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The Daily Dish The Real Housewives of Orange County

How 'Housewives' Hurt Vicki Gunvalson's Marriage

The 'RHOC' star opens up about her divorce on tonight's 100th episode special.

By Camille Beckles

“This is my show. Come in, shut up, and sit down.”

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of Orange County on  Peacock and the Bravo App.

If you thought Vicki Gunvalson has kept it real for the past eight seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County, things are about to get even realer.

On tonight's 100th episode special of the series, she opens up about how the show changed her life for the better...and the worse.

“This is my baby,” Gunvalson says. “Without me being successful and biting the bullet, there wouldn’t be a Real Housewives.”

What were the downsides of having her story chronicled over eight seasons? Maintaining a life out of the spotlight. “Doing a reality show is having a deal with the devil,” she admits. “It’s really hard to hold on to any piece of privacy, and I really struggled with that.”

Cheat Sheet: A Complete Guide to the RHOC.

Vicki's biggest sacrifice? Her marriage to Donn, which ended in divorce. As her profile was starting to grow, Vicki reveals, “I said [to Donn], ‘Honey we’re never going to be one of them.’ Seven years later we were one of them.”

Her failed marriage wasn’t her only low point on the show. Finding out about Briana and Ryan’s elopement in front of the cameras was also a major struggle. And of course, there has been plenty of drama with her co-stars along the way.

PHOTOS: See Personal Pictures of Vicki Gunvalson.

But despite all of the bad, being a reality star has ultimately been a rewarding experience. When asked why she continues to return to RHOC, Gunvalson says, “I birthed this child, and your children are going to make you mad sometimes, but they’re also going to give you great joy, and great happiness.”

Tune in tonight at 8/7c to hear what the rest of the housewives have to say. And tell us in the comments: what's your favorite OC moment so far?

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