Tamra Judge revealed that she thought about quitting the Real Housewives of Orange County amid “hate” from fans, dished on an off-camera convo with Emily Simpson after the reunion, and shared where she stands with Shannon Beador and Alexis Bellino.
In the final reunion episode, Tamra hugged it out with Shannon after a season of repeatedly insinuating that Shannon was an alcoholic. Tamra also shared in front of the cameras that Shannon’s ex, John Janssen – who’s now engaged to Tamra’s friend Alexis – told her at a dinner that Shannon punched him on the night of her DUI.
Some fans have also accused Tamra, Emily, and Heather Dubrow of forming a ‘mean girl’ clique against their other costars.
“I’m planning on not drinking in 2025,” revealed Tamra on her Two Ts In A Pod podcast. “Let’s see if I can stick to it.”
She also shared what Emily allegedly told her after the controversial reunion. During the taping, Emily, Tamra, and Heather were seated on one couch – while Jennifer Pedranti, Shannon, and Katie Ginella were seated on the other.
“[I was] talking to Emily the other day. She made a very good point. She’s like, ‘At the reunion, people said [that] on our side of the couch [were] the mean horrible girls … and the other side [were] sweet and princess[es].'”
According to Tamra, Emily then added, “‘But you know what? Me, you, Heather — We have businesses, we own houses, we are hustlers. We are happily married — And the other side [has] people that don’t have any of that.'”
Tamra was then asked what she thought about Alexis’ reunion performance.
“I wish she would have played that differently. It worries me, to be honest,” said Tamra. “I think that it would’ve helped her.”
She shared where she and Alexis now stand.
“She wasn’t happy that we filmed that scene [about what John said at dinner], that’s for sure,” said Tamra. “I think she wanted me to tell her about it [before it aired]. And I couldn’t. Once we film stuff, we’re not allowed to talk about it.”
But Tamra said she felt the scene was less harmful to John and more so to Shannon, as people “found out she punched him in the face.”
“[Alexis and I] are good though,” she said. “We talked it through. She was upset … [but] nobody’s turned on her at all.”
Tamra then claimed that the show didn’t reveal the issues she and Shannon had before filming – after Shannon allegedly called her “toxic” behind her back.
The star also addressed why she considered quitting the show.
“I am not going to listen to the audience anymore. You beat me down this year. I thought for a second that I wasn’t gonna go back,” she said, “because of the hate that I was getting that you know, obvioiusly interferes with my [businesses and] mental health.”
“So I thought about it, and I thought, ‘You know what? No. You are not winning,'” she recalled. “‘I am going to be myself and be who I am, and that’s why I am the longest-running Housewife.'”
Tamra then addressed if she and Shannon were good.
“She asked to hug me at the reunion — I don’t know how genuine that is after what she said in the press,” she said. “They didn’t show [this] on Bravo but they did on Peacock — Andy read our text messages and how much I did care for her and how much I was there for her. And I think she had a uh-oh moment, like ‘Oh s**t. I’m gonna look bad.’ She she’s like, ‘Can I give you a hug’ … I want her to take accountability for what she did to me.”
