Real Housewives of Orange County is just starting to hit its stride. Hell, they are just starting to touch on the coronavirus pandemic, which doesn’t seem to slow them down anyway. But one major “plot” so far this season has been Braunwyn Windham-Burke admitting that she is an alcoholic.
While that seems like it should be a sympathetic, stand alone story, it’s brought Braunwyn nothing but grief. Seems like the other housewives haven’t exactly stepped up to offer support outside of words. Most notably, at Braunwyn’s recent vow renewal, both Kelly Dodd and Shannon Beador just couldn’t help but get tequila-drunk, no matter how triggering it might have been for B. Not sure what else happens this season but Braunwyn also revealed that she doesn’t even talk to her castmates now that filming is done.
But Braunwyn is determined to be her authentic self, other housewives be damned. And as vulnerable as she showed us by revealing she’s an alcoholic, Braunwyn is getting even more personal with her truth. As reported by Page Six, Braunwyn has come out as gay. In an interview with GLAAD, she said, “I like women. I’m gay.”
She elaborated, “I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It has taken me 42 years to say that but I am so proud of where I am right now. I’m so happy where I am. To be able to be comfortable in my own skin after so long is just so nice.”
As for her husband of 20 years, Sean Burke, Braunwyn said, “I love Sean. I love him dearly, he is my person, he is my family. But I’m not attracted to men and I never have been.” But despite the two being married and her plans to “stay married”, Braunwyn currently has a girlfriend. Sean even knows her, as she spends time with them at the home they share with their seven kids.
RELATED: Gina Kirschenheiter Thinks That Braunwyn Windham-Burke Should Leave Real Housewives Of Orange County; Says Braunwyn’s Issues “Puts Us In A Really Kind Of Scary Situation”
In the interview, Braunwyn also addresses last season’s kiss with former cast member, Tamra Judge. B admitted to a producer that the kiss was no accident. She said, “I had a scene with Tamra that everyone kind of talked about. When we were getting ready for the reunion I was talking to a producer that I trust a lot, his name was James, and he said, ‘How do you feel about this? Was it a drunken mistake or is this a part of who you are?’ And I said, ‘This is who I am.’”
She also continued, “When I went to the reunion last year I kind of started baby-stepping into, ‘This is who I am. I like women.’ I was testing the waters with my friends, my cast, my family.”
Braunwyn credits her newfound sobriety for her being able to break through as her true self. She disclosed, “I know there’s a correlation between the two. I know when you get sober and you start doing the work that goes into that, you start realizing a lot of the reasons you drank had to do with who you were on the inside.”
RELATED: Braunwyn Windham-Burke Says She And Husband Sean Burke Are “Renegotiating” Their Marriage
What a refreshing change of pace for a housewife to show her true self. I’m so proud of Braunwyn for living her truth and allowing us all to come along for the ride. I can’t wait to see where it takes her.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BRAUNWYN LIVING HER BEST LIFE? ARE YOU ENJOYING HER THIS SEASON?
[Photo Credit: Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images]
