‘Real Housewives’ Star Braunwyn Windham-Burke Comes Out: ‘I’m Gay’

Braunwyn Windham-Burke opened up to GLAAD today about her sexual orientation, revealing she is a lesbian.

The “Real Housewives of Orange County” star explained, "I like women. I'm gay. I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It has taken me 42 years to say that, but I am so proud of where I am right now. I'm so happy where I am. To be able to be comfortable in my own skin after so long is just so nice."

She went on, "I'm just now starting to feel like I'm becoming the woman I'm supposed to be. I've always known it, but it took me, personally, 42 years to be comfortable in my own skin to say that."

An on-screen kiss with Tamra Judge on “RHOC” helped her come to terms with her sexuality.

"I had a scene with Tamra that everyone kind of talked about," she said. "When we were getting ready for the reunion, I was talking to a producer that I trust a lot, his name was James, and he said, 'How do you feel about this? Was it a drunken mistake or is this a part of who you are?' And I said, 'This is who I am.'"

She went on, "When I went to the reunion last year, I kind of started baby-stepping into, 'This is who I am. I like women.' I was testing the waters with my friends, my cast, my family," she continued, adding that the news was "well-received" among those closest to her.

Braunwyn is now dating, sharing, "I met someone that I was interested in pursuing a relationship with. It became something that I didn't want to hide anymore and I didn't want to keep secret anymore."

She’s also still married to her husband of 20 years, Sean Burke. They are still living together and co-parenting their seven kids, Bella, 20, Rowan, 18, Jacob, 15, twins Caden and Curran, 7, Koa 4, and Hazel, 2.

"I love Sean. I love him dearly. He is my person, he is my family," she said. "But I'm not attracted to men and I never have been."

She continued, "We are in uncharted territories," she said. "Sean and I are still married; I plan on staying married. We are not sleeping in the same bedroom right now, but we are in the same house. We are raising our kids together. He's my best friend. He knows the girl I'm dating."

Her girlfriend spends time with her husband and kids, and Braunwyn insisted, "It's only as weird as you make it.”