‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ Star Vicki Gunvalson’s Past Legal Woes Exposed: Inside Lawsuits

Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson is facing legal troubles after a 74-year-old woman sued the TV personality and accused her of financial elder abuse. Though Vicki has denied the claims and is prepared the fight the lawsuit, it isn’t the first time she has become entangled in a legal battle.

Vicki Gunvalson Was Sued for Financial Elder Abuse and Fraud in May 2024

Vicki was sued by a woman named Diane Field in May 2024, according to court documents obtained by In Touch on July 30, 2024. Allianz Life Insurance Company, Coto Insurance & Financial Services and another investment company were also named in the suit.

Diane claimed that, for 22 years, she and husband George Field invested 90 percent of their combined net worth in stocks and mutual funds with a firm in Orange County, California. She said that they were able to live off work salaries and pensions and had no need to remove money from these accounts, except to pay taxes.

However, in 2002, George was severely injured in a bike accident. Diane took control of their finances, which amounted to around $6 million. She held the money in an investment account and a separate account where they put money for their daughter.

Diane claimed that she met Vicki in 2019 after her friend scheduled an appointment with the reality star to talk about investments. She alleged that Vicki said she was not interested in working with her friend because she didn’t have at least $500,000 to invest. Vicki allegedly suggested that Diane invest in Allianz annuities, which Diane wasn’t interested in. Vicki then suggested that Diane talk to her partner, Ali, about the stock market.

After meeting with Ali and again with Vicki, who allegedly told Diane that they could help her lower her taxes, Diane claimed that they convinced her to transfer funds in stocks to an outside firm managed under Ali at Fidelity Investments and had her take out a life insurance policy without telling her it cost $300,000 a year. She also transferred money into the Allianz 222 Indexed Annuity. Over time, Diane claimed that Vicki and Ali convinced her to add more money to the annuity, and she continued to make $300,000 payments for her life insurance policy.

Diane and Ali later modified the policy to have a $100,000 premium.

Diane ultimately accused Vicki and Ali of financial elder abuse, claiming they had her enter into harmful deals. The lawsuit demanded unspecified damages for the alleged conduct.

In response to the lawsuit, Vicki’s legal team told In Touch, “Victoria Gunvalson is a well-respected insurance broker with more than 34 years of experience. She has helped more than 7000 clients. She vehemently denies each and every allegation set forth against her by Diane Field in this lawsuit.”

The statement continued, “Ms. Gunvalson followed the direction of her client, Diane Field, in placing the insurance products Ms. Field requested regarding the annuities and the life insurance policy. Ms. Gunvalson did not engage in any conduct that could be considered financial elder abuse, breach of fiduciary duty or fraud.”

“Victoria Gunvalson remains committed to the highest standards of integrity and transparency,” her lawyers concluded. “Needless to say, we are outraged by the false allegations being made against her. We will vigorously defend her good name and reputation in this lawsuit.”

Vicki Gunvalson Was Sued for Fraud in 2019

Vicki was previously sued in April 2019 over allegations of fraud relating to her insurance company. She was accused of lying to a woman named Joan Lile for more than 20 years, according to court documents obtained by The Blast at the time. Joan filed a suit against Vicki and Coto Insurance and Financial Services for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract.

Joan claimed that she bought a long-term care insurance policy from Vicki in 1996 and was told by the reality star that it would cover future medical premiums after she or her husband died. However, Joan alleged that Vicki lied about the “Lifetime Waiver of All Premiums of a Surviving Spouse” while “preying on the confidence and trust” of the pair.

Joan claimed that Vicki misrepresented what she sold to her customers. She also claimed that she “paid ever-increasing premiums yet was ultimately denied the specific benefit on which the purchase of the policy was predicated.”

Vicki’s lawyer Michael Mazur denied the claims in a statement to Us Weekly. “The claims alleged against Gunvalson are completely false. Gunvalson has always acted professionally and with the utmost truthfulness and integrity in every transaction that she acted as an insurance agent for her clients,” the statement read. “She has never engaged in any fraudulent conduct nor misrepresented any terms of any policy. She vehemently denies the false allegations made against her in the lawsuit by Mrs. Lile.”

Michael continued, “Mrs. Lile filed the lawsuit against Penn Treaty Insurance Company (‘Penn Insurance’) because they failed to honor the terms of the insurance policy that they had underwritten in 1996. Gunvalson was Mrs. Lile’s agent for the transaction. Unfortunately, when Mrs. Lile filed her claim for benefits with Penn, she discovered that Penn Insurance had financial difficulties and was taken over by the State of Pennsylvania. The operations were taken over and placed into receivership and liquidation.”

He concluded, “Gunvalson has provided her full assistance and cooperation to Mrs. Lile in seeking to have Penn Insurance honor the terms of the insurance policy that they issued to Mrs. Lile. Penn Insurance is currently under Court Orders issued in Pennsylvania for a Statutory Liquidator. In February 2019, an Order was issued authorizing the release of funds from the estate (Penn) to each state guaranty association in order to pay claims. The claims made against Gunvalson are completely false and lack any merit whatsoever.”

The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2020.

Vicki Gunvalson Filed a Defamation Lawsuit Against Costar Kelly Dodd in 2019

Vicki sued costar Kelly Dodd for defamation in November 2019, In Touch confirmed at the time. She claimed that Kelly made the defamatory comments about her during RHOC filming, including, “You prey on older people,” “You are a con woman” and “You engaged in ‘fraud.’” Vicki initially named Bravo and parent company NBCUniversal in the suit but later dismissed them.

Vicki claimed in the suit that Kelly’s remarks were false and could “damage her reputation and livelihood.” She sought damages and asked that Kelly’s “con woman” comments be removed from the episode in which they aired.

Days after suing Kelly, Vicki withdrew the suit, a source told People. “She has spoken to the producers and has resolved the issues amicably,” the insider said.