'Real Housewives' Couples That Were Disasters

Even though a lot of people doubt the authenticity of reality television, in a lot of ways the Real Housewives franchise is very real. We actually do get to see the cast members go through an awful lot and that includes ups and downs in their dating lives and marriages. And unfortunately, there have been plenty of couples that were a total disaster on Real Housewives . As a viewer, I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty entertained by a lot of the relationship drama, but as a human being, I could not help feeling bad seeing the Housewives stars struggling with tough times, especially on camera and in the public eye.

It really killed me seeing my favorite Real Housewives stick around in relationships that had clearly already been over for a long time. I couldn't deal with seeing these couples either bicker or grow really distant. Some of these pairs just had way too much drama for me to keep up with and that's saying a lot considering that reality TV shows thrive when there is controversy. Thankfully, these couples are a thing of the past that we only have to endure when the episodes re-air on Bravo.

1. Vicki Gunvalson & Brooks Ayers

There is just no way I could make this list and exclude this relationship. Right from the get-go, the Real Housewives of Orange County cast members (mainly Tamra Judge) were very suspicious of Brooks' motives with Vicki and thought that he could have been an opportunist when it came to Vicki's money. Then the relationship took a beyond infamous turn when the cast (and plenty of viewers) questioned Brooks' cancer diagnosis. Brooks stands by his claim that he has cancer, but he has admitted to fabricating medical documents. Even though the relationship has been done for a while, it is still a topic of conversation when it comes to RHOC.

2. Camille & Kelsey Grammer

When Real Housewives of Beverly Hills first started, Camille was all about being Mrs. Kelsey Grammer. Then we saw her grow frustrated as Kelsey became more distant and was making more trips to New York for his work on Broadway. Eventually, Camille found out that Kelsey had met his now-wife Kayte Walsh. Before publicly leaving the marriage, Kelsey and Camille went to the Tony Awards together to put on a good front. It was both awkward and heartbreaking to watch. Even though Camille started out as the "villain" character on the series, pretty much everyone sympathized for her at that point.

3. Cynthia Bailey & Peter Thomas

When Cynthia first joined Real Housewives of Atlanta she was engaged to Peter. We got to see their wedding on the show, which was beautiful, but chock full of drama. Cynthia's mother and sister mysteriously "lost" the marriage license and then tried to stop the marriage from happening. Obviously, that's not the best start to any union. Throughout the marriage, Peter got caught up with his restaurant endeavors, which had him living and working in Charlotte while Cynthia was in Atlanta. Things took a turn for the worse when a video was released of Peter canoodling with a woman at a club who was not Cynthia. On top of all this, Cynthia admitted that she was no longer attracted to Peter when she was talking to her sister during an episode. Now that RHOA's Season 9 is airing, it is clear that the couple's divorce is going to be Cynthia's main story line, so unfortunately for Cynthia this makes me think that there will be even more drama to add to this list.

4. Jules & Michael Wainstein

Jules was only a Real Housewives of New York City cast member for one season and things did not go too well for her. Viewers saw some super obvious signs of the cracks in her marriage. Jules claimed that she felt like she had no support from her husband in a few onscreen breakdowns, and she admitted that she did not miss Michael during the girls trip Miami. The whole relationship was awkward to watch. After their season aired, Jules and Michael decided to divorce. I am sure that they are both grateful to have reality TV behind them at this point in their lives.

5. Bethenny Frankel & Jason Hoppy

I was so happy when Bethenny and Jason got married. But not long after it became clear that Bethenny had way too much going on with her business empire and their bickering just made me feel super uncomfortable. Then, the couple separated and had what felt like the longest divorce in history. Bethenny said that she felt "homeless" because she could not live in her apartment, and she was constantly talking about the stress of their relationship's demise. Thankfully, their divorce is finally done with.

6. Porsha Williams & Kordell Stewart

When Porsha first appeared on RHOA, she was all about being a married to Kordell. She ran every single decision by him from her wardrobe selection to her social outings with the cast, which obviously did not sit well with the other Housewives. Porsha and Kordell went to couples therapy together on the show, and I just can't imagine that talking about your marriage in front of reality TV cameras is the best thing for a struggling marriage... obviously. Then, it all came to an abrupt end when Kordell filed for divorce. Now, Porsha is liberated and full of life, so the breakup really seems like it ended up being a positive thing for her.

7. Tamra Judge & Simon Barney

At first, Tamra and Simon were absolutely crazy for each other. They were super affectionate and a very loving couple. Then, viewers saw them constantly bickering, especially over how to deal with Tamra's son Ryan from a previous relationship. Simon also got upset with Tamra for her super close relationship with her fellow cast member Vicki. Tamra tried to prove how devoted she was to the marriage by getting Simon's name tattooed on his finger, but it was too little too late. Eventually, Tamra told him on camera that she wanted a divorce from him while she cried in the back of a car.

8. Kenya Moore & Walter Jackson

Kenya was really doing the most to make her relationship work with Walter, but he just never seemed to pick up what she was laying down. Kenya was very vocal about her desire for marriage and children, and Walter always seemed disinterested. She also called him out (in front of the cameras, of course) for not wanting to have sex with her during a vacation to Anguilla. Kenya really tried her hardest to take their relationship to the next level and she never seemed to notice that he did not seem interested in getting that serious. Things got even more awkward after they (finally) broke up and he continued hanging out with the husbands in the RHOA cast and showed up at cast events.

9. Vicki Gunvalson & Donn Wolfsmith

It seems like a lifetime ago, but Vicki started out on Real Housewives of Orange County in a marriage with Donn. As all fans know, Vicki is all about her business and put that first all the time, but Donn expressed a desire to spend more time with her. Vicki famously said that her "love tank was empty" when it came to relationship with Donn. They tried to work on their issues and spend more time together and they even renewed their vows on camera, but that was not enough to save their marriage. It really seemed like they were trying, but it just wasn't working and it was both awkward and sad to see.

On the bright side, all of these relationships are in the past and it seems like that is where they will remain. Hopefully, everyone has learned from these experiences and will not repeat the same mistakes in the future — especially on camera.

Images: Bravo (8)