Vicki Gunvalson
Vicki Gunvalson | |
|---|---|
 Vicki Gunvalson in 2009 | |
| Born | Victoria L. Steinmetz (1962-03-27) March 27, 1962Mount Prospect, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupations | Television personality, entrepreneur[1] |
| Known for | The Real Housewives of Orange County |
| Spouses |
|
| Partners | Brooks Ayers (2012–2015)Steve Lodge (2016–2021) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Victoria Gunvalson (néeSteinmetz; formerly Wolfsmith; born March 27, 1962) is an American reality television personality and businesswoman. She was an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC), appearing in 16 of the 19 seasons since its 2006 premiere.[1][2] She is the founder and CEO of Coto Insurance.[3]
Career
Gunvalson is one of the original cast members of Bravo's reality television show The Real Housewives of Orange County. She appeared on the show from its debut and remained a full-time cast member for the first thirteen seasons. She was then demoted to a “friend of the Housewives” role for season 14 before departing the franchise entirely in January 2020.[4] She later returned in a guest capacity during season 17 and in season 18. In November 2025, it was announced that she would return as a full-time cast member for the show’s upcoming 20th season.[5]
In June 2022, Gunvalson starred in the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, a spin-off with various women from The Real Housewives franchise, which premiered on Peacock.[6][7] She was to star in the fifth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which was to premiere in 2024.[8]
In 2020, she hosted a podcast titled Whoop It Up with Vicki.[9] In 2025 she co-hosts a podcast with Christian Gray Snow titled My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast with the Hurrdat Media Network.[10]
Gunvalson owns an insurance agency in Coto de Caza, California.
Personal life
Gunvalson is one of five children. Her father owned a construction company, and her mother was a housewife.[1] According to Bravo, when Gunvalson was 5 years old, she underwent surgery to remove a benign inner-ear tumor called cholesteatoma, losing 50% of her hearing in her right ear. By the time she was 25 she had undergone five further surgeries and completely lost hearing in her right ear. When she was 32, the tumor had grown back and wrapped around the facial nerve, pierced through her skull and started creeping up towards the right side of her brain. She fully recovered from one last risky surgery, but did not recover hearing in her right ear.[11]
She married her first husband Michael J. Wolfsmith at the age of 21, and they had two children.[12] At the age of 29, they divorced and she began a part-time job at her father's construction company.[1]
In 1991, after her father's death from Alzheimer's disease, she joined the health insurance business.[13] In 1994, she married Donn Gunvalson and founded Coto Insurance and Financial Services, after obtaining her insurance license in California.[1][12] Vicki and Donn divorced in 2014.
During the tenth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2015, Gunvalson dated Brooks Ayers. It was revealed that Ayers' claim that he had cancer, which was a storyline throughout the season, was untrue, and that Gunvalson had been conned. Ayers admitted that he had fabricated the documents "to 'prove' to the world that I, in fact, have cancer."[14]
Vicki was engaged to Steve Lodge, brother of Roger Lodge, from April 2019 until September 2021.[15]
In November 2021, Gunvalson revealed that she had recently had cancer.[16]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2019, 2023–2024, 2026– Present | The Real Housewives of Orange County | Herself | 250 episodes; Main Cast: Seasons 1-13, 20–, Recurring: Season 14, Guest: Seasons 17–18 |
| 2009 | Dr. Phil | ||
| 2010 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Celebrity Question Presenter; Episode: "The Real Housewives of Millionaire 2" | |
| 2013 | Tamra's OC Wedding | Episodes: "Decisions Decisions" and "Tamra and Eddie's Wedding Kick Off" | |
| 2015 | The Doctors | Episode: "The Doctors Exclusive: Honey Boo Boo's Health Intervention/Real Housewive Reconnects with Deceased Mother" | |
| 2022–2024 | The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip | Main Cast: Seasons 2 & 5[17] |
See also
- Andale's Restaurant & Bar, Puerto Vallarta
References
- ^ abcde"Vicki Gunvalson Net Worth 2018 – How Much The RHOC is Worth". Gazette Review. 2017-05-30. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^Ravitz, Justin (April 4, 2012). "Vicki Gunvalson: Why I've Never Been Fired from Real Housewives of Orange County". Us Weekly. Wenner Media. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^"Our Team - COTO Insurance and Financial Services". COTO Insurance and Financial Services. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
- ^Aiello, McKenna (January 24, 2020). "Vicki Gunvalson is Leaving RHOC After Demotion". E! Online. United States: NBCUniversal. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/vicki-gunvalson-returning-rhoc-season-20-andy-cohen-1236575953/
- ^Vena, Jocelyn (April 26, 2021). "The Real Housewives Are Planning the Ultimate Series on Peacock". Bravo. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^Gugelimi, Jodi; VanHoose, Benjamin (April 26, 2021). "Ramona Singer, Teresa Giudice, More Real Housewives Stars Confirmed to Appear in All-Stars Spinoff". People. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^Franklin, McKinley (2023-08-02). "'Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy' Swaps Dates With 'Ex-Wives Club'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^"Whoop It Up with Vicki · Westwood One Podcast Network". Westwood One Podcast Network. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
- ^"Vicki Gunvalson, Alongside Her Son, Is "Forever Working": Details on Her Career Now". Bravo. 2025-06-06. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^"Finding A Calling". Bravo TV Official Site. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ ab"Bravolebrity Bio: Vicki Gunvalson". Bravo TV.
- ^"Vicki Gunvalson". Coto Insurance and Financial Services, Inc.
- ^"Brooks Ayers Speaks Out on Forging Cancer Records, Vicki Gunvalson and RHOC Controversy: 'I Was the Subject of Much Ridicule and Hate'". People. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
- ^"Vicki Gunvalson Gushes Over Her Longtime Boyfriend Steve Lodge — 'I Love You So Much'". OK! Magazine. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
- ^Mazziotta, Julie (2021-11-22). "Vicki Gunvalson Reveals She Was Treated for Cancer and Had Her 'Uterus Taken Out'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^"Bravo on X". 2023-01-10.
External links
