Fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are obsessed with the ladies’ conniving ways. So it’s only fitting that Brandi Glanville landed her role on the show by spinning a tall tale, insiders tell Star.

The rumor mill started buzzing back in February, when 39-year-old Brandi was spotted having lunch in Los Angeles with Lisa Vanderpump’s houseguest-turned-archenemy, Cedric Martinez.

“He’s my best gay friend!” Brandi proudly announced to reporters on the scene at the time. “I’ve known him for 16 years. We modeled together in Milan and Paris and London back in the day.”