You Won't Believe How Cute These Bravo Celebs Were As Kids

Bravo celebrities — a.k.a. Bravolebrities — are some of the most famous faces on TV these days. That's because Bravo has created countless hit shows, including the Real Housewives franchise and other fan favorites like Southern Charm. Some Bravo diehards have watched these stars for years, learning almost everything there is to know about their lives. Take The Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson, for instance. Viewers have been with her since 2006, supporting her through a divorce, financial wins, and a controversial breakup.

Bottom line? People feel connected to these reality stars, almost as if they're their own friends. As such, it's understandable fans are also interested in the childhoods of these Bravolebrities, especially where it concerns how they looked way back then. Some of this interest might be due to the fact that a lot of Bravo celebs aren't strangers to plastic surgery (no judgement here, of course), amping up the mystery of who they were long before the fame.

As it turns out, there are a lot of sweet faces in this group. From an adorable Below Deck star to a Southern Charmer with a mischievous grin, you won't believe how cute these Bravo celebs were as kids.

Porsha Williams of The Real Housewives of Atlanta fame might be all glitz and glam today, but she didn't feel so confident as a child. "My outside beauty wasn't always so pretty, though," she told Upscale magazine. "I went to school in DeKalb County, (Chapel Hill Elementary and Junior High) [and] was bullied all through elementary and junior high for being super skinny with big teeth, and, believe it or not, other black girls would tease me and pull my hair because it was long." Aw, our hearts goes out to Williams.

The good news? Williams' family was able to help her overcome adversity. "My mom has always been my biggest inspiration," she added. "She taught me that beauty comes from the inside out; but I also know that the outside does matter." Not to mention, Williams is able to look back at the time on her life with humor. "Throw back Thuuurrrrsday! Back when I used to steal my brothers clothes and dress like a whole little boy," she joked about her yearbook photo. 

Maybe we're biased here, but we think Williams was a cutie back then — "brothers clothes" and all! 

The Real Housewives of Dallas star D'Andra Simmons was an adorable only child who often posed for sweet portraits with her mom, Dee "Mama Dee" Simmons. In this particular pic, the then-little girl snuggles up to her mom for a photo session, flashing a tiny grin for the camera. This photo represents a simpler time, when the mother-daughter team wasn't frequently fighting over business affairs. Nope, once upon a time Mama Dee thought her daughter was absolutely perfect. 

"D'Andra was actually such a good child, that it would worry at me at times," she said in interview for RHOD. "I remember talking to her teacher about it, and I remember she was 14 years old. And her teacher said to me, you know, Ms. Simmons, D'Andra is probably the most perfect child I've ever seen. Then all of a sudden at 15, this monster came out. And she became real rebellious and real ... not mean, just a brat." 

We're not sure if D'Andra would agree with her mother's version of history, but one thing is clear: This Texas native was a real cutie back in the day.

In case you didn't know already, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and California native Kyle Richards was a precious child actor. She starred in countless projects, including Little House on the Prairie, The Watcher in the Woods, and The Car, to name a few works. And it's not hard to see why Richards landed so many roles, as she had such an angelic personality. 

As for Richards' take on acting as a kid, she wouldn't change it for the world. "I had a very positive experience as a child actor," she told San Diego Entertainer Magazine. "I worked with incredible people. A lot of the things I did were in a very family-friendly environment. I got to travel and do exciting things never would have been able to do if I were a regular child (laughs) living a normal life."

What's more? Richards often got to act alongside her older sibling and former RHOBH star, Kim Richards. "Do you remember the audition we had for this first photo?" Kyle captioned a throwback shot of the pair acting. "It was the movie The Car and the director asked if we ever fight and if we did what was it like.... we proceeded to bite, scratch and almost kill each other." Ha! Sounds like these two had a colorful childhood.

The Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson might have felt self-conscious about her looks at times, but we think she was adorable as a kid and is beautiful today. The Illinois native had the sweetest little face way back when, and we can't help but see shades of her grandsons in this throwback pic.

As we mentioned, however, Gunvalson has struggled with her appearance throughout the years. One former cast member likened her to the "Miss Piggy" character, a comparison that has haunted her for years. "I was ridiculed that I look like a certain character," she once said on the show (via People). "And it does hurt me. It did offend me." While Gunvalson did get plastic surgery at one point, it's unclear if the "Miss Piggy" dig contributed to her decision. 

Insecurities aside, Gunvalson is confident about her incredible childhood. "It was nice hearing some of their stories of my mom, and how she always made our home a place for my friends to be welcomed in," the reality star wrote in a blog post after her mom died in February 2015. "I had a flawless childhood and one that I am grateful and thankful for." Aww.

Before The Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel became a shrewd businessperson, she was just an adorable baby growing up as an only child. "I've always been a bikini kinda girl," Frankel captioned one heartwarming shot of herself swimming in a pool.

Sadly, this shot is one of the few happy memories Frankel had as a kid growing up in Florida and New York. "We would have six cars in the driveway one week and be broke the next," she told Grow of her family's turbulent finances. "Our whole house was completely empty and we ate off a card table, but my room was perfectly designed. We would go to Coney Island in a limo, then my stepfather would ask me to borrow money from my piggy bank to cover football bets with a bookmaker."

Frankel also had a tough relationship with her parental figures, explaining to People, "I never had a true childhood. There was a lot of destruction: alcohol abuse, eating disorders and violent fights." How heartbreaking.

With her short blonde hair and sweet grin, Hannah Ferrier from Below Deck was stinkin' adorable as a kid. But behind Ferrier's happy appearance is a heartbreaking story concerning the death of her older brother. "I think my drive in life comes down to my early teen years," the Australia native told Spark It Network about what motivates her. "I grew up on a very small island, and my family was struck by tragedy when I was 5 years old [her brother died of an illness at 10]. This led to a hard few years for us, and I ended up leaving school at the age of 13."

Ferrier wasn't deterred by her critics, however, adding: "I immediately started working full time, and spent the next 7 years working my way towards success in IT and Telecommunications in Sydney [Australia]. I was told by many people I wouldn't amount to anything because of the age I left school. and I was determined to prove them wrong."

That spunky little kid has since turned into a beautiful and successful woman, earning a spot as chief steward on multi-million dollar yachts. Get it, girl. 

Once upon a time, Southern Charm's Shep Rose rocked a blond mushroom haircut. The now-reality star captioned one particularly charming throwback shot with, "Me and my sister hiking the Appalachians a couple years ago. Overalls+wristband=fashion risk." Too cute! We're fans of the overalls and wristband combo, too.

Although Rose might appear angelic in this pic, he was very mischievous during his formative years in South Carolina. His mom, Fran Rose, explained to The Island Packet about how little Shep's teacher conferences lasted three times longer than his sister's, with many adults finding her son exasperating. Fran recalled one instance when her son's Spanish teacher sent home this hilarious note: "Shepard thinks he can get by on charm alone. He doesn't have that much." Ha!

As for Rose's take on his childhood, he told The Daily Dish: "I'm lucky, that's all I can say. I'm super lucky." Considering Rose grew up with a lot of privilege, we're inclined to agree with his take.

South Carolina native and Southern Charm star Cameran Eubanks hasn't changed much since her childhood — in fact, she still has the same blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. And it appears Eubanks passed these traits on to her daughter, Palmer, who is also rocking light locks and baby blues. We guess Eubanks' genes run strong, huh?

Although it's no surprise Eubanks was a living doll way back when, it is a bit surprising to learn about her at times difficult childhood. The always joking and smiling reality star revealed in February 2018 that she struggled with a troubling health condition as a child, explaining to Health: "My mother noticed that I was excessively sweating for an 8-year-old. My mother had never had any experience with it, but she knew something was not right about an 8-year-old perspiring the way that I did." As for the condition? Eubanks was diagnosed with hyperhidrosis, a condition causing "abnormally excessive sweating that's not necessarily related to heat or exercise," according to the Mayo Clinic. 

The condition might not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of health issues, but remember that children are easily embarrassed. It's not the ideal situation, you know? 

What's cuter than a sibling throwback pic? Based on Southern Charm New Orleans' star Tamica Lee's #TBT shot with brother Sonny Lee, we'd say nothing. They have the cutest smiles right? And we love the holiday vibe going on here. 

Sadly, however, Tamica and Sonny's lives weren't so happy as this picture might portray. That's because the Lees' father — a famous football player for the New Orleans Saints — died at age 36 when Tamica was a young kid. "My father's sudden death devastated our family," she wrote on her personal website. "My mother was suddenly a single mother with two young children."

As devastating as the death was, however, the siblings were able to find hope in their charity organization, Son of a Saint, and extracurricular activities. "Our involvement with the Saints organization was a way for my mother to keep my father's presence alive," Tamica explained. "Cheering and dancing provided me with an after-school activity that kept me healthy, focused and taught me the importance of teamwork."

It doesn't need to be said, but we're so happy to hear Tamica and Sonny Lee overcame this tough time in life. Keep up the amazing work, guys.

Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent has always had a unique and vivacious personality, which is evident in this sweet shot of her as a young kid. Kent — complete with a big bow on her head — wears what appears to be a whip cream mustache, a snap showing off her silly side. But the Bravo star's childhood wasn't all smiles and laughs, as she endured relentless bullying as a young person. What's more? Kent grew up in Utah, where there is a high population of Mormons — an isolating experience because her family didn't practice the religion. 

"I used to be that person that welcomes everyone with open arms, but after everything I went through plus being in the show I definitely have my guard up now," Kent explained to Millennium magazine. "I was constantly bullied. Kids would throw Diet Coke at my car when I'd drive by. It was horrible." She went on to theorize why the backlash was so intense, reasoning: "I don't like to say, 'jealousy' because it sounds pretentious but I was modeling since I was 12. I bought and paid for my own BMW in cash, people were looking at me wary of what I'd achieved, but I was also this theater geek."

Luckily, Kent had the support of her mom during these hard times. And today she has a great group of friends (plus a fiancé) to lean on when things get tough.