Vicki Gunvalson Reportedly Promised An On-Camera Engagement To Secure Her Spot In Season 14 Of RHOC
Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson is officially coming back for Season 14 after she offered Bravo a storyline they couldn’t refuse – an engagement and wedding. Over the weekend, Gunvalson told her fans on Instagram that she had started shooting with boyfriend, Steve Lodge. But the question remains – is Gunvalson a full-time cast member, or has she been demoted to a friend of the show?
According to All About TRH, Gunvalson missed the first week of filming while vacationing in The Bahamas with Lodge. She told fans on social media that she was still in negotiations with Bravo for Season 14, and they should wait to hear from her about her future on the popular series. And, she also hinted that the couple was shopping for engagement rings.
Vicki Gunvalson has begun filming season 14 of #RHOC!https://t.co/Y1k8tQawcR
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) February 17, 2019
At the same time, the rumors flew that Bravo had demoted the OG of the OC, so she could decide to return as a friend or leave the show for good.
Apparently, when Gunvalson accused Kelly Dodd of abusing cocaine during last season’s reunion, she crossed a line that put her future with RHOC in jeopardy. Now, details are starting to emerge about what went down between Gunvalson and Bravo in her contract negotiations.
Insiders say that Gunvalson’s lawyer promised Evolution Media that she and Lodge would get engaged during Season 14, and the pitched storyline worked. But, that doesn’t mean she has reclaimed her full-time cast member status.
Aside from Vicki Gunvalson, whose time is also up from RHOC? #realhousewives #rhobh #rhonj #rhony #rhoa #rhoc #bravo #bravotv #retweet #wwhl @Bravotv
— The Real Housewives Polls – Own it! (@rhobhpolls) February 16, 2019
“[It’s] too soon to tell whether Vicki will be a full-time member or a part-time member [of the cast],” revealed a source very close to production. “She will, however, have getting engaged and getting married as a major part of her storyline this season. That was a game changer when she brought that to the table.”
Dodd has hinted that Gunvalson will be just a friend this season, but fans will have to wait and see.
The inside source says that Gunvalson got “everything she wanted” in her new contract, but Radar Online is reporting that Gunvalson took a massive fifty percent pay cut, and she has no guarantee for episodes.
Some believe that Gunvalson should have walked like NeNe Leakes did. She left Real Housewives of Atlanta making $50,000 per episode. But, when ratings plummeted without her, Bravo asked her to come back, and now she is making $100,000 per episode.
Season 14 of Real Housewives of Orange County will premiere on Bravo later this year, stay tuned to see if that includes a Vicki Gunvalson engagement or not.