Fans were alarmed when the first new promo photos for The Real Housewives of Orange County were released, because Vicki was a no-show.
Fears that Vicki Gunvalson was let go from the series have been on the minds of fans since January.
Her only remaining hope seems to be her engagement — but does that mean that she’s only getting married to save her job?
"Producers are pushing storylines," an insider tells Life & Style.
"So Vicki’s going to extremes to spice things up," the source reveals.
We’ve already heard stories of her being a holy terror on set in an effort to be at the center of any and all drama.
According to the insider, "she’s terrified of being fired."
After investing so much time in this reality franchise, that is very understandable.
She’s going above and beyond to secure her "orange," so to speak.
"Vicki loves being on the show," the source affirms to anyone who hadn’t realized that already.
"And," the insider adds, she loves "all the glamorous perks that come with being a Housewife."
Having a reality series to keep your brand relevant can help you in ways that make the hefty Real Housewives salary look like an afterthought.
"She’s not ready to give that up," the source expresses.
As we have previously reported, there was a clear expectation that Vicki and Steve would get engaged.
"No matter how much partying Vicki does," an insider claimed. "Without an engagement from Steve on camera she doesn’t have a storyline."
"And," the source warned in March. "She isn’t going to be a full-time housewife.”
“[Bravo execs are] hoping that she will get engaged at the end of the season," the insider expressed.
"But if she doesn’t," the source cautioned. "That pretty much guarantees that she isn’t going to be a full-time housewife."
Fans were of course relieved when Vicki Gunvalson announced that she had gotten engaged.
They were happy for her in that she was happy and successful in her relationship.
But, real talk: Vicki’s fans want to see her remain on the show. What would Orange County even look like without her?
However, sources later claimed that the proposal had not been filmed by Bravo’s cameras.
To make matters more confusing, Andy Cohen took to Twitter to claim that RadarOnline‘s story was a "lie."
Vicki also shot down rumors that the engagement was intended to please producers.
"When we ever decide to be married," Vicki tweeted before ever getting engaged. "It will be BOTH of our decisions."
That’s good to hear!
Vicki has been shooting down rumors and reports about her all year long.
Back in January, when it was reported that Bravo was demoting her to Friend of the Housewives because she had no storyline, she insisted it wasn’t true.
Vicki warned fans that "unless you hear it from me," it’s not confirmed. She was still in negotiations … but had already missed two weeks of filming.
Now, with reports that Vicki didn’t even have Bravo’s cameras there filming her, many are scratching their heads.
Does she no longer care about her reality career?
Others have suggested that maybe, to keep the moment organic, they had a friend record the event.
(From the photos Vicki shared, it is clear that they were not alone when he proposed)
That way, the show can air the footage, and then she’ll have plenty of scenes to film as she breaks the news to people and celebrates.
But we’re just speculating — so much about Vicki this season has remained shrouded behind multiple contradictory reports.