The Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Vicki Gunvalson has announced she is officially dating Brooks Ayers again and that he is currently living with her as he battles the return of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer.
“We’re gonna kick it,” Vicki says of Brooks stage 3 cancer at the beginning of the Us Weekly interview clip. “There’s no other choice. We’re gonna kick it.”
Brooks’ cancer, which was revealed publicly early last month, has returned for the third time. Vicki talks about the days prior to finding out and the emotional moment Brooks told her the disease was back. “I just knew something wasn’t right,” she says. “He hadn’t been, really, looking good. I had come home from a business trip and he said, ‘My cancer’s back. I have stage 3.’ And we were standing outside, it was, like, 9:30 at night, and I just burst into tears.”
Vicki says that the invitation to move in with her came at a later time. “In late October, when Brooks had his chemo treatment planned,” hat’s when Vicki told herself, “‘It’s time to get him in my home.'”
She explains why she made the decision to let Brooks move in. “I didn’t want him to be recovering by himself, and not having anybody there to help him with the juices, or whatever I needed to do,” she says. “I just felt it was easier on both of us if we could be together, so I had him move some of his stuff in.”
So how did Vicki’s daughter Briana, who has been loud and clear about her disdain for Brooks, take the news that he has moved back in with her mom? There wasn’t an answer to that question at the time of the interview because Briana didn’t know yet! “My relationship with my daughter Briana is really, really good,” Vicki said before shockingly revealing, “She doesn’t know Brooks is in, but I guess she will now.”
Vicki addressed her daughter’s concerns, as well as those of numerous viewers who are also a little wary of Brooks. “I think [Briana] wants me to be single, or dating others, and I don’t want that for my life. I want Brooks.” She adds that “you have to look at life as every single day is a gift, and we have to surround ourselves with people that we want to be with, that encourage us and love us.”
And just in case there was any doubt about Vicki and Brooks’ current relationship status, the RHOC OG clears that up right quick. “So, yes, we are exclusive, we are dating, we are together,” Vicki says. “It’s official.”
Brooks also talked about their reconciliation, stating that cancer “either will tear you apart as a couple or bring you together. And with us, without a doubt, it’s brought us together.”
Vicki went on to reveal that she has received support from most all of her Real Housewives of Orange County co-stars. “Shannon was absolutely there for us,” she says. “Heather also reached out. And [Heather’s husband] Terry, Lizzie.” Notice anyone missing from that list? “Never heard from Tamra,” Vicki reveals, before adding, “Interesting. You know what, you really find out who your true friends are when things like this happen.”
Towards the end of the clip, Brooks iterates Vicki’s positive message from the beginning of the interview. “We’re gonna get cured, we’re gonna carry on, we’re gonna kick it.”
