A2S- Reality TV Backstories

So, Lauri Waring Peterson makes an appearance on the Real Housewives of Orange County, Season 8.

Vicki Gunvalson isn’t the only grandmother in the Orange Bubble.

How will she spin the true backstory on the “Brady Bunch”

An original Orange County housewife, Lauri Waring was raising three children, Ashley Xarlin, Josh Waring and Sophie Waring as a recently divorced single mother living “outside the gates’ of Coto de Caza in Ladera Ranch. To add insult to injury, she was working for co-star Vicki Gunvalson as a fledgling insurance agent. Her son, Josh, went into a juvenile detention center for drugs, on television, and Ashley Zarlin, 19 at the time, moved back in with Lauri.

During the hiatus between Season 1 and 2, which was more than a year (Season 1 was filmed in 2005) Lauri dated the infamous Housewife Hunter Slade Smiley, during one of his break-ups from Jo de la Rosa. About this time, it became known that Slade was broke and in foreclosure on his Coto de Caa home, and Lauri moved on, finding a wallet named George Peterson, just in time for Season 2.

Lauri and George spent Season 2 putting together what they call the “Brady Bunch”; her 3 children and his four, Mackenzie, Slayte, Danyka and Bria. Not without controversy……especially from those who knew George best; the Orange County Register, a reporter named Frank Mickadeit and various relatives and friends.

By the third season we were no longer able to see the Peterson children; their mother, Gina Peterson, withdrew permission for them to be seen, with the exception of MacKenzie, 18. As a result, George very publicly kicked Gina out of her Dana Point house. Bravo TV threw George and Lauri an extravagant wedding.

Lauri withdrew at the beginning of season 4, the court dates, and the problems Josh was having, the anger of the public over her parenting became too much.

Fast forward a few years to Season 8, Lauri returns as a “Friend of the Show”

Lauri, in the “First Look”, states Josh is married and expecting a baby. Last December, the baby girl was born, and a few hours later went into heroin withdrawal. Mother of the Year Lauri did not care to foster her sick grand child, so she is a ward of the state. Josh and has wife cannot attempt to have her in their custody until they submit to a rehabilitation program.

Whatever happened to the missing Bria Peterson? She was out of boarding school for a while, but George recently had her sent back until she’s 18……..next year.

Ashley “works” for George. The other members of the Brady Bunch have survived.

Living in a glass house…throwing stones.

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Monday nights on Bravo TV.