3 weeks ago
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Vicki Gunvalson has a MAJOR grudge with Bravo!
In a sneak peek of Vice‘s upcoming episode of their series The Dark Side of Reality TV that was obtained by People on Monday, the Real Housewives of Orange County star opens up about the horrific way she learned about her mother’s death… on camera!
Related: Scheana Shay DRAGS Rachel Leviss For Ending Her Podcast!
Vicki recalled filming and “playing Bunko at Shannon [Beador]’s” when her family members were trying to get ahold of her. When she didn’t answer her phone, her daughter called production directly in hopes of getting in touch with the reality star, as Vicki recalled:
“Brianna [her daughter] had been calling, calling, calling, and they kept telling her, ‘Well, she’s filming right now, blah, blah, blah.’ She’s like, ‘I need to talk to my mom right now.'”
It’s unclear if the producers knew what news Brianna had to share — but either way, if a loved one is going out of their way to speak to someone, it’s clearly an emergency and shouldn’t be brushed off like this! Filming can wait!
The Real Housewives team ultimately did let the family members speak, but not until they had set up Shannon’s wrapping paper room with “lights and cameramen” so they could record the convo. This is what has rubbed the 62-year-old the wrong way, as she recalled in the Vice doc:
“I was really upset that 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 has passed. Talk to your daughter off camera.’ If I was a producer, that’s what I would’ve done.”
Seriously! Going out of their way to delay this important conversation so they could get the perfect shot is insensitive AF. Stressing just how “traumatic” of a situation it was, Vicki added:
“Let me scream and cry on my own and be mad. It was very, very traumatic. I will never forgive Bravo for that.”
Oof. The poor thing.
Anyone who has lost a parent or loved one knows how challenging and emotional that can be. Even the most famous and vulnerable people — regardless of their profession — deserve to grieve in private. But she didn’t get that choice.
If you don’t know, season 10, episode 5 of RHOC showed Vicki collapsing to the floor while on the phone with her daughter. As she learned of the loss, she said:
“Oh, my God. I don’t want to believe this. I just talked to her this morning.”
She continued:
“I just want my mom back. I want my mom. I have to go see my mom right now. I want to be with my mom. I need her every day. I need her so bad. Who’s going to worry about me? I don’t have parents now. I need my parents. I need my mom.”
It’s just so, so heartbreaking to watch.
Vicki’s mother was 83 when she passed away on February 4, 2015. Vicki later shared on a Bravotv.com blog that the family chose not to have an autopsy performed, but the coroner believed she died from a massive heart attack or an aneurysm. A few months after the loss, Vicki was on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and said she understood why Bravo chose to air the scene (which she had not watched), reflecting:
“I lost my mother and I signed up for all areas of my life to be exposed, the good and the bad. There’s been a lot of great moments that have been aired and there’s a lot of moments that I wish wasn’t on a reality show. This is not a moment that I feel, as of right now, I regret.”
She added:
“I don’t blame Bravo, I don’t blame Evolution [production company], I don’t blame anybody. It’s my life.”
But, clearly, her opinions have changed as more time has passed. And honestly, that’s understandable. It’s a sensitive thing!
The full episode of the series exploring this and more will air on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on Vice.
What do YOU think, Perezcious readers? Was this cruel of Bravo and the Real Housewives producers? Let us know (below).
[Image via VICE TV/Bravo/YouTube]
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