She played a four-person alter ego on Days, she was a beast of a real housewife, and she
did it all while battling demons behind the scenes. Now in her mid-60s, Eileen Davidson's still working through her heartbreak
Eileen Davidson appears so poised and confident that you would never know she grew up struggling
During an appearance on State of Mind with Maurice Bernard, she shared that growing up
in a home with six other siblings resulted in relative chaos. It was either a lot of laughing or a lot of screaming, not a lot of in-between
I mean, door slamming and fighting and hair pulling. On top of that, she described feeling a sense of shame, which she says stemmed from her upbringing
She shared that her father would disappear into his room and not speak to her for six months at a time
Because my father was manic depressive back in those days. He wasn't diagnosed, but his behavior was pretty bizarre
Davidson's mother died before The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 6 for Union
which Eileen hid from her castmates. As she blogged for Bravo, I knew it would rob everyone of their ability to be honest with me if they were all walking
on eggshells. Moreover, I couldn't even talk about my mother without breaking down
In 2021 she posted a tribute to her late mother on Instagram writing My mom would have been 99 years old today Happy birthday mama As if the death of her mother wasn hard enough on the actor
Davidson lost her brother a month prior. In February 2016, she wrote for Bravo
I'm here with a very heavy heart to share the news of another beloved family member passing away
Sadly, my eldest brother, John Jack Davidson, left us suddenly last week at the age of 69
Sadly, Davidson's sister died of breast cancer two years earlier, in 2014
Davidson opened up about her death on State of Mind. One of my sisters died in my arms
She was going to get surgery, and then she decided she never liked doctors. They terrified her
As her sister tried homeopathic remedies, Davidson described how she and her niece weren't allowed to even mention the cancer
Tragically, the National Enquirer reported Davidson also lost her niece two months later from an apparent overdose
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 6 was full of explosive moments
But during one particularly heartbreaking episode, Davidson revealed to her cast members
that she had been in two abusive relationships. When pressed for details, she explained that one
of her exes hit her so hard, he broke her nose and the police had to be called several times
Nobody would think somebody like me would be in a situation like that She said she was sharing her story because she hoped those in similar situations would realize that they can get out of abusive relationships In a blog for Bravo she wrote
I consider myself a strong woman. I've played strong female characters throughout my acting
career. I think most people who know me would describe me that way. Being strong doesn't mean
you can't find yourself in an abusive relationship. It can happen to anyone. You can get help. You can
leave." In what may have been the first healthy coupling for the actor, Real Housewives fans
witnessed Davidson's marriage with her third husband, Vince Van Patten, on the show. But when
housewife Brandi Glanville accused Davidson of being a homewrecker in season 5, Davidson stuck
up for herself. The actor confirmed that she and Van Patten were both married to other people
when they met on The Young and the Restless. The following season on Housewives, when Lisa
Vanderpump grilled her about the start of their relationship, Davidson explained the situation
further. Davidson alerted her husband and claimed that she and Van Patten never made a move until
each of them had left their previous relationship Davidson ex John Lindstrom filed for divorce in 2000 while Van Patten ex filed in 2001 These days Davidson and Van Patten appear very much in love and are still going strong
The two have been married for almost 20 years and share their son, Jesse Van Patten
Davidson also serves as a bonus mom to Vincent's two kids, Vinnie and Richard Van Patten
Although she had starred in soap since the 80s, starring on a reality show proved to be a totally
different ballgame for Davidson, and she offered one word to sum up her stint on three seasons of
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Stressful. During an episode of Behind the Velvet Rope podcast
she revealed that she had PTSD from the show. I wasn't present in my own life anymore. I was
present with this other universe and all the BS that was going on in that universe
She described having insomnia and often getting sick while filming. Still, she doesn't regret her
experience. That being said, no longer participating in the reality show is a big relief for her
On whether she would ever return, Davidson told Entertainment Tonight that she would consider it
and still has love for her former cast members. But she added
I don't know, it would be kind of weird trying to get back on that pony. I'm not sure
You know, I might pop in now and again. You never know