Season 19 of The Real Housewives of Orange County witnessed the return of Gretchen Rossi. After a 12-year hiatus, Gretchen returned in a friend of the cast role. And her RHOC enemy Tamra Judge didn’t even throw her a welcome back party. Even when Gretchen was off the show, she and Tamra continued to squabble across social media and in the press. And their feud continued to rage when Gretchen returned. Both were incapable of letting go of the past.
So, when the RHOC ladies hit up The Big Easy, both were low-key hoping that they could move forward somehow. Instead, Tamra told Gretchen a secret. According to Tamra, Katie Ginella claimed that Gretchen accused Tamra of giving her a “roofie.” Of course, this alleged action occurred at an infamous party at Tamra’s home 17 years earlier. At the party, Tamra planned to get Gretchen drunk, or “naked wasted.” All to demonstrate what Gretchen was like when she was out partying.
Then, Tamra shared that Katie allegedly told a blogger this information. However, when events didn’t play out the way Tamra expected, she peaced out. Let’s take a look at why Tamra quitting RHOC was the right call.
Tamra Judge quitting RHOC came out of left field
When Tamra revealed the roofie story to Gretchen, she denied making that claim. So, while Tamra thought that she and Gretchen were on the same page, that wasn’t the case. Before dinner that evening, Gretchen spoke to Katie. And the newest housewife denied making those statements to blogger Kiki Monique.
So, when Tamra expected everyone to turn on Katie, she was stunned when Gretchen changed her mind. She admitted that she didn’t think that Katie made those comments. During the dinner, Tamra became more abrasive and nastier, swearing at several cast members, including Gretchen. Her odd behavior shocked her RHOC co-stars. Finally, Gina Kirschenheiter was over Tamra’s jaw-dropping behavior. “Okay, you know what? Tamra, you’re being rude. And you’re sloshed,” Gina stated.
Tamra stood up and left the table. When Heather Dubrow, her staunchest defender, went to check on her, Tamra took a swipe at her, too. “F*ck off,” Tamra told Fancy Pants. Consider my pearls clutched.
Meanwhile, Shannon Beador was starting to wonder if Tamra, who had cut down on her drinking, had something other than water in her glass in Shannon’s hotel room. The close-up of Tamra’s glass, courtesy of the RHOC producers, didn’t look clear like water.
Then, Tamra posted a message to her Instagram, seeming to hint at her exit. “It was a long run! When life gives you real problems, this reality sh*t doesn’t make sense. Peace out,” she wrote. “I’m out.” And with that, she booked a flight out of New Orleans and headed back home.
Tamra was facing mental struggles due to best friend Teddi Mellencamp’s cancer battle
When Gina announced that she planned a trip to The Big Easy, Tamra became emotional. She had been with her bestie and podcast co-host, Teddi Mellencamp, in New Orleans for the Super Bowl. Shortly after returning, Teddi underwent brain surgery. Her melanoma had spread to her lungs and brain, and she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Teddi’s surprising medical diagnosis truly shook Tamra to her core.
The thought of returning to New Orleans, where she had been with Teddi, while still being worried about her friend, was nearly too much for Tamra. However, she decided to give it her best shot and departed with the ladies. Everything seemed fine until it was time for that dinner. It seems that Gretchen’s refusal to believe Tamra, as well as her falling out with Jennifer Pedranti, played into Tamra’s decision to exit.
It bears repeating that Tamra was not acting like herself and seemed as if she could have been drinking. Plus, she posted to her social media from the airport when leaving New Orleans, referencing her mental health. After all, Tamra’s storyline this season is her therapy journey. She has been exploring all the traumatic and painful parts of her life and trying to heal.
Some time off The Real Housewives of Orange County could do Tamra good
While Tamra was the cause of much of the drama at the dinner in New Orleans, she was seemingly not in a good headspace. Jenn confronted her about what caused their friendship to crumble. She also asked why Tamra showed Heather photos of her at a heavier weight.
Plus, Gretchen’s refusal to believe Tamra over Katie seemed to shock the reality veteran. So, while Tamra expected the group to hold Katie’s feet to the fire, Tamra ended up being in the hot seat.
It seems that the RHOC chaos, combined with Teddi’s illness and Tamra’s mental health journey, may have been too much to tackle at once. I also think that the location of this meltdown played a major role. When the ladies went to Café Du Monde, Tamra reminisced about being there with Teddi. New Orleans was a constant reminder of Teddi’s frightening health woes.
Stepping away from RHOC was a good move on Tamra’s part. While there may have been a less dramatic way to leave the show, at least this was an authentically messy moment. Taking a beat to breathe and take care of her own physical and mental health was important for Tamra at that time.
The Real Housewives of Orange County is available to stream on Peacock. It streams on Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
TELL US – WAS TAMRA JUDGE QUITTING RHOC THE RIGHT CALL?
