In the Season 15 premiere of the Real Housewives of Orange County, Braunwyn Windham-Burke admits to castmate Emily Simpson that she is an alcoholic.
Braunwyn started off by apologizing to Emily, saying, “You called me out on my drinking last year…instead of taking it to heart, I really pushed you away. Basically, I think I just got angry with you, and I came up with reasons to be mad.”
Emily made a comment to her husband at dinner about Braunwyn, saying, “You can’t have a deep meaningful conversation with someone who can’t stand up.”
Braunwyn went on to tell Emily, “Everyone else would end their night and no one noticed, even Sean didn’t know. I kept drinking every hour, because I would start to shake. I would just keep doing a shot, a shot, a shot.”
“Sean told me, ‘You’re going to rehab if you have one more drink,'” Braunwyn explained.
Braunwyn’s realization came after a party thrown by castmate Kelly Dodd for fiance Rick Leventhal’s 60th birthday. The party, which took place in Miami, led Braunwyn to a four-day drinking binge.
In a confessional, Kelly stated, “Listen, I’m not gonna judge because I can get hammered myself. But this was on a whole other level.”
Braunwyn’s party lifestyle
Bronwyn’s lifestyle should come as no surprise to RHOC fans as the star entered the franchise flaunting her party-girl habits.
One of the first impressions fans have of Braunwyn was during her infamous “weaning party” which celebrated the fact that she finally stopped breastfeeding her seventh child. The party was complete with sex toys, strippers, and a giant boob cake.
But that wasn’t the only party of the season — Braunwyn took the girls on an infamous trip to Miami where she and former housewife Tamra Judge proceeded to make out while at dinner, prompting backlash from fans and other castmates.
If the dinner make-out wasn’t enough, the two continued kissing while on top of one another in the booth of a nightclub.
In typical Braunwyn fashion, she threw herself a 42nd birthday party this year, with several housewives from both past and present in attendance. The party was described in an Instagram story by former housewife Meghan King Edmonds as an “over-the-top celebration”.
The party, of course, featured a huge cake and a stripper pole.
Braunwyn’s social media post sparks divorce rumors
Braunwyn’s confession of alcoholism comes amid rumors that she and husband Sean are headed for divorce.
In a recent Instagram post that has since been deleted, Braunwyn posted a picture of herself and Sean with the caption, “New to the co-parenting world? It doesn’t have to suck. It won’t be like this forever. You just need some perspective. Knowing what to expect will save your sanity.”
The couple recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this year, but Braunwyn has admitted their marriage hasn’t always been smooth sailing. During a RHOC After Show episode in 2019, she revealed “We fought for our family because Sean and I almost got divorced.”
Braunwyn has yet to confirm the divorce rumors, and fans are left to speculate whether trouble in her marriage has contributed to her excessive drinking. Her story will play out on RHOC season 15.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.