Vicki Gunvalson Stays Close To Boyfriend Steve Lodge After ‘RHOC’ Demotion, Shares Instagram Photos

Vicki Gunvalson and her fiancé, Steve Lodge, are spending time in Palm Springs, California after learning of her demotion on The Real Housewives of Orange County.

Following the announcement regarding Bravo TV’s official cast lineup for Season 14, Gunvalson has shared a number of photos from the area on her Instagram page, including her most recent image, which featured herself and Lodge taking a selfie while enjoying a meal at the El Mirasol Restaurant.

“I [love] being out in the desert. It’s hot but I don’t care!” Gunvalson wrote in the caption of her photo.

Gunvalson and Lodge began dating in 2016, and in April of this year, they confirmed their engagement on Instagram.

After becoming engaged, Gunvalson appeared to be filming plenty of scenes with her co-stars for The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 14, including an over-the-top, country-themed engagement party, which appeared to be attended by all of her co-stars.

Although Gunvalson’s engagement news is expected to be seen throughout the 14th season of the show, the relationship milestone reached by her and Lodge wasn’t enough to secure her a full-time role on the series, even though she maintained the position for the show’s first 13 seasons.

Gunvalson and Lodge’s engagement was announced on April 26.

Gunvalson began facing claims of a potential demotion in February of this year after filming on The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 14 began without her. As some may recall, Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador and the other women of the show started filming scenes for the new episodes in Southern California in early February, when Gunvalson and Lodge were spending time with one another in The Bahamas.

A short time later, after rumors began swirling in regard to Braunwyn Windham-Burke’s addition to the series, which has since been confirmed, reports of Gunvalson’s demotion were further fueled. However, because Gunvalson publicly denied that she would be taking on a lesser role on the show, many viewers of the series brushed off the reports as false.

While Gunvalson has clearly been upset over the past several days in regard to her reduced role on the long-running series, she appears to be finding solace with her fiancé, as they continue to enjoy their time together in the desert.

To see more of Gunvalson, Lodge and their co-stars, tune into the upcoming 14th season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premieres on Tuesday, August 6 at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.