Braunwyn Windham-BurkeandSean Burkeare officially going their separate ways.
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal thatThe Real Housewives of Orange Countyalum and her husband of 23 years have officially split, with Braunwyn filing for divorce in an Orange County court on Monday.
The Burkes were together for 28 years and share seven children: Bella, 22, Rowan, 20, Jacob, 17, 9-year-old twins Caden and Curren, Koa, 7, and Hazel, 4.
She’s also requesting spousal support, a division of personal property and that Sean pay her attorney’s fees.
Their split comes nearly two years afterBraunwyn came out as a lesbian. Since then, the two have remained married while each began dating other women.
“Those who have followed our story probably aren’t surprised to find out how difficult attempting to create a ‘modern family’ is,” Braunwyn, 44, tells PEOPLE. “For the protection, integrity and love for my children, that’s all I will share as I navigate this new chapter.”
“I will always have so much love for the family we created that will continue to flourish and thrive,” she says.
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Braunwyn, who was onRHOC’s 14th and 15th seasons, is currently splitting her time between New York City and Orange County, where she and Sean share a home.
For the past three months, she’s been dating 38-year-old Jennifer Spinner.
“She makes me really (really) happy,” Braunwyn wrote on Instagram in September, responding to fans who told her to “slow down” after her split from girlfriendVictoria Britoback in July. “I smile all day and I’ve never laughed harder in my life. This past year has been really hard, so I’m choosing to go with it and just let things be good without over thinking it.”
“Thank you,” she wrote to her girlfriend. “You make me the best version of me.” She added the phrases “life is short” and “choose happy” in hashtag.
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Since coming out, Braunwyn has been vocal about how enlightening the experience has been for her.
“I like women. I’m gay,” she said when first announcing the news toGLAADin December 2020. “I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It has taken me 42 years to say that, but I am so proud of where I am right now. I’m so happy where I am. To be able to be comfortable in my own skin after so long is just so nice.”
“I’m just now starting to feel like I’m becoming the woman I’m supposed to be,” she added. “I’ve always known it, but it took me, personally, 42 years to be comfortable in my own skin to say that.”
The reality star came out almost a year after getting sober in January 2020. She and Seanrenewed their vows at the 20-year markin a ceremony that aired onRHOCthat November.
At first, the choice to remain married to Sean was part of a joint effort to"redefine" their marriage.
“I love Sean. I love him dearly, he is my person, he is my family,” she said to GLAAD. “But I’m not attracted to men and I never have been.”
“We are in unchartered territories,” Braunwyn continued. “Sean and I are still married, I plan on staying married. We are not sleeping in the same bedroom right now, but we are in the same house. We are raising our kids together.”
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She told PEOPLE not long after that she and Sean were in therapy together to work on their relationship.
“I love Sean and Sean loves me.We have no intention to divorce and every intention of staying together,” Burke said in April 2021. “We are working on our relationship and are very honest in our communication. We’ve had ups and downs, and this is obviously not a traditional relationship, but he’s my best friend.”
source: people.com
