After a lackluster Season 12 was for
The Real Housewives of Orange County, Bravo is looking to revamp the series by adding some new blood. After Vicki Gunvalson reconciled with Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador during the Season 12 reunion special, alliances have changed for the upcoming thirteen season. So who are these new cast members? Find out below!
As previously reported, Meghan King Edmonds, Lydia McLaughlin and Peggy Sulahian confirmed their departure from the show. Returning to Season 13 are Kely Dodd, Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador and the OG of the OC herself, Vicki Gunvalson.
The ladies have been spotted filming the new season. Recently, Tamra, Vicki and Shannon headed to Mexico and were spotted whooping it up at Vicki's favorite hot spot, Andales, which confirms that Vicki and Tamra are back being besties, as the two were recently spotted wearing Thelma and Louise hats.
As for Vicki and Kelly, the two ladies were feuding recently after if was revealed that Gunvalson's boyfriend Steve Lodge played matchmaker for Dodd's ex-husband Michael and set him up with his new girlfriend, causing drama between the two ladies.
“Kelly is mad because she believes this report that Vicki and Steve set Kelly’s ex up with the new girl he’s dating. She’s mad because she feels betrayed by Vicki,” a source close to production tells
Us Weekly.
“Vicki denies she had anything to do with setting them up. She says they met outside of her.” The insider adds, “Michael and Steve are very good friends. Michael asked Vicki and Steve not to tell Kelly. Vicki honors her word in terms of not telling Kelly about Michael dating someone. Vicki didn’t feel it was her place, because the news should have come from Michael. Steve was the one who set them up.”
Kelly took to Twitter to slam Gunvalson and Lodge on Thursday, February 22, after she heard the reports of the set-up. “@pagesix Steve Lodge is a douche bag along with his pig of a GF!! And I am 42 years old not 44years old!” she wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
As previously reported, Vicki Gunvalson‘s boyfriend Steve Lodge played matchmaker and helped set up Michael Dodd with his new girlfriend. “Michael and I are very, very good friends,” Steve told
Page Six.
“We have been since the first day when I met him. It’s been almost two years. We go to dinner together. We hang out together. We get along really well. I didn’t lose him as a friend when he split from Kelly [Dodd].”
“He was hurting pretty good and going through all the emotions that people getting divorced usually go through,” he continued. “After a little bit of time went by … I thought this may be a good fit. So I invited [him and his new girlfriend] over and we went out to dinner and they hit it off. It was me that set them up. I think they make a nice couple. I asked Vicki not to say anything to Kelly because I didn’t think it was our business to tell her. Whether she takes offense to it or not, that’s just the way it is. I didn’t want there to be an issue. When they want to tell Kelly, it’s up to them.”
“Everybody has to move on, right?” he added. “He wasn’t looking for a divorce, so why would she care who he’s dating anyway?”
The publication originally reported that Lodge set up Dodd with one of Gunvalson's friends in early December.
Kelly and Vicki were recently spotted hashing out their issues, but the pictures it looks like the two found themselves in friendly terms - for now!
Following Meghan, Lydia and Peggy's departure. Bravo confirmed that RHOC Season 13 will be getting some new blood. Kathleen French, Senior Vice President for Current Production at Bravo recently shared new casting details about the upcoming thirteen season.
"There will be new faces on Orange County and I'm going to leave it at that," French told Megan Segura and Rachael Roberts, hosts of Bravo's
The Daily Dish podcast. "We always want to keep the shows fresh and we always want to introduce new friends," she explained. French revealed they find their new 'Wives by checking out the returning Housewives' already-established circle of friends: "[We] always look for people who are organic to the group."
She elaborated, "So the question when starting the next season is, 'What are you doing now?' 'Who are you hanging with?''Anyone new in your life?' ... And that's really where we'll always look first."
So who are these new wives? As usual, our good friends over at
Real Housewives 101 spilled the tea about the identities of the new cast members.
One of the newbies has been identified as Gina Kirschenheiter, who happens to be friends with Tamra Judge.
Another newbie has been identified as Emily Simpson. She's a resident of Laguna Niguel. She’s a double bar association lawyer and also runs a party planning company, According to
Real Housewives 101, she has been filming with the ladies for the past few weeks. It's unknown at this time if she's be a full-time cast member or a "friend" of the wives.
Also, Janae Mumford has been rumored to join the show. It's unknown at this time if she's be a full-time cast member or a "friend" of the wives, however sources reveal that she's been filming for RHOC.
Some of the newbies were recently spotted filming with the veterans for the show's upcoming thirteen season.
As for the current housewives, they've been busy dealing with their own drama.
Kelly recently confirmed that she's officially single as she and Michael finalized their divorce.
Shannon is dealing with court drama with estranged husband David as they're negotiating divorce and custody drama. As for David, it was
confirmed via social media that he is dating a much younger girlfriend, identified as Lesley Cook.
As for Tamra, she recently
confirmed that she broke her foot and was spotted buying a new knee scooter.
What are your thoughts on the rumored new housewives? Are you guys ready for Season 13? Sound off in the comments below!
Photo Credit: Bravo
