Gretchen Alleges Vicki Sent ‘Outrageous’ Texts About Tamra Before BravoCon

The excitement in the Bravosphere is palpable as fans celebrate the return of Vicki Gunvalson, known as the “OG of the OC,” to The Real Housewives of Orange County. Tensions among the cast appear to be on the rise as well.

“Over the summer, Vicki was texting me about some things and mentioning she was going to keep her mouth shut [about] what was said,” Gretchen Rossi revealed exclusively to Us Weekly on Saturday, November 15, during her time at BravoCon 2025 in Las Vegas.

“She shared some wild stories,” Gretchen added, claiming Vicki was reaching out about her longtime friend and RHOC co-star, Tamra Judge.

“Yeah, it’s definitely going to be interesting to observe the dynamics,” Gretchen remarked.

Vicki’s official comeback to reality TV was revealed at this year’s fan convention in Las Vegas on Friday, November 14, when Andy Cohen surprised her with an orange during The Bravos awards.

“Vicki, would you come back as a housewife for season 20?” Cohen asked her, prompting an emotional reaction from Vicki on stage. (She was instrumental in launching the reality series and appeared for 14 seasons before stepping back in January 2020.)

Following her BravoCon moment, Us spoke with Vicki, who described the surprise as an emotional experience.

“When I went out, Andy wanted me to present the Wifetime Achievement Award to Kandi Burruss, and he gave me only a week’s notice,” Vicki shared with Us on Saturday. “I prepared a speech, but it wasn’t on the prompter when I got on stage.”

She added, “Initially, I felt somber going out there, thinking this could be my last appearance at BravoCon. I might kick and scream all the way out, but I’d do it. However, when he asked me about season 20, it took me a moment to realize this means I’ll be around for at least another year. I’m incredibly grateful and excited to just be myself, have fun, and uplift other women.”

While Gretchen hinted at lingering tension between them, Tamra told Us that she was surprised but thrilled to see Vicki’s return to the show.

“No, I had no idea it was happening,” Tamra told Us on Saturday. “I’ve been spending some time with Vicki and asking if she had any updates. Typically, we don’t hear about the next season until December or January, so she was like, ‘No, I haven’t heard anything.’”

Tamra expressed her own surprise, stating, “She was completely caught off guard.”

Later, Tamra mentioned to Us how happy she felt seeing her friend on stage accepting her orange, noting that her husband, Eddie Judge, was sitting next to Vicki’s boyfriend, Michael Smith, during the heartfelt moment.

“His jaw just dropped,” she shared regarding Michael’s reaction. “He was stunned, like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really happening.’ He’s very much like Eddie, thinking, ‘You do your thing, and I’ll sit over here.’ So now Eddie has someone to hang out with.”