy often.”
Despite the on-again/off-again nature of her relationship with new boyfriend Brooks Ayers, Vicki says that she’s taking a more guarded approach to her future as far as marriage is concerned.
“t’s going to be a very long time before I am walking down the aisle again, if ever,” she said.
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(Image and video courtesy of Bravo)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
