In a recent interview, Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson opened up about the traumatic experience of learning about her mother's death while filming the show. The 62-year-old reality TV personality expressed her anger and disappointment with Bravo and the show's production team for how they handled the situation.
Gunvalson recounted the events of that fateful day, which occurred during the filming of season 10. She was at co-star Shannon Beador's house playing Bunko when her family members desperately tried to reach her with the news. Despite her daughter Brianna's repeated attempts to contact her, production kept Gunvalson in the dark for an hour.
"They were out of line," Gunvalson stated, clearly still affected by the incident. "I think they should have taken me aside and said, 'Your mom has passed. Talk to your daughter off-camera.' If I was a producer, that's what I would've done."
Instead, the production team set up cameras in Beador's wrapping paper room to capture Gunvalson's reaction. The resulting scene, which aired in episode five of season 10, showed Gunvalson collapsing to the floor in tears upon receiving the news from her daughter.
"Let me scream and cry on my own and be mad," Gunvalson said, expressing her frustration with how the situation was handled. "It was very, very traumatic. I will never forgive Bravo for that."
Interestingly, Gunvalson's current stance on the incident differs from her initial reaction. In a 2015 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, she stated that she didn't blame the network for airing the scene, acknowledging that she had signed up for all aspects of her life to be exposed on the show.
However, nearly a decade later, the wound seems to have reopened for Gunvalson. Her recent comments highlight the ongoing debate about the ethics of reality TV production and the emotional toll it can take on its participants.
As Gunvalson's story continues to resonate with fans and critics alike, it serves as a stark reminder of the sometimes blurred lines between entertainment and personal tragedy in the world of reality television.