Vicki Gunvalson on Steve Lodge Split: I Gave that Man Everything! It Wasn't Enough
In April of 2019, the OG of the OC became engaged to her boyfriend.
Now, Vicki Gunvalson and Steve Lodge are over, ending their engagement after two-and-a-half years.
Things were looking bad based upon eyewitness accounts, but the breakup came worse than anyone had imagined.
Now, Vicki has made a public statement as she picks up the pieces.
As was already reported, one inside source told E! News earlier this week that the two split.
In fact, they had apparently broken up in June, but tried reconciling.
The reconciliation faced several hurdles, including the fact that it was a long-distance relationship.
“Steve ended things with Vicki,” the insider explained.
“Steve and Vicki had been living separately for much of the pandemic,” the source detailed.
“Steve had been living like he was a single man in Puerto Vallarta," the insider detailed, "while Vicki was in the U.S.”
That lines up closely with eyewitness accounts that described Steve Lodge's behavior.
There was speculation that he might have been cheating on Vicki -- the alternatives being a secret breakup or an open relationship.
But what was truly shocking (sadly, cheating allegations are no shocker) was how the breakup went down.
According to what a separate inside source told Us Weekly this week, he dumped her long-distance while she was working.
“Steve broke up with Vicki while she was filming the [Real Housewives] spinoff show in the Berkshires,” the insider revealed.
That's not just harsh -- it ruined her return to Bravo.
“After he told her this, she was traumatized," the source revealed.
The insider characterized: "It ruined her."
The source added: "She didn’t want to be at the [Dorinda Medley’s] house anymore.”
That particular spinoff, Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, was filmed at Dorinda's Blue Stone Manor.
It will air on Peacock, NBCU's streaming app.
But Steve dumping her, abruptly and over long distance, was not what Vicki expected or needed at that time.
According to the report, Vicki is "still a mess" after being broken up with.
Vicki is "not OK," according to the source.
Steve has moved on and moved out of Vicki's home.
“She’s in terrible shape. She still loves him,” the insider lamented
“They had not been getting along for a long time," the source added as delicately as possible.
The insider divulged: "He seemed disinterested in her for a very long time.”
On Wednesday, Vicki took to Instagram to confirm the breakup and make a statement.
"It’s taken me a day to be able to make a statement after the press started writing about Steve and I," she wrote.
"Yes," Vicki confirmed, "the rumors are true."
"The time has come for Steve and I to move forward or move on," Vicki expressed.
"And," she said, "we are …. moving on."
Vicki claimed: "There is no fault with either person, we are just going in different directions."
"I wish him the best life has to offer and to be happy," Vicki announced.
"And," she shared, "he has wished the same for me."
"I gave it my all, but sometimes the 'ALL' isn’t enough," Vicki concluded. "We both have no further comment."
Is there any chance that this is good news?
After all, Vicki was recently filmed going on unhinged anti-vax rants, frequently clashing with Dorinda while filming.
According to her own son, Vicki has apparently been fed a stream of information from dubious "news" sources.
We all know that Steve Lodge is political -- he was one of a large number of hapless losers who tried and failed to become Governor of California.
That recall election fell flat on its face, but one of the main drives behind it was inexplicable resistance to COVID-19 pandemic precautions.
Some have speculated that Steve was radicalizing Vicki with untethered nonsense.
Speaking of Steve's laughable gubernatorial ambitions, some wonder if Steve decided to attempt a reconconciliation with Vicki purely for his image.
Sometimes, politicians (and aspiring politicians) make relationship decisions for the sake of appearances, postponing breakups until after elections.
Whatever we may think of Vicki, either on or off camera, no one deserves to be used as a political prop and then discarded.