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Brooks Ayers Defends Himself Against Abuse Claims: "This Is Over the Top Sensationalism Drama"

Real Housewives of Orange County star slams allegations made in reunion show

By Melanie Bromley, Mike Vulpo Nov 04, 2015 12:30 AMTags
Watch: Brooks Ayers Shuts Down Domestic Abuse Accusations

Brooks Ayers faced a lot of accusations during the Real Housewives of Orange County three-part reunion.

Whether it was allegations of faking cancer or manipulating ex-girlfriend Vicki Gunvalson, Ayers was put under a microscope this season on the Bravo series.

But during his exclusive interview with E! News, Ayers wanted to slam one rumor made by some castmembers: He never abused Gunvalson.

"I've never shaken Vicki where her head was going back and forth like that. We were at a party, at a mutual friend's house—none of the castmembers [were there] and years ago," he told E! News' Melanie Bromley when responding to an allegation made by Gunvalson's daughter Briana Culberson during the reunion. "Again, I haven't seen Briana in three and a half years so this is years ago. If it was that exaggerated, don't you think she would have used her platform to share that then as well? She doesn't and she did now and it makes me sad. I've never had a domestic abuse accusation or file against me."

BRAVO

He continued, "Vicki recalled those events that day as well and we did get into an argument. I did grab her shoulders and ask her to come outside. That's not shaking her. I just said let's go outside and talk about our disagreement and that's what occurred."

During the reunion show, host Andy Cohen asked Gunvalson if Ayers was ever physical with her. "No, he's never been physical," she answered before co-star Tamra Judge shared, "Yes he was. Don't lie." Culberson added, "Yes, I saw it. Saw it twice." Gunvalson later shared on the show that he "was more verbally abusive than physical."

When asked by E! News why his former flame would make an allegation, Ayers partly blamed the grueling reunion filming schedule.

"At that point, after 12 to 15 hours of filming with your daughter next to you and the ladies getting after you, again, Vicki is just going to agree and I can't help that she agreed with that or that Briana said that," Ayers explained.

Paul Drinkwater/Bravo

During the reunion, Culberson also suggested that Ayers was being "verbally abusive" with his text messages to Gunvalson in the days leading up to the reunion. It's a claim Ayers argues is totally false. 

"There's certainly no threatening things. [It was] more Vicki wanting to know about certain details about what Andy had asked me in the interview and I was communicating that through her," he told E! News. "There was no threatening. Again, this is over the top sensationalism drama."  

The Real Housewives of Orange County: Brooks Tells All episode and The Real Housewives of Orange County Secrets Revealed episode air Thursday, Nov.12 on Bravo.

(E! and Bravo are part of the NBCUniversal family)

To hear more from Brooks Ayers and his response to other shocking allegations, watch our exclusive interview on E! News airing Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.