Vicki Gunvalson still has questions about her relationship with Brooks Ayers more than a decade after their infamous cancer scandal played out on “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
Speaking to Us Weekly at the RHOC season 20 premiere party, Vicki admitted that the experience still affects how she looks back on the relationship.
“When I love, I love hard, and I trust,” Vicki said. “Now people say trust and verify. I don’t want to be a detective in a relationship. You tell me something, I’m gonna believe that. And obviously we know what happened with that.”
Vicki Gunvalson Says Brooks Ayers Left Her Without Closure
During season 10, the RHOC cast questioned Brooks’ claim that he had stage III cancer. He later admitted that he fabricated medical documents to support his story.
“What I did was wrong and inexcusable,” Brooks told E! News in 2015. “I acted alone, without Vicki’s knowledge, to produce documents for a reality TV show in hopes of putting doubts about my cancer to rest.”
Brooks also denied that Vicki had any involvement.
“Vicki was not ‘in on any cancer scam or created storyline.’ There is no scam,” he said, adding, “Second, Vicki never has paid me to be quiet regarding this ‘supposed’ scam nor has paid me to release any statements.”
More than 10 years later, Vicki says she still doesn’t fully understand what happened.
“I believed him, and who knows what the real story is because I never got to talk to him,” she said. “He left me in the middle of the night, and that was it.”
Vicki said she never got the answers she wanted before Brooks moved on and married Christy Groves in 2018.
“I never got closure on that guy, never. And then he got married real quick. … When you give your life to somebody and financially give money to those people, and then all of a sudden they lie to you. It’s hard,” she added.
The ‘OG of the OC’ Has Found ‘Peace’ With Boyfriend Michael Smith
Vicki is now focused on her relationship with Michael Smith, who will appear during season 20.
“As I get older, it’s not just about the love tank. It’s about having peace and having quality relationships,” she explained.
Vicki said Michael, a developer, is more private than she is but supports her life in the spotlight.
“Back in my 40s and 50s, it was my love tank. Now it’s like, I love him. I want the best for him. I want him to never be embarrassed by me. He’s a developer. He’s very private, but this is my gig. Just respect it and he does,” she said.
Vicki is also hoping for a fresh start with Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador. After years of ups and downs between the Tres Amigas, she said she entered the new season hoping to bring the group back together.
“My job was to come in and bring peace, and I think I accomplished that,” she teased. “Wait and see.”
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” season 20 premieres Thursday, July 9, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
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