Brandi Glanville is “exploiting” her ongoing health struggles in a desperate attempt to cash in on Cameo as she wants to “get the exposure she craves” after being ousted from Bravo, insiders claim.
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 52, shocked fans this week when she posted an unrecognizable selfie of her swollen face, saying doctors think she could have a parasite “jumping around” her skin.
Brandi, who was previously diagnosed with ‘stress-induced angioedema’, is no longer in the ‘spotlight’ after her recent ‘reputation war’ with Bravo and Andy Cohen and has turned to Cameo to make money.
“Brandi recently returned to Cameo and she loves being in the spotlight and loves money,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively.
“So, what better way to get back on the radar than to exploit what she’s going through to get people talking about her again.”
The source noted that the reality star is dissatisfied with her ongoing misery, adding, “Brandi hates getting old and this latest skin and facial problem is scary.”
Brandi Glanville is choosing to ‘exploit’ her current health problems because she ‘loves the spotlight’, insiders told DailyMail.com
Earlier this month, the TV star, 52, announced her return to Cameo – a popular service that allows users to pay celebrities to record personalized messages (pictured December 2022)
They continued, “She wants to be on TV more, she wants to sell more Cameo, she wants to be in the mix.
“And she thinks of every way to get out of there. If it takes her health issues to get back on track, it could be a win.
“She will get the exposure she desires and opportunities to make money in the future.”
Brandi announced her return to Cameo last week. The popular service allows users to pay celebrities to record personalized messages for them.
“It’s been over a year since I’ve been dealing with my health issues and not being able to keep up with the videos, but I’m BACK on @cameo,” she told her 675,000 Instagram followers.
She charges more than $125 per message, during which she can roast someone, give a pep talk, give advice or celebrate a birthday.
In August 2023, Brandi revealed that she had been diagnosed with stress-induced angioedema, claiming it stemmed from her time on the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco.
According to the Mayo ClinicAngioedema is a reaction similar to hives that causes swelling in the deeper layers of the skin, often around the face and lips.
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shows off the shocking changes to her face (left) after a year of appearance problems (pictured in 2009, right)
The insider stated: ‘Brandi recently returned to Cameo and she loves being in the spotlight and loves money… So what better way to get back on the radar’
In the months that followed, the star was hospitalized several times and said she incurred significant expenses as a result.
During this time, the star has shared numerous photos and videos revealing her deflated, blotchy cheeks to fans, highlighting the ongoing twists and turns she’s faced.
Brandi has consistently blamed The Real Housewives TV network Bravo, insisting her face was “doing gymnastics” due to the stress the network had caused her.
A second insider noted that Brandi’s constant criticism of Bravo had done lasting damage to her reputation.
“She has caused so much damage and she knows her career and reputation are over,” they said. “The network will never work with her again.
“She has become a burden and claiming that Bravo is the reason for her health problems is just an example of the type of person she is.”
Brandi decided to “wage a public reputation war” against Bravo after they “silenced” her in the wake of sexual assault allegations against her by her Ultimate Girls’ Trip co-star Caroline Manzo.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 62, made headlines in 2023 when she claimed Brandi kissed her without consent and even “pushed her vagina against her back” while filming spinoff show Housewives in Morocco.
The source continued, “She wants to be on TV more…she wants to be in the mix…If it takes her health issues to get back on track, it could be a win” (RHOBH cast pictured in 2012 )
Caroline then officially filed a complaint to sue Bravo over her claim that the production encouraged Brandi to sexually harass her.
Brandi and her legal team have maintained her innocence, insisting that the TV star was never alone with Caroline, and that her co-star “at no time demonstrated a lack of consent.”
When Brandi was told to move on by a Bravo fan earlier this year, Brandi hit back, saying that wasn’t possible because every time she saw her appearance she was “reminded of how damned the last two years have been.” ‘
She seethed: ‘F*** off! You have no idea how horrible the last two years have been. Being branded as some kind of sex offender for a storyline sucks.
‘I lost every job I had. I’m going to therapy. I’m on medication to help, but Bravo allowed that story to continue for a year and a half.
“It wasn’t until Caroline filed her lawsuit that Bravo admitted I had done nothing wrong.
‘I’d like to get on with my life, but I’m in and out of hospital and my face is doing gymnastics.
“So every time I pass the mirror I’m reminded of how damned the last two years have been. It’s very easy for you to sit back and judge, but maybe you should be kinder.”
She said: ‘I have had a number of health problems which have affected my ability to speak. My ability to taste food, my face actually swelled up, like I was going to go into anaphylactic shock, go into anaphylactic shock all the time and I saw seven doctors and their response to that was it was stress-induced angioedema.”
The failed star Dr. Terry Dubrow, 66, threw cold water on the star’s “parasite” theory and instead thought her disfigured skin and sunken cheeks were likely the result of an infection.
The cosmetic surgeon – who is married to Real Housewives Of Orange County star Heather Dubrow – told TMZ he was “concerned” that Brandi could be suffering from an “infectious process” or a “foreign body reaction to something she injected .’
He also clarified that Brandi isn’t “to blame” for not being sure what’s plaguing her, and instead blamed her doctor for not having a solid diagnosis and treatment plan.