Vicki Gunvalson Blames 'RHOC' For Divorce, Talks Brooks Ayers Affair

Instagram | Vicki Gunvalson

Vicki Gunvalson believes she would still be married to her ex-husband, Donn Gunvalson, if it wasn't for "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

While speaking to host David Yontef on his podcast, "Behind the Velvet Rope," last month, Vicki looked back on her strained marriage to Donn before opening up about the start of her controversial relationship with her former boyfriend, Brooks Ayers, who was ultimately accused of lying about a cancer diagnosis on the Bravo reality show several seasons ago.

“I did everything right except falling prey to divorce,” Vicki shared of her time on "RHOC," according to a report from Reality Blurb. “I mean, I think that in hindsight, I know for a fact that if I wasn’t on a reality show, I wouldn’t have been divorced."

Vicki joined the "Real Housewives of Orange County" cast in 2006 for the debut season of the reality show and years later, after renewing her vows with Donn on-camera, she confirmed plans for divorce.

"That cost Donn and I both a lot of money because we had to split assets and alimony and all that stuff, so I paid more to him than he did to me because I had the business. So that’s hurtful and that’s hard,” Vicki continued of her split. 

In the years that followed, Vicki said she began to feel she “could have it all” and ultimately engaged in an affair with Brooks. 

“[Briana Culberson] and I talked about it because, [full] disclosure, I had an affair with Brooks,” she admitted. 

“I was traveling a lot with work and I had been in Atlanta and he was Mr. Southern gentlemen. And when we started to chat at that time, Donn and I were disconnected, my love tank was empty, [and] we were not having sex or anything. I felt very alone and so when another man started giving me attention, Donn and I were so distant, I just know it was an influential time in my life where I thought I was popular... And you know, I ruined the family,” Vicki boldly proclaimed.

Vicki went on to suggest that when it came to her marriage to Donn, she wasn't the only person who started having an affair prior to their divorce. 

“I’ll take the blame for it.  He started straying, I started straying, and everything became more important than him and that’s not a marriage. You can’t do that,” she explained. 

Vicki is currently engaged to Steve Lodge and splitting her time between her home in Orange County and their new condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.