Tamra Judge is setting the record straight.
Nearly nine months after The Real Housewives of Orange County star publicly shared she had been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, Tamra clarified her past comments about the behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorder.
During the Bravo series’ season 19 premiere, the 57-year-old had an extremely emotional session with her psychotherapist about the past traumas she continues to work through and overcome.
“I realized that you have to dig up those things that are buried deep inside of you, because those are the things that come out when you get angry,” Tamra said in a confessional during the July 10 episode. “The custody battle that my ex put me through, my daughter leaving me, my dad leaving us. It’s hard, and I never wanted to do it and here I am.”
After entering the session crying, Tamra admitted to the therapist, “My sensory issues are heightened, my intrusive thoughts are out of control right now.”
As the therapist recounted, “And we talked about unprocessed trauma and whether or not the spectrum was part of this, because the symptoms can also mimic that. There’s too many variables. It’s hard to say until you get an assessment.”
Tamra credited the October 2024 episode of her and Teddi Mellencamp’s Two Ts In A Pod podcast—in which she first said she had been diagnosed on the autism spectrum—as one of the reasons for her recent depression.
But after receiving backlash on social media following the revelation, Tamra regretted jumping the gun by discussing the possible autism diagnosis prematurely.
“When you mentioned that to me, I had gone home and went on my podcast and I misspoke,” the reality star reflected. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I just got annihilated publicly and I had a really s—ty last year.”
And the hate Tamra received seriously affected her mental state.
“It was very hurtful,” she added in a confessional. “People think that I don’t have feelings and it’s not true. And I’m tired of being called a horrible human being because I’m not.”
Moving forward, Tamra hopes to work on “not wanting to be so responsive, impulsive, explosive and harsh with my words” when she feels triggered by her RHOC costars amid cast drama.
“I just don’t want to lash out when I’m mad,” she admitted, “even if somebody’s done me wrong. I want to fix things.”
Keep up with Tamra’s journey when The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about what’s to come during season 19.
Shannon Storms Beador
With her ex finally in the rear-view mirror, Shannon Storms Beador is bouncing back stronger than ever. Single and selectively ready to mingle, Shannon has been spotted around Orange County having fun and being dubbed the “Kissing Bandit of Corona Del Mar.” After taking one step forward with Tamra at the reunion, their rollercoaster relationship continues to take more steps backward. Shannon’s newfound friendship with Katie catches everyone by surprise until a revelation threatens the group dynamics to the point of no return.
Heather Dubrow
Heather Dubrow is living her best penthouse life, but in Orange County she finds her role as peacekeeper challenged, along with her friendship with Tamra. Always striving to be the best mom to her children, she continues to provide guidance through their milestones and show support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Tamra Judge
Tamra Judge finds herself in an emotional place as she unlocks past trauma in therapy, prepares for daughter Sophia to leave the nest and navigates her very close friend and confidant’s cancer diagnosis. With a desire to change her explosive reactions to charged situations, Tamra navigates shifting friendships within the group, but runs into the ultimate test when Gretchen Rossi returns to deal with some unfinished business.
Emily Simpson
Emily Simpson takes on one of the biggest challenges of her life when one of her sons is diagnosed with a rare medical condition. Emotionally drained, Emily has a hard time making the space to mend things with Katie after losing her trust last season. Emily’s loyalty is tested when her friend Gretchen enters the group and causes issues with her friendship with Tamra.
Gretchen Rossi
After a 12-year hiatus, Gretchen Rossi makes her return to the group through new friends Jennifer and Katie, but she finds herself stuck dealing with the same old issues with Tamra. Their problems get amplified when a new story from an unlikely source causes a chain reaction forever shifting the dynamics of the friend group.
Gina Kirschenheiter
Gina Kirschenheiter has a new perspective on life and takes a big step forward in her relationship with Travis as they move back in together. After ex-husband Matt suffers a heart attack, Gina embraces living in the moment. In the friend group, she sets her sights on exposing lies and righting the wrongs.
Jennifer Pedranti
With the chatter and rumors now behind them, Jennifer Pedranti and fiancé Ryan start to plan the bikini-clad wedding of their dreams while also preparing to send off her son to the Marines. While Jennifer has a lot to unpack with Tamra, she finds camaraderie with gal pal Gretchen and deepens her relationships with Shannon and Heather. When rumors come to light and shake the group to its core, Jennifer is torn between loyalty and truth.
Katie Ginella
Recently moved into a new house in Newport Beach, Katie Ginella continues her strong friendship with Jennifer and starts to form a connection with Gretchen. She quickly realizes she isn’t on solid ground as her friendships start to deteriorate and finds herself backed into several corners. Katie’s apology tour morphs into an uphill battle when all of her actions and motives are questioned.
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