Vicki Gunvalson returned full-time to The Real Housewives of Orange County for its iconic twentieth season. Her boyfriend and son were both willing participants, but her daughter, Briana Culberson, is nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, she was asked by Andy Cohen to pop in but snapped at the request. Keep reading for more details as to what went down when the executive producer approached the mother of four.
Briana Will Never Be Seen Again
When Vicki Gunvalson shared that she and her second husband, Donn, were divorcing, her daughter, Briana Culberson, was broken. She did not like the idea of divorce; Donn had raised her, and she truly loved him. Then, Vicki began dating Brooks Ayers, whom many believed was a con artist. That caused such a rift in their mother-daughter relationship, especially as Briana may have had thyroid cancer. Then, out of the blue, Briana eloped with Marine, Ryan Culberson, and that further created a divide.
However, Vicki knew she had to accept him to keep her daughter close. Briana and Ryan moved a lot while they welcomed four kids: Owen, Troy, Hank, and Cora. Eventually, Vicki and Brooks split; she and Briana reclaimed their tight relationship, but many got the ick from Ryan. They believed that he was overly controlling and kept Briana away from her family. In a recent RHOC episode, Vicki Gunvalson was dining with her son, Mike Wolfsmith. He revealed he had not seen his sister in eight years.
@hayusocial Vicki and her son Michael sit down and catch up. #RHOC ♬ original sound – Hayu
On social media, he made it clear that it had to do with her husband. Now, it has come out that Andy Cohen desperately wanted Briana back for Season 20, even to make an appearance. However, she essentially slammed the door in his face. Vicki shared this take from her daughter on why she initially said no:
“Her husband just got back from the Marine Corps — six tours overseas — and he’s got some PTSD, and they really showed a bad light of him. She just was like, ‘Mom, I want nothing to do with it.’ I’m like, ‘Can you do a cameo? Can you come on for a little bit?’”
Andy Cohen was not willing to accept this answer, so he got in contact with Briana herself. Vicki said that he “even called her for this season and she was like, ‘Please lose my number.’ What the show did to their family was not good.”
No Excuses
Although RHOC fans have the utmost empathy for military veterans who have PTSD, they also believe there are too many excuses being made. They referred back to the meeting between Vicki Gunvalson and her son. He flat-out said he had not met Briana’s youngest children and then told a fan it was because of her husband. So, yes, he may have PTSD, but he also appears to be a very controlling person, so the blame cannot be all on the show:
- “They really showed a bad light of him(Ryan).” What does that have to do with the fact that Michael hasn’t spoken to Briana or met two of her kids in 8 years!! That’s not Bravo’s fault, Vicki.
- Her husband seems unsafe. IG won’t let me say what I really feel
- Her husband has isolated her and those kids from her support system. That’s scary.
At the same time, many respected Briana’s decision to stay away from the show and live her best life. Would you have liked to see Briana back, and do you think Vicki Gunvalson is protecting her son-in-law? Let us know your thoughts and stream RHOC on Peacock.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.