Gretchen Rossi and Vicki Gunvalson didn't always have a good relationship during their time together on The Real Housewives of Orange County but nowadays they are close friends.

After watching the season 10 reunion, Rossi reached out to Gunvalson, who had taken tons of heat due to her relationship with Brooks Ayers and his reportely fake cancer diagnosis.

"It was interesting because at the end of last season for [Vicki] when all the women turned against her and were just so vicious and so ugly to her, my heart went out to her," Rossi said during an interview with PEOPLE Magazine on Monday. "I think it was because it happened to me in my final season 8 where all the women just completely turned on me and just were so vicious and so mean and it was just on a level that was kind of unnecessary."

"I knew what it was like to love a man and have women coming and attacking me just because you simply loved a man," Rossi continued. "I reached out to her and we started talking. I just said, 'Listen, I understand. I'm here for you.'"

Although Rossi isn't currently starring on the Bravo series, she remains in close contact with Gunvalson and recently enjoyed a day of fun with the original housewife, as well as two other cast members, Kelly Dodd and Lizzie Rovsek.

"The four of us went out to lunch and we had such a blast and such a great time. We giggled and told stories and compared stories to certain cast members and [things] that they were doing," Rossi recalled. "Ever since then, Vicki and I have stayed in touch."