Vicki Gunvalson was born Victoria Gunvalson on March 27, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Vicki is an actress and producer who has appeared in productions such as The Real Housewives of Orange County (2006), A-List Awards (2008), and Messiest Home (2008). (2009). She also runs Coto Insurance and Financial Services, which is her own insurance company.
She is a part of the original cast of Bravo’s reality show The Real Housewives of Orange County. Gunvalson announced her resignation from the franchise in January 2020, the same year she launched her own podcast, Whoop It Up with Vicki.
Vicki Gunvalson's Net Worth
As of 2021, Vicki Gunvalson has a net worth of $7 million and is an independent insurance agent, author, and original cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Vicki is the original Housewife from Bravo’s hit reality show. She’s also the author of two books, “More Than a Housewife” and “Internet Life Insurance Selling Made Easy,” both of which were well-received and added to her large bank account. (1)
While she discovered that other Real Housewives were paid a few thousand dollars for their first seasons, Gunvalson disclosed on an episode of her podcast, Whoop It Up with Vicki, that she “got zero!” She said, “I got zero, zero. So you have to pay your dues.” However, Gunvalson noted that her lack of pay didn’t last long. She was earning $1 million per season before she got demoted, in which she went from earning $60,000 per episode to a mere $20,000. This deduction cost her half of her salary.
Vicki's Early Life
Vicki was born Victoria L. Steinmetz in Chicago, Illinois, on March 27, 1962. She grew and was raised in the Mount Prospect suburb of Paletine, where she attended Fremed High School, as one of five children. Kim, Kathy (who was adopted), and Lisa are her three sisters. Bill, her brother, is her other sibling. Her father ran the Steinmetz Acoustical Construction Company, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom who cooked every night for the family while maintaining her impeccable appearance. Vicki remembers her family as being quite close-knit, and she has many wonderful memories of her youth. Starting with her first employment at Swenson’s Ice Cream Shop, her father was the one who taught her financial responsibility. After that, she worked for Wendy’s and later Jewel Food Stores. She’s certainly progressed since those days. (2)
Vicki’s father instilled in her a strong work ethic as she grew up. Vicki and her siblings learned from him to live within their means, pray, be grateful for what they had, and strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives.
Vicki Gunvalson's Education
Vicki was able to finish high school but it appears as though that she did not enter college. She attended Fremed High School and there’s no data as to whether or not she got into a university.
Notably, Kelly Dodd went on tirades against Vicki saying that she’s college educated whereas Vicki was not, and that Vicki was a dumba**. From this, we can infer that she really was not able to reach tertiary-level education.
Vicki Gunvalson's Husband/Boyfriend and Family Life
View this post on Instagram
Vicki married her first husband, Michael J. Wolfsmith, when she was 21 years old, and they had two children, Briana Culberson (née Wolfsmith) and Michael Wolfsmith. They divorced when she was 29 years old, and she started working part-time at her father’s construction company.
After her father died of Alzheimer’s illness in 1991, she went into the health insurance business. After getting her insurance license in California, she married Donn Gunvalson and launched Coto Insurance and Financial Services in 1994. In 2014, Vicki and Donn divorced. From April 2019 to September 2021, Vicki was engaged to Steve Lodge, Roger Lodge’s brother.
Gunvalson dated Brooks Ayers during the tenth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County. It was revealed that Ayers’ assertion that he had cancer, which had been a plot point for the whole season, was false, and that Gunvalson lied about it. Ayers acknowledged to forging “papers to ‘show’ to the public that I, in fact, have cancer” in 2015.
Many of Brooks’ coworkers despise him, but Vicki’s daughter, Brianna Wolfsmith-Culberson, dislikes him even more.
Michael, her son, is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder and works at Coto Insurance with Vicki. Brianna, her daughter, graduated from nursing school and now lives in Oklahoma with her husband and 3 children.
Vicki has three grandchildren, Troy William Culberson (born September 28, 2012), Owen Tucker Culberson (born July 9, 2014), and Hank Ryan Culberson (born November 18, 2020), through her daughter Briana Wolfsmith and her husband Ryan Culberson, who are expecting their baby girl due in March. (3)
Vicki Gunvalson's Career
View this post on Instagram
Vicki became a single mother at the age of 29, and one of her close friends encouraged her to get a life insurance policy for herself because she was the sole breadwinner for her two tiny children. She decided to get licensed to sell life and health insurance after additional discussions with her friend. She was named the company’s top salesperson in her first year. Vicki is now the happy owner of Coto Insurance and Financial Services, Inc., where she enjoys mentoring and employing other women and moms. Vicki received the “Patriot Award” from the US Department of Defense in 2018 for her support of military spouses and families.
With the premiere of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” in 2005, her life took a new turn. Since its inception in Vicki’s office and backyard, the franchise has grown to include eight “housewives” episodes across the country, 11 international “housewives” segments, and RHOC is broadcast in over 120 countries and territories worldwide.
Vicki has concluded Season 14 of The Real Housewives of Orange County filming. She keeps herself occupied with her insurance firm and her podcast. (4)
Real Housewives of Orange County Storyline for Vicki Gunvalson
Vicki Gunvalson joined “The Real Housewives of Orange County” since its first season in 2005. She is one of the original housewives of the show.
She was a regular from the first to the thirteenth season, until being demoted to a recurring cast member in season fourteen. Her compensation has also been reduced as a result of her demotion. During the filming of RHOC, Vicki went through a public divorce from her then-husband, Donn Gunvalson; the couple filed for divorce in 2010, but it was not finalized until 2014.
After Gunvalson accused Dodd of using cocaine, Housewife Kelly Dodd said in November 2018 that she would not return to The Real Housewives of Orange County for Season 14 with Gunvalson. Dodd was set to return to the series in December 2018, according to reports. Bravo published promos on July 3, 2019 that did not include Gunvalson as a cast member. On RHOC, Gunvalson was downgraded to a “friend” and would no longer be seen as consistently. Gunvalson announced her departure from the franchise in January 2020, saying in a statement, “It’s been a wonderful 14 years and I want to thank all of you for your support, love, and for ‘whooping it up’ alongside me along the way.” (5)
Vicki Gunvalson's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 5 ft 8 in 1.7 m |
|---|---|
| Weight | 112 pounds 50 kg |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Vicki Gunvalson
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $7 million |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois |
| Birthday | March 27, 1962 |
References
- Vicki Gunvalson Net Worth, https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/authors/vicki-gunvalson-net-worth/
- Vicki Gunvalson, https://vickigunvalson.com/about/#:~:text=Born%20in%20a%20small%20Northwest,work%20ethic%20from%20her%20father.
- Njora Robert, Vicki Gunvalson Bio, Age, Family, Husband, RHOC, Kitchen, New Role, https://informationcradle.com/vicki-gunvalson/
Lindsay Geller What Is Vicki Gunvalson’s Net Worth? How Much ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ Star Makes, https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a29253562/vicki-gunvalson-net-worth/
- Jennifer O’brien, RHOC: What Happened To Vicki Gunvalson After Season 13, https://screenrant.com/real-housewives-orange-county-vicki-after-season-13/