Selling Sunset’s Vanessa suffers brain inflammation after long Covid diagnosis

Vanessa had to miss out on five weeks of filming the new season.

Selling Sunset's Vanessa Villela has revealed that she suffered brain inflammation after being diagnosed with long Covid. The 43-year-old realtor said she tested positive for Covid shortly before the fifth season was set to start production and is still dealing with side effects four months on. Speaking to OK! magazine, Vanessa described the experience as "challenging". "I have something called long Covid. I don’t have the virus anymore, but the side effects of the virus are still affecting my body. "Some people get affected in the lungs, some people by the stomach, or people like me - I got inflammation in the brain. "I had a lot of hormonal imbalances and Vitamin D deficiencies which can sound quite easy, but it’s not that great either." Vanessa said her doctor told her this could be one of the reasons she "got it so bad", but added she is feeling "much better now". She had to miss out on five weeks of filming the new season of Selling Sunset as she struggled with the illness. Production had no choice but to continue without her. "Out of 11 weeks of filming, I was sick for five. I got Covid in August and we started filming right in that moment, so obviously they couldn't wait for me,' the star told Page Six. Despite this, she promised that fans can expect “more drama” in the new episodes, and even teased that her boyfriend may make an appearance. Last month, Vanessa’s co-star Mary Fitzgerald revealed season five's release date, which will be some time in March 2022. "We’re done filming. We have a couple of pick-ups when we get back, and a couple of interviews still to do, but for the most part, season five’s done filming, and it will be very, very good. "Season four I think was very like… a lot was going on and just shocking and great and dramatic, and season five’s gonna be the same."