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When she was first announced as a new addition to the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2019, Braunwyn Windham-Burke did not look completely different from the women who cycled in and out of the series during the previous 13 seasons. The hair, the physique, the name – look like classic Orange County. And yet, Windham-Burke turns out to be a wild child who immediately jerked the boat, lips closed with fellow member Tamra Judge and mocking RHOC AND Vicki Gunvalson.
In season 15 is the departure of Judge and Gunvalson and the arrival of a new Braunwyn. In the premiere of the October season, she announced that she was an alcoholic, and in the final season of Wednesday night, she came out as a lesbian in a confessional (she previously shared the news in a GLAAD interview in December which took place after the season was finished filming)). Between those crucial moments, Windham-Burke hid in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic; Black Lives Matter protests attended; had an increasingly complicated marriage of 26 years with her husband, Sean; and – truly Housewives fashion – accused several women of lying.
With nearly a year of sobriety under her belt, and a bunch of headlines about her girlfriend, Wyndham-Burke spoke to Vulture about one of the most eventful second seasons in Real housewives history.
Suffice it to say that it has been a great year for you. If you look back at where you were before you started filming this season, would you think you would end up here?
My one year sobriety date is January 30th, in about two weeks. I’m still flickering back, what did I do at this time last year? Because just before I got sober, it was not pretty. No, I do not think I could do it. When I stood on that ski slope and said to my producer, ‘I’m an alcoholic; let’s do it, ‘I had no idea what I was really doing. I have no idea how hard it’s going to be.
But it was amazing and it was amazing, and there is a power in it to live out your truth and be authentic. There is an inner strength I found that really got me through the difficult times.
Early in sobriety can be a very difficult time, and you did it in front of the cameras. But there is also a built-in accountability in a reality show. Did filming make it easier or harder for you?
There were some difficult moments. There was a party at Shannon’s [Beador’s] house I ran out of. The camera crew took me back to my house. I was planning to drink the day I left Shannon’s house. I tried to kick the cameras. Was it difficult on the one hand to film it? Absolutely. The other side of the coin is that the production stayed with me. They knew I was going to drink, and they did not leave me, and they finally drove me to one of my first AA meetings, which was beautiful.
Drinking was a big part of the Housewives universe for a while. Did it encourage you to drink more when you joined the program?
I think the movie aspect that people do not realize is that we are in a bubble. We are in a very safe bubble. We are surrounded by people who will take care of us; we know we are driving home safely. We are so isolated when we film. People do not come to us. There was a sense of security, and there is also a sense of, You can do whatever you want, and that’s fine. You ask for a bottle of tequila, it appears in a magical way and there is no judgment because it is not the job of the production. They do not judge us; they just film us, as it should be. So there was a feeling of, I can do what I want. It was quickly replaced with many nights where I darkened.
In the final, Kelly [Dodd] said that sober Braunwyn is not the same person as drunk Braunwyn. Do you agree that you are a different person than you were the first season in the program?
Absolutely. I think this season has had a lot of growing pains for me. You guys lived my life directly with me and became sober during the first few months, so it was hard. Who I am now, as I get close to a year, is nothing like I was a few years ago.
Do people like Kelly get upset? Yes of course. Many times when you start getting better, people see it as an insult to them. They look at their own choices. And it’s pretty common in austerity that you lose friends, and the people who have the most criticism are mostly those who do not want to look at their own behavior.
You said that expecting people to respond to your sobriety was just a storyline for the program. Were you prepared to know it was coming, and how could you handle that reaction?
I knew it was going to happen, and I knew exactly where the cast members were coming from. They are very judgmental, they are a little small, and they would rather take the cheap shots to get their five seconds’ name out there, than really take the time to pick up the phone and call me.
This is not false; it’s not a storyline – find something else. It’s too important for me and for other people. I worked hard. It’s almost a year. I fought for every one of these days and sometimes literally sat on my hands not to drink.
Let’s talk about a more joyful public revelation. The Housewives franchise obviously has a large LGBTQ + viewers. Why do you think it took so long to see a lesbian Real Housewife?
I think it’s very easy to get stuck in our comfort zones. Much of the country is not good with this. I told my husband the other day when I was walking down the beach [girlfriend] Kris, holding her hand, is still completely different from holding Sean’s hand. There is still a lot of criticism and a lot of judgment. And I think a lot of people do not want to be the first to rock that boat.
I was wondering if you could talk about the timing of your GLAAD interview, which happened during the season, but after you finished filming.
TMZ had some pictures of me and my girlfriend, and they have a policy of not caring for people. Then they came to Bravo PR, and they said, ‘We have these photos, but we’re not going to manage them.’ And [Bravo PR] come to me and say, ‘All right, it’s there; it’s going to get out there. “Because I did not hide it. Kris came out of the closet 12 years ago; I would not push her back. How can we do this in the best way? And I really wanted to find a place that was respectful and that would really tell the story.
Was it hard for me to say it the first time? Yes. If you look at the GLAAD interview, you can see me. I tremble. I shake the whole video through. But now that I have come to the other side of it, I am glowing and lighter and happier.
You have become very politically outspoken over the past year. How did you end up – in this largely white, largely conservative city – protesting with Black Lives Matter?
We have [the murders of] Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd so close to each other, and here I am in my house, I have nowhere to be, and for some reason it was a light bulb moment for me. I could not vote it. I think, I have to post this. I have never posted anything on my Instagram that was controversial or would upset people. I have always kept my political opinions quiet. I did not want to rock the boat. But watching a man get killed was like: I am finished.
It just so descended from there. How can I get involved? What can I do? [Activists] said: ‘You’re a middle-aged white woman, just show up. Because your body can keep a person of color safe. You are not going to be beaten or arrested. “And it’s true, I was never beaten, and I was never arrested.
You also talked to the women in the program about BLM and why you protested. Some seemed to be more receptive than others. Did you find the experience enlightening?
Talk to Gina [Kirschenheiter was] incredible, and this is what you want to happen. You want someone who – like me, like Gina – did not really realize what was going to happen, Okay, I understand that; what can i do I want to do what I can.
Talk to Kelly like a wall. It’s painful. Talk to Emily [Simpson], like a wall. They are so ingrained in their white privilege that they cannot even see another side to it. Kelly exclaims, “Well, I’m a Mexican. Well yes, you get all the privileges of a white person. When you were arrested, you were released. That would not have happened if you were a black woman, let’s be honest.
When I go to the beach, I’m surrounded by Trump signs. So was I surprised? No. Was I discouraged? Absolutely. Did it make me doubt why I live here and why I raise my children here? Yes. I think Kelly and Emily are pretty indicative of how most people here feel.
Traditionally, it was the Black Real Housewives who were most outspoken about their politics and supporting progressive affairs. The white housewives tend not to talk about these things. Do you see that changing?
The more experienced housewives, no, I do not think they are going to talk. I do not. I think they found their groove. They have their followers; they have something that works for them. But I definitely think you’ll still get young, progressive housewives. This is the direction I have seen in the other programs. And I hope so Orange county do it. Here are many young, progressive people who want change. It exists, just not necessarily on our program.
Thinking about your future on the program, do you find yourself finding a common ground with these women – and people in Orange County in general – who can be more judgmental about your politics or your identity?
If you voted for Trump, I will not find a common ground with you. I do not want to. I do not. If homophobia, sexism and racism are not an agreement for you, I do not want to know you. I do not. We’ll never find a common ground, because I’m sure we’ve all been watching this past week. If you still support Trump after all this, you are so intrinsically broken.
As for the cast, we’ll see. Gina was wonderful. Shannon and I will be fine. Kelly and I – no, I do not think Kelly and I will ever get over it.
Everyone else, yes. This program has a way of taking turns that you have never seen coming. I think any long-term viewer knows that there are friendships and relationships you never thought possible.
This interview has been edited and summarized for clarity.