Getty Bethenny Frankel in 2016
In a new interview, former Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson revealed that Bethenny Frankel reached out to her after news broke that she was fired from the franchise.
While appearing on a recent episode of the Behind The Velvet Rope podcast with David Yontef, Gunvalson revealed that Frankel contacted her after her firing. “She gave me some good advice,” Gunvalson said. “She said to clean out your closet, get rid of the stuff you don’t need anymore, donate it or sell it. It’ll take you six months to a year to get that backpack off your back. The stress will go away, your relationships will improve, and it’s slowly starting to happen.”
Gunvalson had been a member of The Real Housewives of Orange County since the first season but was let go before Season 15 began filming. Gunvalson was fired along with her friend, Tamra Judge, who had been on the show since the third season.
Vicki Gunvalson Believes She Was Fired Due to Her Age
After Gunvalson was let go from The Real Housewives of Orange County, she explained that she believes she was fired due to her age. During a June 2020 episode of her podcast, Whoop It Up with Vicki, Gunvalson said she and friend Tamra Judge blamed their firing on the fact that Bravo wanted to hire younger cast members, according to The Sun.
“There’s several things we thought of. … We got very expensive and I think they said that viewers were ready for younger blood,” Gunvalson said during the podcast.
However, Andy Cohen later debunked their theory soon after they said that. “If you look at the women on our shows, there are a lot of women that are really thriving in their 50s and late 50s. Yeah, no. I don’t care for that [remark],” Cohen said during an appearance on Brandi Glanville’s podcast.
Vicki Gunvalson Announced Her Departure on Instagram
In January 2020, Gunvalson announced through Instagram that she would not be returning to The Real Housewives of Orange County. “I will always be the OG of the OC, but it’s time to say goodbye to The Real Housewives of Orange County,” Gunvalson wrote in the caption. “It’s been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want thank all of you for your support, for your love and for ‘whooping it up’ with me along the way. I’ve been working on new projects that will be exciting, empowering and inspirational.”
Gunvalson continued, writing, “I love all my fans, and I want to thank Bravo and Evolution for this incredible experience which my family and I have will never forget.”
Many of Gunvalson’s fellow Real Housewives stars commented on her post, including former Real Housewives of Orange County star Lizzie Rosvek. Rosvek wrote at the time, “OG FOREVER!!!! I can’t wait to see what you do next.”
Viewers can tune into part two of The Real Housewives of Orange County on January 26 at 9/8c on Bravo.
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