Brandi Glanville is sharing a new photo of the face swelling she experiences due to a skin condition.
On July 24, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alumna posted a selfie on X, formerly Twitter, showing off the results of what she says is stress-induced angioedema, which she claims stems from her time on the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
“This is why I’m miserable and depressed :(,” the 51-year-old wrote alongside the picture of her severely swollen cheek. “I’m not even gonna share the picture of when it sinks in. Stress will kill you. How is your wealth? Take care of yourself people, thank you Bravo. I couldn’t even work if I wanted to at this point.”
In January, the reality star told Entertainment Tonight that she was diagnosed with angioedema last year, and the condition causes her face to swell up so much that she can’t talk or taste food. “I would go into anaphylactic shock constantly,” Glanville told the outlet, noting that the trouble began in August 2023.
Angioedema is swelling in the deep layers of the skin and other tissues, according to the Mayo Clinic. Similar to hives, it often shows up around the face and lips, and may be accompanied by an itchy, raised rash. Typically, it will clear up within a day without treatment, leaving no lasting marks, but “it can be life-threatening if swelling of the tongue or in the throat blocks the airway,” the Mayo Clinic says. For those who need treatment, antihistamine medication is often prescribed.
Glanville said she was even hospitalized in October 2023 because the condition got so bad, with her son having to call 911.
“I was on the phone with Andy Cohen… and I was just given some very disappointing news and I couldn’t take it,” she recalled. “The stress just, my eyes swelled shut, my hands [blew up]. I laid down before I fell down, but an ambulance came and I spent two days in the hospital, trying to figure out what’s wrong.”
“It’s affected every aspect of my life,” she said. “Everyone’s like, ‘You look great,’ I’m like, ‘I don’t feel like I should feel, I don’t look the way I used to look.’ ”
Glanville has maintained that the underlying stress comes from allegations stemming from her experience on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. The reality star was asked to leave filming in Morocco in January 2023 after allegedly kissing costar Caroline Manzo multiple times during a party without her consent and groping the Real Housewives of New Jersey alumna off-camera.
Glanville has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, telling the outlet, “Nothing happened, that’s all I can really say. This false narrative has been going on for 10 months. It’s been the worst year of my life. Worse than my divorce.”