Christy Vanderbel

Christy Vanderbel is a friend of Penny's from Nebraska, played by Brooke D'Orsay. She appears in "The Dumpling Paradox".

Christy was engaged to Penny's cousin while she was sleeping with Penny's brother, so Penny considers her as "kind of family". She stays with Penny during the episode and hooks up with Howard, strengthening Penny's description of her as someone who sleeps around. Indeed, Penny recounts Christy's list of every guy in she slept with, which she jokes is just a list of every guy in Omaha. She also agrees with Sheldon that she is the "whore of Omaha".

Christy inadvertently drives Penny out of her own apartment when she hooks up with Howard in her bedroom, and the two upset her by abusing of her personal belongings, such as using her robe, her loofa mitt and getting her stuffed bear collection sweaty.

Although she displays signs of affection towards Howard, Christy is highly materialistic, and goes out with him only on condition he buy her stuff and take her shopping. She dumps him when she confronts Howard's mother, who cuts Howard out of the will, as long as he keeps going out with her. She also publicly claims to everyone how Howard is her "first ".