Another update. Brooks Ayers cleared up rumors that he lied about his cancer diagnosis once and for all in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, March 24.
The businessman, who split from the Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson last August, admitted that he did in fact fabricate medical documents last year and the move was “absolutely wrong.” He did so, however, because he was tired of being scrutinized by Gunvalson’s costars and the public. He wanted to deal with his health behind closed doors, he said.
“Having lived under public scrutiny for the prior five years along with being wrongfully positioned as something that I wasn’t and knowing that I had a large battle ahead of me, I simply made a request to Vicki that we deal with this in a very private manner so as to keep out the noise of any questioning of my treatment choices moving forward. I was approached by a few media outlets to confirm my diagnosis and made a calculated decision to address it via a statement and an on camera interview in hopes that we would ‘put this to bed’ and allow me to move forward in private,” Ayers told Us in the statement.
“As the season progressed, I grew more weary of the foolishness of all of the antics of Vicki’s friends which, in turn, created enormous pressure on our relationship. As a result, while filming continued I began to not include Vicki in any of my medical appointments and/or details because I simply wanted to be left alone,” he continued. “It wasn’t because I had anything to hide, yet I wasn’t going to be bullied into doing something that I wasn’t comfortable revealing to coworkers/cast mates of Vicki’s who did not have my best interest at heart.”
The drama proved to be too much of a strain of Ayers and Gunvalson’s five-year relationship. In his statement, Ayers also claimed that the RHOC vet was never involved in what many considered a “created story line.”
“I simply didn’t continue to give her information about my illness when I learned of the devious nature and intentions of the cast. Second, Vicki never has paid me to be quiet regarding this ‘supposed’ scam nor has paid me to release any statements,” he claimed. “Again, just because I am exercising my right to NOT share my actual medical records doesn’t mean that I am guilty of making something like this up. Who even would question anyone dealing with this disease?”
Ayers has moved on since filming the Bravo series — and he would like to keep it that way. What won’t change is how much respect he has for Gunvalson. “No one is perfect. I have made my share of mistakes which I regret. I pride myself in apologizing when I am wrong or have wronged others either intentionally or unintentionally. Through the first five years of dating Vicki, I was coined as a con man, low life, gold digger, dead beat, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth in reality, yet this alone makes for great TV and for controversy,” he told Us. “Vicki is a lot of things, but stupid? Hardly. A liar? Hardly. She is known for being a driven workaholic who demands perfection.”
He added: “Vicki was my partner for five years and I believe the show was the demise of our relationship. She is a woman of integrity and compassion, and would never lie about something so serious as this.”
Gunvalson, 53, in turn, would also like to stop speaking on the matter. “First of all I would like to thank Brooks for once and for all speaking out on this, and for reiterating what I have said numerous times,” she said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday. “Over the last year I have been bullied, belittled, and humiliated by viewers, the media, and my so called ‘friends’. I am not now, nor have I ever been involved in covering for Brooks. I continue to wish him nothing but the best and hope that we can both now move past this difficult chapter in our lives.”
