Hours after coming out as a lesbian on Wednesday, December 2, Braunwyn Windham-Burke seemingly introduced her social media followers to her girlfriend, Kris.
The 43-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star shared a photo snuggled up to a blonde woman on Wednesday via Instagram Stories. Braunwyn captioned the snap with a rainbow flag emoji and a pink heart emoji.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Bravo star, who has been married to Sean Burke since 2000, opened up about her sexuality during an interview with GLAAD.
“I’m still getting used to it … I knew I was attracted to women,” she said. “I got married very young and I never thought about it. … For me to be living completely authentically and say, ‘I’m a lesbian. That was who I have always been.’ This isn’t something that is new ‘cause that I think is what a lot of people will think. ‘Oh, suddenly you’re one.’ No, I’ve always known it. But it took me personally 42 years to be comfortable enough in my own skin to say that.”
Sean, for his part, showed support for his wife of 20 years on Wednesday via Instagram Stories, writing, “I love you. I’m proud of you. And I support you. Always.”
During her interview with GLAAD, Braunwyn revealed that Sean has met Kris.
“I mean, we go to parties together! She came over the other night, hung out with the family, had dinner with us,” she said. “I mean, it’s only as weird as you make it.”
She added that the pair — who share seven kids: Bella, 20, Rowan, 18, Jacob, 15, 7-year-old twins Caden and Curren, Koa, 5, and Hazel, 2 — are in “uncharted territory” when it comes to their marriage but have no plans to divorce.
“I don’t have a role model for this. I don’t have anyone to go to for answers,” she told GLAAD. “So right now, we’re just doing our own way. You know, Sean and I are still married. I plan on staying married … we’re raising the kids together. He’s my best friend. … I love Sean. I love him dearly, he is my person, he is my family. But I’m not attracted to men and I never have been.”
Braunwyn and Sean previously sparked split speculation in October after she shared a post about coparenting and divorce. The reality TV personality later told Us Weekly exclusively that she was seeing someone “special.”
She teased at the time: “There’s someone in my life right now that makes me happy and I smile just thinking about, but I kinda want to protect it right now. … I don’t think I’ve smiled so much. It’s good. I know if you look at social media, it seems really like crazy, but things are really good in our house right now.”
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