PHOTOS VIDEO Brandi Glanville bio, new cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be bringing back all six ladies from the show’s enormously successful inaugural season, but just in case the heated rivalries between Kyle Richards and cast mates Camille Grammer and sister Kim Richards couldn’t provide enough conflict Bravo added world-class drama mama Brandi Glanville to the cast!

Though not officially a “Housewife” (Bravo’s site refers to her and fellow newbie Dana Wilkie as “Friends of the Housewives”), from all reports Brandi will be playing a huge role on the show as a big time sh** stirrer! (What else would you expect from the woman who took in Lisa Vanderpump’s former boy pet Cedric Martinez?)

^ Brandi Glanville in August of 2010 (DJDM/WENN.com)

Given the fact that Brandi Glanville’s split from husband Eddie Cibrian (after his affair with LeAnn Rimes) has been one of the biggest tabloid stories of the last two years, there is surprisingly little background information about Brandi Glanville available. There is no Brandi Glanville Wikipedia entry, and most “biographical” posts about her are vague prior to her split from Cibrian. This post should be able to fill in a few of the blanks so you can be fully prepped when Brandi makes her whirlwind entrance this season!

Brandi Glanville was born November 13, 1972 to parents Guy Glanville and Judith Ann Glanville of Galt, California. She has an older sister, Tricia Ann, and a younger brother named Michael – both of appear to be married and living in California.

  

Brandi Glanville began modeling at the age of 16 and by 17 was a full-time professional doing runway shows in Paris. As Bravo puts it, “Brandi Glanville has traveled the world as a high fashion and top runway and print model. She has appeared on the glossy pages of premiere fashion magazines Glamour and Cosmopolitan and worked for luxury design houses, such as Giorgio Armani, Chanel, and Gucci.”

I scoured the internet and couldn’t locate any modeling photos of Brandi prior to her marriage to Eddie Cibrian. (Actually, there weren’t many “modeling” photos even after she married Eddie!) If anybody has any old modeling photos of Brandi or links to them on the web, please comment below or send us an email at starcasmtips (at) yahoo.com! (That includes you Brandi! C’mon, you’ve got to have some old modeling shots laying around you want to share!)

UPDATE – Brandi heard our plea and agreed to let a friend send us some of her modeling photos! CLICK HERE to check ’em out!

She stayed abroad for six years before returning to Los Angeles, where she met future husband, actor Eddie Cibrian, at a nightclub.

Brandi married Cibrian, star of Baywatch Nights and Sunset Beach at the time, on May 12, 2001. The wedding came almost a year and a half after Eddie proposed on New Year’s Eve, 1999 with a 3-plus-carat diamond ring. The ceremony was attended by 200 friends and family and was held at the beachfront Ritz-Carlton just south of Los Angeles in in Laguna Niguel, California. Brandi Glanville wore a wedding dress designed by Reem Acra and Eddie Cibrian was sporting an Armani tuxedo.

Brandi stayed in Los Angeles for Eddie before they would eventually move to New York City for five years during his stint on the show Third Watch. During this time Brandi continued to model with the Elite Agency

Eddie Cibrian and Brandi Glanville have two children together, son Mason Edward, born June, 2003, and another son, Jake Austin, born on April 5, 2007.

Brandi and Eddie split up in July of 2009 after a much-publicized affair between Eddie Cibrian and country singer LeAnn Rimes, who was co-starring with him at the time in the Lifetime movie Northern Lights. (I won’t go into the details about the couple’s tumultuous split, which has been covered by the media ad nauseum.)

Brandi Glanville and LeAnn Rimes would eventually get into a bitter Twitter feud in which both ladies aired out their feelings toward each other for the public (and lots of happy bloggers) to see. LeAnn would seemingly become obsessed with Brandi and on numerous occasions appeared to pose for photos striking similar poses to Brandi, most of which while wearing only a bikini. The accusations of mimicry would continue, including LeAnn Rimes’ wedding to Eddie Cibrian, which took place April 22, 2011. Numerous media outlets reported on the striking similarities between LeAnn’s wedding and that of Brandi and Eddie a decade earlier.

Here is a photo of Brandi Glanville and husband Eddie Cibrian (both of which are looking damn fine btw) back in 2005. (Photo: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com)

Up until now LeAnn Rimes has seemd to have the upper hand in the duo’s feud because of the amount of exposure and attention she received from the media, but starting tonight Brandi Glanville will get her turn as I’m sure she will use her role on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as a platform to throw more than a little shade on LeAnn and her ex!

It has been reported that Brandi’s acrimonious split from Cibrian has enabled her to bond with RHoBH‘s vet Camille Grammer, who went through a similar ordeal with her celebrity husband, Kelsey Grammer. Brandi’s addition may have played a large part in Camille’s decision to return to the show after it seemed like the entire cast ganged up against her last season.

One person Brandi Glanville probably hasn’t bonded with is RHoBH Queen Bee Lisa Vanderpump after Brandi took in stray boy puppy, and Vanderpump estate outcast, Cedric Martinez! The two were photographed on numerous occasions over the last year, looking pretty and appearing to enjoy each others company immensely. The photo above was taken early this year just after the two had lunch together in Los Angeles. (Credit: Michael Wright/WENN.com)

Another pretty man seen being close to Brandi Glanville? Gerard Butler! That’s right, the two were seen getting mighty intimate (ie making out) at a private beach party in Malibu on August 27. Well, now we know to things about Brandi Glanville. She is attracted to very attractive men, and they are attracted to her!

Here is Bravo’s video introduction to Brandi in which she talks about a number of topics, including which housewife brought her on board and what she liked about the show prior to signing on:

Oh, and let’s not forget the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 2 preview trailer in which Brandi reunites sibling rivals Kyle and Kim Richards in a heated exchange that inspires the latter Richards sister to call Brandi a s|ut pig!

The Beverly Hills franchise is currently my favorite Housewives incarnation, and I believe the addition of Brandi Glanville is going to add a ton of sparks to an already stellar cast! As a matter of fact, I think I’d like to dedicate this Katy Perry song to Brandi, who I think is going to redefine what it means to be a “Firework” this season!

Brandi, you’re a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make ’em go oh, oh, oh no she didn’t!
You’re gonna leave ’em falling down