Vicki Gunvalson is no stranger to apologizing on The Real Housewives of Orange County. After all, she's spent 13 seasons on a reality show, s—t happens, it gets started and it gets stirred.
Vicki's latest apology tour involved Tamra Judge and her ailing husband Eddie Judge. During season 12, Vicki helped perpetuate rumors that Eddie, who recently had heart surgery on the Bravo reality series, was gay. She and Tamra eventually made up at the RHOC season 12 reunion, but Vicki hadn't apologized to Eddie. That changed in the second episode of season 13 when she crashed a lunch between the Judges.
"I understand Eddie's anger towards me. To have caused any stress in his and Tamra's relationship is regrettable, and for that I am truly sorry. My apology to Eddie was sincere and heartfelt," Vicki wrote in her Bravo blog. "Spreading rumors is never a good practice, and speaking without facts just makes matters worse. I believe the thing that made me so nervous that day meeting with Eddie and Tamra was the fact that not only did I want to repair my relationship with Eddie, but this would also play a major role in healing my relationship with Tamara. I am encouraged by the progress we made, and although it will take baby steps to fully recover, I think we are moving in the right direction."
In an interview with Bravo, Tamra said she was worried Eddie would not accept Vicki's apology, but she knew he would listen.
"However, I was more concerned with Vicki's delivery of her apology. She tends to have an ‘untraditional' way of apologizing (apologizes then says YOU did something wrong to her)," Tamra said. "Vicki keeps saying that she just ‘repeated a rumor.' We know that she did SO much more than that, but we need to leave it in the past in order to move forward."
However, Tamra said she does believe the apology was sincere.
"The only thing that we don't understand is she said over and over again that Eddie was ‘not kind and turned on her.' THAT IS NOT TRUE! For two years Eddie took the abuse. The multiple stories that were written, the TV interviews she did, the recruiting of other people to talk lies about him...all the while Eddie kept silent," Tamra said. "I was the one getting upset. I felt like I had to defend my husband because he was the one getting attacked in retaliation of ME not liking Brooks. It just wasn't fair! "
In her blog, Kelly Dodd, who had words with Vicki in the Monday, July 23 episode of RHOC about Vicki's involvement in setting up Kelly's ex-husband on a date, said seeing Vicki apologize to Eddie "was rich."
"All the Bible verses and crocodile tears in the world aren't going to make up for the fact that Vicki has selective loyalty. Whoever she's in front of at any given time is who she's loyal to," Kelly said. "Her apology to Eddie and Tamra may have come from a sincere place, but that doesn't mean she'll change her behavior. That's Vicki's problem. She's always ready to stab someone in the back if it makes things easier for herself in the moment. When confronted, she deflects. You can't teach an old Housewife new tricks."
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays, 9 p.m. on Bravo.
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