Brandi Glanville believes she may have contracted a sexually transmitted ringworm in her throat from an ex-boyfriend who worked in pornography. Speaking to author and former adult film star Lisa Ann on a recent episode of her Brandi Unfiltered podcast, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star asked: “Have you heard about sexually transmitted ringworm? I feel like I have it… in my throat.”
What Is Ringworm?
Ringworm is a fungal infection that often affects the skin, nails or hair, according to the CDC. New forms of the disease have recently begun to emerge, including a more severe form that is linked to sexual contact. Ann, 54, noted: “It’s one of these things that most people don’t know what to look for. We had to train our makeup artists that when a new member of talent would show up, they would have to get naked in a window where there’s good light and they would inspect their body to see if they see any patches because it’s incredibly contagious.”
Glanville’s Suspected Exposure
Glanville, 53, said that she thinks she caught it while she was dating “somebody in that industry.” “He would only, you know, my face because he didn’t want to get me pregnant,” the reality star added about the unnamed man. “He didn’t know that ship had sailed. I’m like, ‘OK, whatever, I’m not going to correct you.’” She explained that he would also finish in her mouth. “[Then] my girlfriend told me about it yesterday,” Glanville said of the infection. “I knew nothing about it.”
She explained that after doctors ruled out more common sexually transmitted infections, she began doing some research herself. “They can apparently … burrow in, like, if it’s in your throat,” she said. “If it’s in your throat, they can burrow deep into your ears and all that.”
Ongoing Health Struggles
Glanville’s latest health revelation comes months after doctors finally discovered the culprit behind her years-long facial disfigurement. Since December 2024, the TV personality has used social media to document the costly search for the cause of swelling on the right side of her face.
In February, she revealed to TMZ that she “definitely had a parasite,” which led to her disfigurement. After further testing, she learned that the parasite was caused by a rupture of her decades-old breast implants. “I was shocked, because they’re implants that I’ve had for almost 20 years, they looked fine, they felt fine, the mammogram said they were fine, it wasn’t until I had a sonogram,” she told the outlet. “I was like, ‘Maybe just check that too, why not?’”
Glanville said that she was urged to get her implants looked at after checking “everything else” and seeing “21 doctors.” “You really should change your breast implants every ten years, and I just didn’t,” she said. “I learned a really, really hard lesson.”
