“The Real Housewives of Orange County” alum Vicki Gunvalson has had numerous meltdowns and screaming matches depicted on the Bravo reality series. She got caught up in her ex's fake cancer scam, screamed too much for her own good, and gagged on camera more times than we care to count. But she believes the cable network went too far in 2015 when they recorded her learning of her mother's death in real time.
In an upcoming episode of Vice's “The Dark Side of Reality TV” series, the former Bravo star shed light on the production of that episode and shared that her family members, including her daughter Briana, had repeatedly called her to tell him that his mother, Joanne Steinmetz, had died. But Gunvalson was filming season 10 of the franchise's launch reality show, specifically playing Bunco at her friend Shannon Beador's house during those calls. So, her family finally called the production team to talk to her on the phone.
According to a clip obtained by People, Gunvalson said the production team outfitted Beador's wrapping paper room with lights and camera operators to film her receiving the emotional phone call.
“It bothered me a lot that the production knew for an hour and they didn't tell me. They were out of line and I think they should have taken me aside and said, 'Your mom passed away.' Talk to your daughter off camera,'” Gunvalson said. “If I were a producer, that's what I would have done.
“Let me scream and cry alone and get angry. It was very, very traumatic. “I will never forgive Bravo for that.”
Representatives for Bravo had no comment Monday when contacted by The Times.
The 62-year-old, who has starred in 14 seasons of the franchise since its debut in 2006, left the show in 2020. She has still appeared in more recent seasons in a minor “friend” capacity, but she is no longer a series regular. .
In the moving scene about her mother, Gunvalson collapsed to the floor and began screaming upon receiving the fateful phone call. The devastated reality star said through tears that she had just spoken to her mother that morning, that Steinmetz had not been sick and that she wanted her mother to come back.
He previously spoke about the scene on a 2015 episode of the Bravo late-night talk show “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.” Although at the time he said he had not yet seen the episode, he expressed gratitude that Steinmetz was not in the scene and the cameras did not show his mother on her deathbed.
However, the businesswoman said at the time that she would not be bothered by the scene because it was part of her reality. He also said he “blacked out” during the call and didn't remember much about that night.
“I lost my mother and I signed up for all areas of my life to be exposed, the good and the bad,” he said at the time. “A lot of great moments have been aired and there are a lot of moments I wish weren't on a reality show. “This is not a moment that I feel, so far, that I regret.”
“The Dark Side of Reality TV” episode focused on the “Real Housewives” franchise airs Tuesday on Vice. The series has already tackled the reality shows “Hell's Kitchen,” “Joe Millionaire,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and season 1 of “Survivor.”
