Real Housewives of Orange County is not having a “fun” season. With the absence of two dramatic blondes, the remaining cast members are filling in the gaps. While Elizabeth Lyn Vargas complains about her weird divorce and Shannon Beador continues to get mad at the wind for blowing, something else has been going on behind the scenes.
Braunwyn Windham-Burke has allowed the entire focus of the show to revolve around her. After acknowledging she is an alcoholic, she began taking steps towards sobriety. After acknowledging she is a lesbian, she began taking steps to remain married to her husband. Now Braunwyn has acknowledged she has been physically abusive to Sean Burke in the past, and Emily Simpson took some steps on Twitter.
With all of Braunwyn’s revelations, last night’s episode revealed something else. Braunwyn came clean about physical abuse. In a confessional segment Braunwyn said, “I have hit Sean a couple of times in my life. Nothing though like what happened in Aspen.” That… was really bad. Emily, who is not Braunwyn’s friend and has had a very unstable relationship with Braunwyn, felt some type of way and shared her thoughts on social media.
Emily wrote, “Tonight on #RHOC, Braunwyn excuses her behavior by acting like a victim of the people and circumstances around her, not to be confused by previous episodes where she excused her behavior by acting like the victim of the people and circumstances around her.” Fun fact: Braunwyn didn’t choose to be this way. It is a direct result of giving up a destructive pattern. She numbed herself with drinking for so long, she no longer has coping mechanisms. While Braunwyn deserves compassion, in no way, shape, or form should she be pardoned for hitting someone.
RELATED: Braunwyn Windham-Burke Thinks Kelly Dodd And Emily Simpson Unfollowed Her Because Of Their Different Political Beliefs; She’s On Speaking Terms With Shannon Beador Again
Emily’s comment didn’t sit well with some followers. A fan responded, “In this episode which I have yet to watch what is she 40 days sober? All I can say given I have been there is until u have u have zero understanding what she is going through and zero room to judge period.” Valid statement. One cannot judge the emotions of an addict, ever. Between detox and changes a human body endures to get acclimated to living without drugs or alcohol, mood swings can be dangerous. Emily replied, “A parent striking another, and in front of kids? I’m going to speak my opinion.”
Em has a logical point. Sean could have called the cops and had Braunwyn arrested – which would have caught her another charge because she hit him front of a child. One commenter came to Braunwyn’s defense, “That’s very nice of you guys to say about someone clearly dealing with sh*t… sh*t none of y’all are dealing with. Congrats on being heartless bullies nobody said Braunwyn is perfect- she’s wrong a lot… but she has a reason. I don’t judge or add negativity. I support/love.” Getting clean isn’t a free pass to hit someone. And in the interest of keeping it real, if roles were reversed, a man would be behind bars awaiting bail.
RELATED: Emily Simpson Slams Braunwyn Windham-Burke As A “Blatantly Mean And Judgmental” Hypocrite; Denies Unfollowing Braunwyn Based On Political Differences
Emily replied, “I support love too. I don’t support physical abuse, let alone in front of children.” It’s an effort in futility to see both sides. We have Braunwyn who is dealing with multiple life-changing issues. However, Sean seems to be the victim. Not only has Sean fathered 7 children with Braunwyn, he has been the epicenter of support after she decided to get sober again. Sean also proudly stood by Braunie after she announced she is a lesbian and has a girlfriend. Now we find out he has dealt with abuse.
While supporting Braunwyn on her journey is important, it’s possible to simultaneously dislike someone for their actions towards others. Braunwyn has been painfully honest regarding her past. Her documented recovery is bound to show the bumps and bruises that come with healing. But when the bumps and bruises become literal, that’s another story. Hopefully Braunwyn and Sean’s fate has a happily ever after, because we need it. This dark content almost makes you miss Vicki Gunvalson. ALMOST.
RELATED: Emily Simpson Says Every Real Housewives Of Orange County Star Unfollowed Braunwyn Windham-Burke
TELL US- DO YOU AGREE WITH EMILY? WAS EMILY OUT OF LINE? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BRAUNWYN NOW?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
