Braunwyn Windham-Burke is shutting down online speculation that she and ex-bestie Noella Bergener were once an item.
“I do want to make it very clear: we were never romantically involved. I’ve seen rumors like that,” the “Real Housewives of Orange County” alum said on a recent episode of Tamra Judge’s “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast while filling in for co-host Teddi Mellencamp.
Though Windham-Burke, 44, is the first openly gay “Real Housewife” and Bergener, 36, is proudly bisexual, the former Bravolebrity asserted that the women only shared a “sister”-like relationship.
Windham-Burke — who is currently dating model and dancer Victoria Brito — explained that she and Bergener became close before Season 16 began filming at the behest of a “RHOC” producer.
“My first lunch with her, I was like, ‘I love this girl. She’s so open. She’s like me on crack,’” Windham-Burke recalled. “Any crazy thing I’ve done, she’s done more! … But the thing that I love about her is she owns all of it.”
When Windham-Burke discovered that she was not asked back for the latest season of “Orange County” — and that Bergener had received an orange, making history as the show’s first black cast member — she pressed pause on the friendship.
“She was my first phone call. I called her before I called anyone else. I sent her a text message, like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so happy for you. You deserve all the beautiful things in life. I just need to take a break right now because this hurts so much,’” she said, acknowledging that she had hoped to stay on the show at the time.
Windham-Burke tried establishing contact later, but claimed that Bergener has all but ignored her attempts: “She ended up breaking up with me, for lack of a better term.”
Windham-Burke — who has maintained a friendship with Bergener’s estranged husband, James Bergener — can’t pinpoint why she’s been iced out completely, but thinks the input of a mutual acquaintance might be to blame.
“My best guess is that maybe someone we trusted said something to distance her from me,” Windham-Burke said. “This is literally me just throwing stuff out there because that’s the only thing that would make sense given how close we were.”
The motivational speaker, who regularly advocates for the sober and LGBTQIA+ communities, says that she is hopeful for a future reconciliation with Noella.
“I do think when the show is over [we can be friends]. I miss her,” Windham-Burke said. “Things will happen in my life that are so crazy and there’s no one else I can talk to because she was the only person that fully understood the crazy and embraced me and loved me for it.”
She added, “It’s very rare in life that you meet people like that.”
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.