Braunwyn Windham-Burke Shares How Captain Sandy Helped Her Tell Her Sobriety Story

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On the Season 15 premiere of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Braunwyn Windham-Burke revealed she is an alcoholic, and has made the decision to stop drinking. We saw Braunwyn open up to cast member Emily Simpson, but she also offered some insight on how some other familiar faces have helped her through her journey on the October 17 episode of The Daily Dish podcast, which you can listen to, below. 

Braunwyn explained that she reached out to Captain Sandy Yawn, who has previously opened up about accomplishing 32 years of sobriety. The Below Deck Mediterranean cast member shared some advice with Braunwyn that helped her share her sobriety story publicly. 

“She really clarified it for me. Which was, ‘You had no problem getting drunk on camera. Why do you have such a hard time getting sober?’” Braunwyn shared. “And I told her the truth, ‘Because what if I fail?’ And she said, ‘Look, do it. You’re gonna be accountable.’ So, Captain Sandy was really instrumental in me calling up my producer and saying hey, here’s the truth, I’m an alcoholic. I’m gonna get sober. I’m gonna try and we’re gonna do it on camera and we’re gonna do it right. We’re gonna show the full story. And they just said, 'OK, we’re here.'” 

Braunwyn also gave a shoutout to The Real Housewives of New York City cast member Leah McSweeney and Lala Kent of Vanderpump Rules, who have also been open about their experiences and have helped her along the way. 

“I have had such amazing support from this Bravo family,” she said.

In an October 15 Instagram post, Braunwyn thanked Sandy for “giving me the courage to tell my story,” and shared an update on her journey. 

“258 days, one day at a time. Thank you to everyone that helped me on my journey so far,” she wrote. “9 months ago, my life was unmanageable, but today, I’m happier than I’ve ever been, living life honestly on life’s terms.” 

Braunwyn has also revealed how her experience has impacted her future. In August, she teased that she was returning back to school for the first time in more than 20 years, and in an October 15 Instagram Story, she shared that she is "going back to school to be an alcohol and drug addiction therapist," adding, "I want to try and give back a little of what I've been given." 

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