Braunwyn Windham-Burke recently embraced her truth, coming out as gay and going public with her girlfriend.
And the Real Housewives of Orange County star has had the perfect support in husband Sean Burke, with whom she’s remaining married.
She and Sean are reportedly ‘happy’ in their open marriage, as they both date other people while co-parenting their seven kids at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Happily married: Braunwyn Windham-Burke and husband Sean Burke are reportedly ‘happy’ in their open marriage, as they both date other people while co-parenting their seven kids at home during the COVID-19 pandemic
The 43-year-old is working to redefine their relationship, as a source told Us Weekly: ‘Both are allowed to date people and are happy!’
Braunwyn recently clarified a remark that she’d be ‘heartbroken’ to see Sean, 47, start dating again, which some took as hypocritical, given that she’s already dating.
She told Us Weekly: ‘Dating someone and falling in love and starting a new life are two very different things. If Sean dated someone, that’s great. I support that. I think he should be. If Sean fell in love and started a new life, started a new family, yes that would be heartbreaking.
‘We’ve been together 26 years. We’ve been together since we were children. And I think that people kind of forget that it’s not just that we’re married, we’ve been together since we were kids. We are family. We are each other’s people. We are closer to each other than anyone else.
Seeing other people: The 43-year-old is working to redefine their relationship, as a source told Us Weekly: ‘Both are allowed to date people and are happy!’
Heartbroken: Braunwyn recently clarified a remark that she’d be ‘heartbroken’ to see Sean, 47, start dating again, which some took as hypocritical, given that she’s already dating
New love: Braunwyn was spotted last month at Laguna Beach with her girlfriend of four months Kris, 29, after making their relationship Instagram official
‘Would that hurt? I’m not talking about losing the marriage, I’m talking about losing my best friend, my person that’s been with me since I was 18. So yes, I would be heartbroken. Does that say that I don’t want to be happy? Of course, I do. I think it would be weird if I wasn’t heartbroken if my husband of 26 years fell in love with someone else.’
It comes after Sean was photographed last month, packing on some PDA with a new flame at a juice bar in Newport Beach.
Despite their united front, a source recently told DailyMail.com that Braunwyn is ‘done with Sean’ and ‘never found him attractive’ after finding his girlfriend in his bed.
The pair will air out some of their dirty laundry in the upcoming season 15 reunion of RHOC, which airs in two parts, starting Wednesday, January 20.
Braunwyn was spotted last month at Laguna Beach with her girlfriend of four months Kris, 29, after making their relationship Instagram official.
A source told People of the blossoming relationship: ‘Braunwyn and Kris have been dating for a few months now.
‘They met at a time where Braunwyn was exploring this part of herself that for years she kept unconsciously suppressed, and Kris has proven to be a key person in helping guide Braunwyn through some of those really complicated emotions.’
Living her truth: It came just after she opened up about her sexuality to GLAAD: ‘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’
Big step: She added: ‘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’ (pictured in November, 2019)
Happy family: The blonde beauty also revealed that she’s still married to husband Sean Burke, 47, after more than 20 years, as they share seven kids: Hazel, two, Koa, five, twins Caden and Curran, seven, Jacob, 15, Rowan, 18, and Bella, 20
Her person: She said: ‘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’
It came just after she opened up about her sexuality to GLAAD: ‘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.
‘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.’
She added: ‘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.’
The blonde beauty also revealed that she’s still married to husband Sean, after more than 20 years, as they share seven kids: Hazel, two, Koa, five, twins Caden and Curran, seven, Jacob, 15, Rowan, 18, and Bella, 20.
She said: ‘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 continued: ‘We are in unchartered territories. 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.’
She began coming to terms with her sexuality after sharing an onscreen kiss with her RHOC co-star Tamra Judge, 53, last year during season 14.
Sexual awakening: Braunwyn began coming to terms with her sexuality after sharing an onscreen kiss with her RHOC co-star Tamra Judge, 53, last year during season 14