Braunwyn Windham-Burke Says Breaking Up With Her Girlfriend Helped Her ‘Feel Her Own Power’
The Real Housewives of Orange County has had its fair share of drama in 16 years on Bravo. There were assertions of racism attributed to Kelly Dodd, and Vicki Gunvalson accusing Meghan Edmonds of being a gold digger, among many other controversies.
Braunwyn Windham-Burke spent two years on the show (2019-20) before exiting after Season 15. Although her time on the reality TV series was short, the star believes she turned her life around because of her role on RHOC.
Braunwyn Windham-Burke got sober and came out during her time on ‘RHOC’
Windham-Burke had three major storylines in her two years on RHOC. Although still legally married to Sean Burke, she calls him as her “ex-husband.” The couple separated after 20 years of marriage while she appeared on the series.
In December 2020, Windham-Burke came out as gay. She also battled alcoholism, and a RHOC producer helped her get sober and attend AA meetings.
Windham-Burke told People, “It feels revolutionary to say, but I was able to get sober and stay sober on reality TV. That is something for which I will forever be grateful. And I came out, becoming the first gay Housewife in the franchise’s history. What an incredible honor to look back upon.”
Her 20-year-old daughter, Rowan, is also a part of the LGBTQ community, so the housewife wants to set a positive example for her daughter and other children.
The reality TV star alleged her castmates made disparaging and homophobic remarks against her. In an interview with Page Six, Windham-Burke related, “Making off-color jokes about me being intimate with a woman, that’s not OK. Those are microaggressions.”
Windham-Burke has had plenty to do since ‘RHOC’
The reality TV personality was on the cover of Out Traveler‘s Fall 2022 magazine. A day before the photo shoot, the publication reported she broke up with her girlfriend, Victoria Brito.
Windham-Burke said, “I felt my own energy that day. I felt my own power. I felt this strong, beautiful 44-year-old gay woman, who was just saying, ‘I’m here. This is who I am.’”
The mother of seven plans on traveling — a lot of traveling. Windham-Burke is heading to Scotland, mainland Europe, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. She’ll also split time between SoCal and NYC.
What is Braunwyn Windham-Burke doing now?
On June 25, 2022, she was the grand marshal of the OC Pride parade. Windham-Burke said it was an “honor” for her because representation and pride matter, reports Instinct Magazine.
The mother of seven also wants to be in her own reality TV series. In March 2022, Windham-Burke told Reality Tea she’s writing a memoir that will reveal more about her time on RHOC.
Considering all of the fur that’s flown on multiple incarnations of Real Housewives, the success of her memoir may largely depend on who latches on to Windham-Burke’s personality. There are a ton of rumors and gossip, but little else, coming from the original source material on Bravo.
