Don Cheated on Vicki for 20 Years?!

The latest clip released from Bravo in anticipation of Monday's Part 2 of the reunion show from Season 7 of The Real Housewives of Orange County includes a major reveal....Donn cheated on Vicki for 20 years!  A fact confirmed by both Vicki's daughter, Briana, and Vicki's BFF turned frenemy, Tamra.  As Briana is discussing her dislike of Vicki's boyfriend, Brooks, she shares that Brooks has been around long before Vicki and Donn separated.  Amidst her denial than anything was going on, Vicki shares that Donn had an affair for 20 years during their marriage.  Both Briana and Tamra share that they were aware of this.  Gretchen is shocked and maintains that Vicki is a hypocrite for her relationship with Brooks.  Not only is he a deadbeat when it comes to child support--a topic that has been a sore spot between Vicki and Gretchen as Vicki previously attacked Gretchen for dating Slade in spite of his inability to pay child support for his children--but Vicki has also attacked Gretchen for being allegedly unfaithful to her deceased fiance, Jeff.

Things got even uglier as Tamra accused Vicki of cheating on Donn while they were in Cabo filming for Season 6 of The Real Housewives of Orange County.  Apparently, after Tamra left Cabo, Vicki stayed and called her one morning to share that she woke up naked with some guy.  Vicki denied this on the lives of her children and her unborn grandchild.  To which, Tamra told Vicki she was going to hell.

Here are my thoughts on Vicki and all of these allegations.  Who knows whether every single allegation is true, but clearly some of them are.  My biggest issue with housewives of any of these shows is that they refuse to admit when they are wrong or make mistakes.  They continue to deny, deny, deny even when they're caught.  Further, even if they do admit to doing something wrong that they've previously maligned someone else for doing, they always have an excuse for how and why it's different and why they really weren't wrong.  If Vicki simply said to Gretchen and Slade earlier in the season You know what, I was wrong to attack you two for dating and the whole not paying child support thing.  While I don't condone not paying child support and I believe that Slade you should be doing everything in your power to pay every last cent of child support owed to the mothers of your children, it's none of my business and your relationship is none of my business.   Yes, Brooks got into a situation where he couldn't pay his child support and even had to go to jail for it.  I don't condone him not paying his child support, but he is doing everything he can now to pay it and I believe he's better off out of jail so he can work and provide his kids with money than in jail unable to support his kids.  I'm sorry for attacking you in the past, I was wrong, and I won't do it again."  Simple, easy and she won't be called a hypocrite.  Everyone can change and realize that they do not know every detail.

While personally, I have some of my skepticism of the whether Slade is doing everything for his children, I don't know every detail so it's not for me to judge.  It is clear he doesn't make the same amount of money he made when we watched him in Season 1 and Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, so how could he afford the same child support? Also, one of his sons is severely ill and has extensive medical bills.  It's also possible that a significant portion of Slade's money is going towards his son's medical care than his child support.

Anyway....my whole rambling is basically to say that I think where housewives get in trouble is where they are not honest with the viewers and try to provide a cover up by just yelling louder and louder to deny allegations against them.  It's when you hide who you really are, that the viewers begin to dislike you, just like with Alexis--but that is a discussion for another time.  If Vicki just admitted that her marriage to Donn was not what it seemed, that he had affairs and yes, she met Brooks when she was still with Donn and started a relationship during the marriage, viewers would appreciate Vicki's honesty over her deception.  Instead, Vicki insists on denying the accusations and insisting that she was 100% faithful to Donn both emotionally and physically.  On another note, anyone finding the whole vow renewal/my love tank is now full that took place during Season 5 may have been just for the cameras and at Bravo's insistance not Vicki and Donn's?  What do you think of the revelations from Bravo's latest clip, which can be found here, and Vicki's changes this year? Share below!

Be sure to keep up to date with all the latest news about The Real Housewives of Orange County here.

Vicki Wants Donn Back

The latest news from The Real Housewives of Orange County is that original OC housewife, Vicki Gunvalson, wants her ex-husband Donn back.  Previews for tonight's episode shows Vicki crying and sharing that if Donn wanted her back she would go back to him.  This revelation is in strict contrast to the fact that Vicki filed for divorce and how happy she is with her new boyfriend, Brooks Ayers.  So the question is does Vicki really want Donn back?  I find myself thinking that it is not so much that Vicki wants Donn back, but that she was met with a lot of backlash for leaving Donn and even more for dating Brooks.  Rumors have circulated that Vicki cheated on Donn with Brooks, that Brooks went to jail for failing to pay child support (revealed to be true), and that Brooks is only with Vicki for her money.  Overall, fans hate Brooks and while Vicki's fans are happy to see Vicki happy, they do not trust Brooks and preferred her when she was with Donn.  Vicki's declaration that she would go back to Donn may simply be her attempt to make fans believe they are separated because that is what Donn wants and that Donn is the reason they are not together.  Another possibility is that Vicki, who has previously said that God hates divorce may feel deeply conflicted about her second divorce and truly wish that she and Donn would have made it work.

I tend to be a bit cynical and believe that at this point, the housewives are well aware that everything they say and do on camera will be strictly scrutinized by fans and they know their fans are the key to their success.  Vicki is a very smart woman who understands this, I believe at least part of this declaration is to get fans on her side and to make Donn seem like the bad guy.  As a person who was sad to see Vicki and Donn separate (but certainly understood it), I would love to see Donn and Vicki reconcile (especially because I do not trust Brooks and think he's with Vicki for her money).  Time will tell what the real story is and we will all have to turn in tonight to see whether we believe that Vicki wants Donn back.

What do you think? Does Vicki want Donn back?

The 7th Season of The Real Housewives of Orange County

The 7th Season of The Real Housewives of Orange County is set to premiere on February 7, 2012 and the internet is already a buzz about the upcoming season.  First of all, can you believe that the RHOC is already in its 7th season?!  I guess if you look at where the show started and where it is now, it's easier to believe.  When the show started out in Season 1, although it was all about the glamorous lives behind the gates in Coto de Caza, it was a lot less polished.  The women perhaps had the money, the boob jobs, and the Botox, but they still felt real.  As the show has progressed, the women who have been added to the cast (and those that have stuck around) have learned the ins and outs of reality TV.  Everything is flashier and more polished (and I'm not just talking about the massive amounts of airbrushing Bravo does on promotional pictures!).  All you have to do is look at the wardrobe choices from the promotional photos for the show throughout the seasons.  The wardrobe progresses from blouses and pants to cocktail dresses.  That being said, the original of The Real Housewives franchise is still one of my favorites.

The question as the show becomes more polished and the wives become more akin to the ways of reality TV is, is it still real?  According to Bravo and the show's producers, yes.  But that doesn't mean that some of the show isn't manufactured.  Peggy Tanous, who joined the show in Season 6 and will not be returning for Season 7, although clips from the upcoming season implies she will at least be making the occasional appearance, has reported in interviews that she left in part because she felt the show was too manufactured as the cast and production got together to discuss story lines.

Regardless of whether or not it is manufactured, the only remaining original OC housewife, Vicki Gunvalson, has gone on record that Season 7 is the most shocking season of The Real Housewives of Orange County to date.  Bravo has already shocked some viewers in sharing that during the upcoming 7th season, Tamra Barney and Gretchen Rossi are actually friends! Gretchen joined the show in Season 4 and she and Tamra have been sworn rivals/enemies ever since.  However, the apparently kiss and make-up sometime during Season 7 which sends shockwaves throughout the entire cast.  Tamra's new friendship with Gretchen affects her friendship with BFF Vicki and Gretchen's new friendship with Tamra not only affects her friendship with friend and ally, Alexis Bellino, but also hurts her relationship with boyfriend, Slade Smiley.  Tamra and Gretchen have been fighting for over 3 years now, so I question the reality of their friendship and how close they truly have become after saying such horrible things about each other for years.  It will be interesting to see how it all plays out and if we really buy their friendship.

With Tamra and Gretchen buddy-buddy, that leaves everyone to wonder where the big drama for the season will come from--and you know there will be drama! Well that's where a new housewife comes into the mix.  Heather Dubrow, a former actress and now mother of four, joins the cast this year.  Internet rumors are swirling that Heather will brew up some conflict this year.

Other conflict includes Vicki introducing the cast and her family to her new boyfriend, Brook Ayers.  OC fans were devastated when at the end of Season 6, Vicki filed for divorce from her longtime husband and fan favorite, Don.  Vicki and Don had renewed their vows in Season 5 with a commitment to work and focus on their marriage after Vicki proclaimed in Season 4 that Don no longer filled her love tank.  Apparently that renewal was short lived and her love tank depleted within a year.  Vicki is now boasting that Brook fills her love tank, but everyone else does not seem so sure.  Bravo has already revealed that Vicki's daughter, Briana, does not approve of Brook which will cause some drama.  Causing more drama is that Briana runs off to Vegas and elopes!  After Briana's marriage hit the news, the blogs became a twitter that Vicki did not know that Briana was planning to elope in Vegas.  In fact, Briana was married on October 23, 2011 and Vicki announced on November 3, 2011 that she was engaged--1 1/2 weeks after she was married!  We'll have to stay tuned for Season 7 to see how that all plays out.

Sounds like there is a lot in store for the OC Housewives this season.  If you want a sneak peak, check out Bravo's sneak peak of Season 7 below: