Vicki Gunvalson is offering her support to Tamra Judge, despite acknowledging that she did not always approve of how Judge treated fellow castmate Shannon Beador. Gunvalson, an original cast member of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" (RHOC), described her efforts to mediate during filming for the upcoming "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip."
"You’ll see this season, I did my very best to just kind of be the intermediator, but also say, ‘We gotta stop this!’" Gunvalson told Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea.” "In the real picture of the world, what are you guys fighting about?"
Gunvalson noted that the conflict between Judge and Beador escalated at a filmed scene at Newport Beach restaurant The Quiet Woman. During the exchange, Judge reportedly told Beador she would never own a home or find lasting love. Despite the intensity of the argument, Gunvalson expressed that viewers will see a more understanding side of Judge this season.
"Tamra did really show some softness of herself this season — which I loved — because Tamra is a quality person," Gunvalson stated. However, she also admitted, "I love Tamra and I just didn’t like the way she was treating Shannon. When you’re friends with both of them, like, why are you being so mean?"
Gunvalson also commented on an earlier conflict involving Jennifer Pedranti, who told Judge that Heather Dubrow had allegedly spoken negatively about their friendship. Gunvalson expressed disapproval of this situation as well, stating, "I didn’t like that either. I just want everyone to get along and whoop it up."
Having stepped back from full-time filming in recent seasons, Gunvalson's return to a more significant role in Season 20 of RHOC has provided her with a fresh perspective on the cast's interactions. "I haven’t filmed with these ladies in four years," she said. "I was a ‘friend’ a couple seasons and that was the worst thing to do because you didn’t know what was going on and I’m like, ‘OK, what are we doing now? Why is everyone mad at each other?’ So I come from a different place."
Reflecting on her own experiences, Gunvalson emphasized the importance of moving past disputes. "As you age, you also look at what is really important to stand true to yourself. You can’t continue fights for season after season after season. Resolve it and move on," she advised. "And I think you’re going to see some resolve this year."
"The Real Housewives of Orange County" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo, with new episodes available to stream the following day on Peacock.