“The Real Housewives” franchise has reached a milestone that few could have predicted when the first series debuted in Orange County. Twenty years later, some of its longest-serving stars are looking back at what life in front of cameras has taught them.
According to Kyle Richards, there is one quality many of the ladies now share. Years of divorces, family problems, and public criticism have taught these Housewives to recover and keep moving forward.
That history is now at the center of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.” Richards joins Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lesseps, Porsha Williams, Teresa Giudice, Gizelle Bryant and Lisa Barlow for a cross-country celebration of the franchise.
Kyle Richards Says ‘Resilience’ Is a Common Theme Among the Housewives
Richards has been part of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” since 2010 when the show premiered.
All through that time, viewers have witnessed several major changes in her personal life. Her difficult relationships with her sisters, Kim Richards and Kathy Hilton, have played out on camera. More recently, her separation from her longtime hubby Mauricio Umansky became one of the biggest storylines on the show.
Richards has also spoken openly about the changes she’s making in her own life, including giving up alcohol.
Speaking about the women chosen for “Roaring 20th”, she outlines one feature that connects them.
“A common theme here is resilience,” Richards told People.
“All of these women have gone through difficulties and come out the other side. Hopefully we can inspire other people too. We’re still standing, and guess what? You can too,” she said.
The RHOBH star remembered that people once questioned whether reality TV as a whole would last. “When we started this, people were like, ‘Is reality television even going to be around for long?'” she recalled. “And look at this! How could we not want to celebrate that?”
The longevity of the series also means that viewers have witnessed some cast members change dramatically. Gunvalson is one of the clearest examples.
Vicki Gunvalson No Longer Takes Online Criticism Personally
Gunvalson is another “OG” of the “Housewives” franchise. She was there when it all began.
The reality star joined “The Real Housewives of Orange County” for its first season back in 2006. The series eventually became the starting point for a much larger franchise.
Much of the star’s adult life has since unfolded in front of cameras.
Viewers watched her raise her children, build her business, and go through the end of her marriage to Donn Gunvalson. That level of exposure brought along with it extensive criticism. After spending years dealing with public opinions about her own life, Gunvalson says her approach has changed.
“I became much more resilient to the conflicts in life, and I realized it will pass,” she told People. “I’m also not on social media as much. I don’t take it personal anymore. I’m like, ‘They are miserable, and now they want me to be miserable, and that’s not going to happen.'”
Her family’s relationship with reality TV has been more complicated.
Gunvalson recently revealed that her daughter Briana Culberson has no interest in returning to RHOC. According to her, Andy Cohen has previously asked Briana about appearing again, but she wants to remain separated from the show.
For the “OG of the OC,” however, the franchise remains a major part of her life.
Porsha Williams has experienced a different type of transformation.
Porsha Williams Says Reality TV Allowed Her Reinvent Herself
Williams did not join “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” until Season 5. However, her life changed significantly during her time on the show.
When viewers first met her, Williams was married to former NFL player Kordell Stewart. Throughout her time on the show from Season 5 through 13, viewers have witnessed her divorces, activism, and her turbulent friendships.
Through these changes, Williams says she has learned to see herself differently.
“I have allowed myself to reinvent myself,” she reflected. “[My first season], I used to see myself one way, as a wife through my husband’s eyes. And [after my divorce], being so young at 30, i went right into how the audience saw me … And the audience, although they’re supportive and I love them, they’re on my ride. So let me lead my life and reinvent, become who I want to be.”
