Vicki Gunvalson, a The Real Housewives of Orange County alum, went through a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé Steve Lodge, and his recent Instagram post has fans slamming him as “thirsty.” Vicki met Steve at a charity event in 2016, and he was a welcome change after her disastrous relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Brooks Ayers. As a retired detective, Steve seemed honorable and trustworthy, something that Vicki needed after discovering Brooks was lying about having cancer.

Steve proposed to Vicki in 2019 after three years together. In RHOC season 14, Vicki showed off her sparkly engagement ring, and fans thought she finally found someone to keep her love tank full. Unfortunately, rumors started swirling that the two had broken up. In September 2021, Vicki announced that she and Steve had decided to part ways after five years together. Although Vicki’s statement made it seem like their breakup was amicable, she soon revealed that Steve had cheated on her and used her condo in Mexico as his love nest.

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Vicki and Steve’s breakup became messy as they both alleged the other was spreading lies about each other. Steve claimed he and Vicki broke up in 2020, while the RHOC alum told The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip cast members that her fiancé broke up with her right before filming. Steve recently shaded his ex when he posted a video of himself drinking a beverage called “Vicky” and said with a grimace, “Ooh, that’s bitter!” Instagram user the-bravo_chicks shared his video and wrote, “If you’re going to try to call @vickigunvalson bitter, you should consider not doing something so messy.”

Many RHOC fans shared the same sentiment and wondered why Steve was creating drama for no reason. One Instagram user responded, “Totally unnecessary. Why not just live your life and let her be?” Another wrote, “I don’t know. Using someone for your political campaign is worse than being bitter about it, IMO.” During Steve’s engagement with Vicki, he ran for Governor of California, and many RHOC fans thought he was using her for publicity. Despite his ambitious endeavors, he received less than 1% of the votes.

Steve is now married to Janis Carlson, an elementary teacher who is 26 years his junior. Vicki wished him the best but shaded him by saying she was glad it wasn’t her at the altar. It seems as if Vicki has dodged a bullet for the second time, and she is currently in a happy relationship with her boyfriend, Michael. Unlike her previous relationships, Michael seems to be a private person, and Vicki is keeping her new love under wraps. Although The Real Housewives of Orange County fans are curious about Vicki’s new love, many are glad she has finally found someone to keep her love tank full.

Next: Times When RHOC's Vicki Gunvalson Was Sick Or Injured On The Show

Sources: Steve Lodge/Instagram, the_bravo_chicks/Instagram