Vicki Gunvalson

Victoria Gunvalson (née Steinmetz; formerly Wolfsmith) is an American reality television personality and businesswoman. She is best known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC), featuring in 14 of the 17 seasons since its 2006 premiere.[1][2] She is the founder and CEO of Coto Insurance.[3]

Vicki Gunvalson
Vicki Gunvalson in 2009
Born
Victoria L. Steinmetz

(1962-03-27) March 27, 1962
Mount Prospect, Illinois, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Television personality, entrepreneur[1]
Known forThe Real Housewives of Orange County
Spouses
  • Michael J. Wolfsmith
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1982; div. 1991)​
  • Donn Gunvalson
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1994; div. 2014)​
PartnersBrooks Ayers (2012–2015)
Steve Chavez Lodge (2016-2021)
Children2
Websitewww.vickigunvalson.com
Gunvalson pictured with Lynne Curtin, Tamra Judge, Jeana Keough, and Gretchen Rossi at the Virgin America OC Launch in 2009

Career

She is one of the original cast members of Bravo's reality television show The Real Housewives of Orange County. In January 2020, Gunvalson departed the franchise but she has made guest appearances in season 17.[4] In June 2022, Gunvalson starred in the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, a spin-off featuring various women from The Real Housewives franchise, which premiered on Peacock.[5][6] She is set to star in the fifth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which is set to premiere in 2024.[7]

In 2020, she hosted a podcast titled Whoop It Up with Vicki.[8] Gunvalson is an insurance agent 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 was diagnosed with an inner ear tumor called cholesteatoma. She underwent surgery which removed the tumor. She lost 50% of her hearing in her right ear after the surgery. By the time she was 25 she had undergone 5 more additional 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 underwent one last surgery which could have had facial nerve damage ramifications, she fully recovered however still has no hearing in her right ear.[9]

She married her first husband Michael J. Wolfsmith at the age of 21 and they had two children, Michael Wolfsmith (b. 1986) and Briana Culberson (née Wolfsmith, b. 1987).[10] 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.[11] In 1994, she married Donn Gunvalson and founded Coto Insurance and Financial Services, after obtaining her insurance license in California.[1][10] 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 story line throughout the season, was untrue, and that Gunvalson was conned. Ayers admitted that he had fabricated "documents to 'prove' to the world that I, in fact, have cancer."[12]

Vicki was engaged to Steve Lodge, brother of Roger Lodge, from April 2019 until September of 2021.[13]

In November 2021, Gunvalson revealed she had recently battled cancer.[14]

Filmography
Television roles
Year Title Role Notes
2006–2019, 2023 The Real Housewives of Orange County Herself 250 episodes; Main: Seasons 1-13, Recurring: Season 14, Guest: Season 17
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[15]

References
  1. "Vicki Gunvalson Net Worth 2018 – How Much The RHOC is Worth". Gazette Review. 2017-05-30. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  2. 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.
  3. "Our Team - COTO Insurance and Financial Services". COTO Insurance and Financial Services. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  4. Aiello, McKenna (January 24, 2020). "Vicki Gunvalson is Leaving RHOC After Demotion". E! Online. United States: NBCUniversal. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  5. Vena, Jocelyn (April 26, 2021). "The Real Housewives Are Planning the Ultimate Series on Peacock". Bravo. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  6. 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.
  7. Franklin, McKinley (2023-08-02). "'Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy' Swaps Dates With 'Ex-Wives Club'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  8. "Whoop It Up with Vicki · Westwood One Podcast Network". Westwood One Podcast Network. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  9. "Finding A Calling". Bravo TV Official Site. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  10. "Bravolebrity Bio: Vicki Gunvalson". Bravo TV.
  11. "Vicki Gunvalson". Coto Insurance and Financial Services, Inc.
  12. "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.
  13. "Vicki Gunvalson Gushes Over Her Longtime Boyfriend Steve Lodge — 'I Love You So Much'". OK! Magazine. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  14. 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.
  15. https://twitter.com/BravoTV/status/1612585672749240335
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