The Real Housewives of Orange County star Braunwyn Windham-Burke has faced an unusual amount of controversy this year.
Not only did she reveal that she struggles with alcohol dependency and come out as a lesbian, but she did all those things while remaining a full-time cast member within one of the most opinionated Housewives franchises in the Bravo family.
Now, Braunwyn is speaking out about her experience with the women and gives her take on why they’ve reacted this way.
Braunwyn’s journey is getting a ton of press
During a chat with Emily Orozco and Lauren Herbert on Housewives Nightcap, Braunwyn revealed that she knew she would be a target of criticism from the women for her personal life.
“I don’t believe we have seen a Housewife get this much press, just like in the general media, since, like, Bethenny’s divorce. Like, she got a ton of press at that time. So, do you think it’s maybe because you are kind of getting all this press even though some of it is not positive necessarily?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, of course,” Braunwyn expressed. “When I got asked to do Movement Not a Moment I said to my producer, ‘Oh crap. I’m gonna have a target on my head.’ And I did.”
Braunwyn says the RHOC cast can be ‘very petty’
“I think the women on the show, and this isn’t the same with all the cast, cuz I have a lot of friends in other cities. The women on the Orange County cast have a tendency to be very petty and belittle people,” she continued.
“Instead of thinking, ‘How can we as a group elevate ourselves?’ It’s like nope, you’re getting too much attention, I’m gonna try to pull you back down. But I knew that was coming. I knew the moment I got Movement Not a Moment that it was going to be ugly for me and it was,” Braunwyn admitted.
Although Braunwyn was prepared for a certain level of pushback this season, what she didn’t anticipate was that the women would attack her sobriety.
According to Braunwyn, the RHOC women knew she was struggling with drinking.
“I didn’t think they’d go after my sobriety because everyone in my cast knows I’ve struggled. Anyone that watches the show knows that I was not having a great time,” she continued.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.