Vicki Gunvalson Recalls ‘Horrible’ Feeling After Being Fired From ‘RHOC’

Vicki Gunvalson could return to Bravo for the 20th season of “The Real Housewives of Orange County“, but that doesn’t mean she’s completely over her firing from the show in 2020. In a new interview, the OG of the OC recalled the moment she received the shocking news from producers who informed her she wouldn’t be filming scenes for the foreseeable future. “It was horrible,” she told her co-star, Judge Tamrain an episode of his show “My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast”.

The veteran reality TV star, who joined the show in 2006, said she received a disturbing phone call from “RHOC” producers while she was at a conference in Las Vegas with her ex-partner, Steve Lodge.

“I’ll never forget I was in Las Vegas on the balcony and Steve was in the room and he said to me, ‘What’s happening? Why are you crying?’ I’m like, I think I just got fired, but I think they have the wrong number,” she said.

Gunvalson announcement his departure from the series in January 2020 with a dark social media post. “It’s been an incredible journey for 14 years and I want to thank you all for your support, for your love and for ‘shouting’ with me along the way,” she wrote.

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Judge, Gunvalson’s co-star and close friend, also opened up about her firing after season 14. During their conversation, Judge recalled feeling confused about the producers’ decision, as she was supposed to meet with them about her role on the show before they let her go.

“I was going to meet with the producers and tell them what I’m going to do, all these things, and then I get a phone call: ‘Sorry. We’ve decided to go in a different direction.’ And you know what I said? “Fuck you,” she said.

Like Gunvalson, so does Judge announcement his departure on Instagram, calling his time on the show a “wild” ride. “But it’s time for me to move on. I’m sad to leave but I’m very excited about my future,” she added.

During his years away from Bravo, Gunvalson aired some of his grievances with the network, such as criticizing the cast and criticizing the producers for how they handled sensitive moments.

While appearing on Vice’s “The Dark Side of Reality TV,” Gunvalson described feeling blindsided by the producers’ decision to film the moment she learned her mother had died.

“[My daughter] Briana had kept calling, calling, calling, and they kept telling her, “Well, she’s filming right now, blah, blah, blah.” She said, ‘I need to talk to my mom right away,'” Gunvalson recalled.

She explain that after a while, producers took her to a separate room with “lights and cameramen” to film the heartbreaking moment. “I was really upset that production had known for an hour and they hadn’t told me,” she said. “They crossed the line and I think they should have taken me aside and said, ‘Your mother died. Talk to your daughter off camera.’ If I was a producer, that’s what I would have done.”

She said she should have been able to manage her emotions on her own. “It was very, very traumatic. I will never forgive Bravo for that,” she continued.

While absent from the series in a full-time role, Gunvalson made various appearances.

However, these are officially coming to an end, as the outspoken reality star has learned that she is returning to the series as a full-time housewife for season 20.

At BravoCon 2025, “Real Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen gave the 63-year-old an orange and asked her to reclaim her rightful spot on the “RHOC” cast.