The Luke Gulbranson #MeToo Drama on Bravo’s ‘Winter House’ Is a Giant Mess
Bravo’s Winter House, a crossover between Summer House and Southern Charm, rarely demands any reflection. The series, now in its second season, follows the cast members as they shack up in a luxurious lodge in Vermont, where booze-filled parties, fighting over primary bedrooms, skiing and, of course, hookups combine for vapid (but highly amusing) storylines.
A recent episode, however, was a much different, more serious divergence from the typical debauchery and fun. When Summer House fan-favorite Luke Gulbranson makes a female cast member feel uncomfortable, the show manages to squeeze in a surprisingly nuanced lesson on boundaries, performative allyship, and restorative justice between all the Jägerbombs. What viewers have chosen to take away from this controversy is, unfortunately, another story.
Gulbranson’s cringe-y pursuit of new cast member Jessica Stocker has unfolded over the last two episodes of Winter House. But whispers that Gulbranson had gotten himself in trouble during filming began before the season aired, when a blind item from Deuxmoi claimed that a certain “F***boi” had been sent home for “sexual harassment.” Some online users deduced that it was Gulbranson, based on his previous, heavily documented “fuckboi” behavior on the shows. And when he officially announced his retirement from Summer House this past June, it seemed like another clue that something bad had gone down.