Selling Sunset face Vanessa Villela has revealed she was struck by coronavirus just as season 5 started shooting, meaning she had to sit out a portion of the show.
Catching up with Page Six recently, the season 4 newcomer addressed her absence from half of the forthcoming action, telling the publication: "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.
Related: Selling Sunset's Maya Vander announces devastating stillbirth
"I had a very strong COVID case. My case, it's still going actually. It's called long COVID. I'm still dealing with it. I was sick for too long and you're going to see a little bit of struggle with Vanessa in work."
Villela suffered inflammatory symptoms on her brain, which resulted in particularly bad bouts of dizziness on set.
"I went to film one day after I 'recovered' and while I was speaking, I started feeling like I was going to pass out and I started feeling super dizzy. They had to send me in an Uber to my house," she recalled.
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Related: Selling Sunset's Vanessa Villela reveals what she really thinks of all the season 4 drama
On the up side, the star has been able to rely on a team of LA medics to help soothe her lingering health issues.
"I have [a hormonal imbalance] and I have other imbalances. My vitamin D is super low. My calcium is super low. My lithium mineral is super low. So it's a lot that's going on right now but I'm in very good hands."
Selling Sunset seasons 1-4 are available now on Netflix.
If you need support regarding coronavirus, you can read the World Health Organisation's guidelines for proactive protection. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
