Photo: Instagram
They've been together for about two years.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Nov 12, 2018
Dating is hard, people. I mean just look at The Real Housewives of Orange County's Vicki Gunvalson. She fell hard and fast for her boyfriend Steve Lodge and is pushing for an engagement ring this season. They've been together for about two years after meeting at a charity event in 2016. Did she know he's been accused of violence in the past? Did she know he basically shafted his ex-wife and kids? Does Gunvalson even care? There are so many questions. Who is Steve Lodge?
1. His ex-wife
Steve Lodge was married to Karla Lodge for 19 years. He filed for divorce on December 15, 2005, citing irreconcilable differences. He asked for joint legal and physical custody of their two children Amanda and James who were 14 and 12 at the time. He also asked the court to award spousal support to Karla. Sounds good, right? Not long after all of the divorce details were settled, Lodge decided he was paying too much support. He claimed his wife was only willing to work part-time, which put a strain on him. Karla then accused him of removing money from joint accounts and changing the beneficiary from her to his brother. She also claimed Lodge was not holding up his end of the custody agreement and rarely attended any of his kids' events. Karla also said that Lodge had his girlfriend move into his house, which goes against their agreement to not live with the opposite sex unless they were married. They went back to court and Lodge was ordered to pay $1,536 per month in child support. He also agreed to pay Amanda’s volleyball expenses, which total $5,500 per year. He was also ordered to pay spousal support in the amount of $1,113 per month.
2. His second ex-wife
The divorce from Karla was not his only contentious divorce. He filed for divorce from his second wife Tonya Compton on March 13, 2013 after almost three years of marriage. Compton accused Lodge of trying to drag their litigation out for as long as possible, saying, “I have made numerous attempts to amicably settle our divorce since January 2013, over two months before the date Steven filed for divorce. He has refused all offers presented and has refused to negotiate. He has continued to deliberately delay any type of settlement by his failure to provide even the minimum documentation requested.” Even Karla came to Tonya's defense in January 2014 filing a declaration of support in early January 2014. It took until May 15, 2014 for Lodge and Compton's divorce to be final.
3. He a former cop accused of excessive force
Steve Lodge is a police officer in the Orange County, California city of Santa Ana. During his time as a police officer, Lodge was accused of assault and battery twice in 1991 and 1997. In the end, the cases against him were dismissed. All the way back in 1990, “a Santa Ana police officer used excessive force by throwing him to the ground and beating him with a baton.” That officer was Steve. That jaywalker was ultimately awarded $612,000 after the case went to trial. In 2012, Lodge was also issued a restraining order after he allegedly engaged in a physical altercation with a man who was sleeping with his now-ex-wife.
4. He's run for office a couple of times
In 2012, Lodge ran for Anaheim City Council. He was sued by elector Cynthia Ward for changing his name from Steve Lodge to Steve Chavez Lodge during his campaign. “This is not his legal name. Nor is that the same under which he is registered to vote or the name under which he owns property. Rather, the use of the middle name ‘Chavez’ appears to have been adopted recently for political purposes,” according to Ward. Lodge didn't just lose that race, he came in last place among the candidates. He ran for office again in 2016 and was accused of renting an apartment in Anaheim in order to meet the requirements of running for office in that city. A neighbor noted that he moved in without any furniture. Shady.
5. Vicki wants him to put a ring on it...
Vicki wants to be wife number three pretty badly. On The Real Housewives of Orange County, she told Steve, "I'm not going to date you forever. I would like to be married. I told you right out of the gate. There has to be an end goal. If not, I am going to carry on."
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.