Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images
While reflecting on the hurtful rant Joel, 36, went on against her, in which he slammed her as a “pathetic drunk,” and revealing if she found his apology to be genuine, the 60-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star confirmed what she said behind the back of Tamra Judge, 57, and teased the upcoming reunion.
“We all get tired. Each one of at points were like, ‘Ok, I haven’t eaten, I’m exhausted, or I need to walk away,’ but it wasn’t like berating and screaming,” Shannon said on the October 31 episode of The Viall Files after being asked about what went down on the set of Love Island. “All I can say is I didn’t [do what he said]. I don’t treat people subhuman.”
After learning about what Joel had accused her of, Shannon said she was “very shocked.”
“I was in the airport. We had wrapped, and the last thing when I saw him [was] when we finished filming, he had tears in his eyes, and he hugged me. I don’t know what’s going on, and it’s hurtful and it’s upsetting to me because I always get close to the crew,” she explained. “I consider them like my family … [I thought], ‘What’s going on?’ The girls, [Gizelle Bryant], [Luann de Lesseps], and [Ashley Darby], they were really supportive. Everyone was surprised.”
Although Joel ultimately offered an apology on social media to Shannon and the rest of the cast, Shannon did not find it genuine.
“When someone says, ‘I’m sorry I caused her to spiral, and I hope she can make her way back,’ I didn’t spiral … The talking about my girls, who were a part of it, they were upset about it. He sent me an email [to apologize]. I can forgive anyone. But you can forgive, you don’t need to forget, and I don’t think it was a genuine apology,” she stated.
“When you see the show, he’s gonna look silly because we were nothing but friendly to each other,” she added.
Moving on to her ongoing drama with Tamra, confirming she is “not speaking” to her co-star and gets to take a “break,” Shannon wouldn’t say whether Tamra should be put on “pause” ahead of season 19.
“I don’t ever like to comment about ‘I wish someone won’t come back on the show.’ It’s everyone’s livelihood. I don’t want to mess with that,” she explained. “But I did it. I filmed with her, so if I needed to, but it’s never gonna be the same with her. It isn’t.”
As for what she actually did to Tamra, Shannon said their feud began when Tamra found out she said she had a “big ego.”
“She does. And she heard that I said that to someone. Okay, I did,” she admitted.
While many have suspected the ladies will eventually reconcile, Shannon said, “No.”
“There is no way back. It’s a toxic relationship, and I am doing everything I can to eliminate toxicity from my life,” she revealed.
Although Shannon didn’t want to comment on Tamra’s recent claims regarding potential autism, she did tell Nick, “I hope she gets the support she needs.”
She then shared the hardest comments to hear amid RHOC season 18.
“Tamra’s comments, they’re so harsh and she’s just so angry,” she stated. “I’m over the friendship. I have had the opportunity to step back and analyze this 10-year friendship that we’ve had, and there have been so many ups and downs. There’s always something I’m doing wrong in her eyes … And then in the end there’s the tears and, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I want to be your friend again.’ And I’m not gonna go on that rollercoaster anymore. I’m still in therapy, and I need to be in healthy relationships, and that friendship is not healthy.”
Also on the podcast, after saying that the reunion “didn’t go the way that [she] thought it would go,” Shannon insisted she doesn’t investigate her castmates.
“I don’t even have Siri on my phone. I don’t know where to start … I’m not a saint but I don’t like to do that. I think that’s going below the belt,” she confessed.
Bravo also released the dramatic RHOC reunion trailer, which is posted below.
RHOC Live Viewing – This is also the live viewing thread for tonight’s season finale episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County season 18, so feel free to comment and chat as the new season airs at 9/8c on Bravo.