Brandi Glanville says tabloid coverage actually helped her when Eddie Cibrian dumped her for LeAnn Rimes

The latest season of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ is underway, and already most of the drama can be attributed to cast member Brandi Glanville. The polarizing ex-model is probably best known as the wife that Eddie Cibrian dumped for his equally married Lifetime movie co-star LeAnne Rimes. (A Lifetime movie in itself.) Glanville, 39, spoke to Fox411 about the new season, seeing her marriage implode in the tabloids, and the challenges of raising two kids in the spotlight.

FOX411: You say it like it is on 'Real Housewives.' People either love you or hate you.

Bradni Glanville: Yes it’s been like that my whole life, and their reaction is usually right away, and I can tell their reaction right away, too. It’s kind of a take it or leave it. But a lot of people take it, at least the people that I care about.

FOX411: This season has been especially nasty, no?

BG: There’s a lot of feisty blondes, I think they pick personalities... I mean we probably wouldn’t hang out if we didn’t do the show together.

FOX411: How are things between you and Kim Richards? (Last season she vowed never to talk to you again).

BG: As you’ll see we are on the mend. Yes I said something I shouldn’t have said, I was in defensive mode. We’re actually in a decent place right now. You will see ups and downs with her but we have a special little bond forming.

FOX411: How about Taylor?

BG: Yeah not so much.

HOT SHOTS: Brandi Glanville and LeAnn Rimes.

FOX411: You criticized her for writing a book about her marriage, but now you are working on a book about yours.

BG: Is that hypocritical? No, she did a book three minutes after her husband hanged himself. I’ve been divorced three-and-a-half years. I think anyone can do a book if they want to, it’s just timing- wise. I think she could have waited, that’s all. It was a little insensitive to the situation. I know she was upset but he had other family also.

FOX411: You’re being painted as the "poor housewife."

BG: I’m in a rental house. I’m happy to be there. I’m happy to take care of my family. I may not have the luxuries they have, yet, but I plan on having them very soon. It’s not what you have. Honestly both my boys sleep in my bed and if we had a one room apartment we’d still be super happy.

FOX411: You were flat broke after your divorce from Eddie Cibrian.

BG: Unfortunately we were living beyond our means. I didn’t do the bills, I didn’t have any idea what our financial situation was. We had the cars, the boat, the motorcycles and the houses. I didn’t even know. And then when we got a divorce there wasn’t a lot of money to split up and what there was, was spent on the divorce. It was really difficult.

FOX411: What will your book be about?

BG: It’s a a cautionary tale about breaking up and making sure that before you become part of a we you have to become an I and I wasn’t. It’s just a tale of what I went through, the mistakes I made, what I’d do differently, the things that I did that I’m proud of. There’s a lot of embarrassing detail. I want people to not be embarrassed going through breakups and divorces, to know what to do before they get involved in a relationship.

FOX411: Was it the worst thing seeing your ex with his girlfriend in the tabloids?

BG: It was and it wasn’t because it made me realize that this was really happening. I think you can fall under a delusion and you don’t want to admit it to yourself. It made it real and it made me realize he was moving on. He did not care about me any longer or he wouldn’t be out and about with this woman getting photographed, so I had no choice but to move on. I think it helped me to be honest.

FOX411: How are things now between you?

BG: They’re hard, we have our ups and downs. We have two different styles of parenting, though importantly, he is a great dad. What can I say? It’s not great right now but he’s stuck with me and I’m stuck with him. We have two great children together.

FOX411: You’re upset that he won’t let them be on the show.

BG: Yeah it upsets me because I would never do anything to harm my children. The fact of the matter is I only have them half the time. They’re growing so fast, I only want them in the background. I don’t want them even as much as Portia (Kyle Richards’ daughter) is in. I just want my kids around me when I have them. I don’t want to shuffle them off to babysitters because I’m filming in the house. I miss them when I don’t have them.

FOX411: Are you dating anyone now?

BG: I am dating a tall gentleman although right now it’s casual. I look forward to getting to know him better. I don’t know if it’s love or just like and an attraction so we’ll figure it out.