Braunwyn Windham-Burke Says She Should Have Been in Rehab Instead of Filming RHOC

Braunwyn Windham-Burke said she would have been better off focusing on her health than holding an orange for her second season of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

During an IG Live with Smoredate on Wednesday, the former reality star made the revelation while discussing how she came across on the Bravo show, saying she was painted in an unflattering light because of her castmates, which included Shannon Beador, Kelly Dodd, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Elizabeth Lyn Vargas.

"My cast members lie a lot about me," she began. "Like everything they ever said has been a lie. And they never really gave me a chance to explain it -- you don't know til it airs that they're saying this. So I wish you got to see I'm funny, I'm kind, I'd give the shirt off my back."

"I was filming the first three months of sobriety," she continued. "That was hard. I was not okay. I should've been in rehab. No doubt about it. I should not have been filming."

"And I know that's a TV show and I just wish people realize it is edited, it is produced. We are turned into characters. And if you meet any of us on the street -- anyone on a reality show -- take the time to actually get to know them and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised."

On the Season 15 premiere of "RHOC" back in October 2020, Braunwyn announced to her co-stars she was struggling with alcoholism, telling Emily her husband Sean had given her an ultimatum: stop drinking or go to rehab.

Last month, while discussing Braunwyn not returning for the next season, Andy Cohen revealed that her appearance on the recent reunion episodes made him and other producers feel like her "being on TV" wasn't "the healthiest spot for her and her family."

"I think she was dealing with some real, real stuff with herself, with her marriage, with her children. It was a lot. Yeah."

Meanwhile, Braunwyn celebrated 500 days sober on June 12 by sharing the milestone on her Instagram, writing, "For those of you struggling to get sober, the beginning is definitely the hardest part. The first three months are tough, I can't sugar coat it. However, it gets easier, then it gets amazing. 500 days, today. Five. Hundred. One day at a time... 💕"