Braunwyn Windham-Burke Admits to Being an Alcoholic as Divorce Rumors Continue to Fly
It has been a rough month for Real Housewives of Orange County’s Braunwyn Windham-Burke in the court of public opinion.
Ivy Griffith
It has been a rough month for Real Housewives of Orange County’s Braunwyn Windham-Burke in the court of public opinion. Divorce rumors have been dogging the mom of 7 since making a cryptic social media post. Now, Windham-Burke is laying it all on the line and opening up about something most people struggle to speak publicly about: she’s an alcoholic.
Cryptic Social Media Posts Have Fans Talking
If fans hoped that the October 14th premiere of season 15 of RHOC would answer questions about Braunwyn, they were right. They probably just didn’t expect to hear what they actually learned. In late September, Braunwyn posted on Instagram, “New to the co-parenting world? It doesn’t have to suck. It won’t feel like this forever. You just need some perspective… Knowing what to expect will save your sanity.” Fans wondered if this meant she was divorcing from husband Sean Burke.
Although she removed the post quickly, daughter Rowan did not clear things up when she posted an image of herself with the caption, “F— you, mom.” The caption was eventually removed.
Braunwyn did not directly address the posts, but did add to her Instagram story, stating, “Our family asks for your understanding as we work through some challenging circumstances. 45 million Americans will experience mental health issues. This effects almost every family, and ours is no different. We will share with you more when the time is right. We kindly ask for your grace and kindness, and thank everyone for their support.”
The Marriage Isn’t Failing, it’s ‘Modern’
As CELEB reported earlier this month, as fans speculate, Braunwyn may have addressed the rumors in a recent Instagram post. Braunwyn shared an image of herself and husband Sean in a pool together with the caption, “Modern Marriage.” While this may seem cryptic, there may be hints in Braunwyn’s past behavior as to what she’s referring to. Braunwyn has admitted in the past that she has treated hubby Sean to threesomes for his birthday, and is honest about the, “openness,” of their relationship.
Further suggesting that Braunwyn is talking about an open marriage, less than an hour ago the RHOC star posted an Instagram image of herself with Sean, captioned, “Always evolving. #makeourownrules @seanwindhamburke @doradobeachreserve.”
Now Braunwyn Opens Up Again; This Time About Alcoholism
On the premiere of season 15, Braunwyn gave fans another very intimate glimpse into her life. In a conversation with Emily Simpson, who had asked questions about Braunwyn’s drinking last season, the mother of 7 opened up with the admission.
Bravo summed up the conversation; “‘I am very nervous right now,’ Braunwyn told Emily as they sat down to talk. ‘Like, my heart is racing. I just have to let you know that.’
Though the two haven’t been the closest, Braunwyn explained that she wanted to meet with Emily because she had noted that Braunwyn seemed to be partying a little too hard at her weaning party last season. ‘You called me out on my drinking last year. And instead of taking it to heart, I really pushed you away,’ Braunwyn told Emily. ‘Basically, I think I just got angry at you, and then I came up with reasons to be mad, because that was easier.’
The RHOC star went on to explain that she has not had ‘the best last few months’ with her drinking. It got to a point where her husband, Sean Burke, suggested that she seek help if she didn’t stop drinking.
Emily said of Braunwyn’s behavior at the weaning party, ‘To me, there was obviously a problem, because I felt like you were masking something and doing it with alcohol.’
Braunwyn said that she is ‘obviously scared of who I am without it.’ ‘It’s much easier for me to be the fun, crazy one than for me to be myself,’ Braunwyn continued. ‘The vulnerability part is hard for me. Like, it’s not a comfortable place for me. I don’t like it.’”
Braunwyn turned to the camera in a confessional and said, “I don’t know if it’s divine intervention. I don’t know. But for the first time in my life, I can say, ‘My name is Braunwyn, and I’m an alcoholic.’”
What Will Braunwyn Do With the Admission?
Since this admission comes at the very beginning of season 15, it seems likely that fans will watch Braunwyn’s attempts to deal with her alcoholism play out on camera. This isn’t the Bravo star to openly seek help for alcoholism. Vanderpump Rules‘ Lala Kent, now happily awaiting the birth of her first child, attended Alcoholic’s Anonymous in 2019 and opened up about her journey. As of the filming of the season 15 premiere, Braunwyn says she was 12 days sober. In an emotional Instagram post, she celebrated the milestones she’s hit since then; “258 days, one day at a time. Thank you to everyone that helped me on my journey so far, @captainsandrayawn for giving me the courage to tell my story, to @evolutionusa for your unwavering support and @tpkelly12 for telling this story as real and honestly as we could. When we started this season I was 12 days sober, we document the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the unfiltered reality. 9 months ago my life was unmanageable, but today I’m happier then I’ve ever been, living life honestly on life’s terms. #sober #onedayatatime #bestchoiceever photos by @mccallmillerphotography.”