Is Tamra Judge ‘A Traitor’ or Just Speaking Hard Truths to RHOC’s Shannon Beador?

Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador used to whoop it up as one on Real Housewives of Orange County. But Tamra loathes Shannon’s drinking, so when Shannon wrecked her car and received a DUI, Tammy Sue walked away. During Season 18, Tamra’s frustrations with Shannon reached an all-time high. Her harshly tossed words at Shannon somewhat raised the Botoxed eyebrows of their cast and the viewers alike. So now we ask, is Tamra a traitor, going after her former friend, or is Tamra simply trying to reach Shannon via a dosage of tough love?

For a long time, Tamra supported Shannon

Shannon and Tamra have always spoken honestly to each other on RHOC. Good friends can do this, even when the subject matter sucks. Case in point, Shannon’s divorce from David Beador saw Tamra running to Shannon’s side following Season 12. During Season 13, however, Shannon’s headspace was dark, so Tamra clocked in with some honest advice for her amiga.

In a random bathroom, Tamra hoisted her tiny frame onto a row of porcelain public sinks, trying to get inside Shannon’s defeated brain. “I think this is a good time to flip the switch. You’ve got to wake up tomorrow morning and start thinking about what is great today,” Tamra urged her disheartened, Eeyore-like friend.

Shannon cried, “overwhelmed.” A fight then ensued as Kelly Dodd played referee. “Tamra feels you are all about you, and you are not asking about her,” Kelly explained. As for Tamra, she noted that Shannon called her nightly during her divorce, but Shannon never inquired about how Tamra was doing.

Before filming for Season 18, a liquored-up Shannon angrily drove away from her former love, John Janssen’s, house. Just a few seconds later, Shannon wrecked her car and got into a slew of legal troubles because DUIs are no laughing matter. Shannon then rang Tamra up. Tamra was on her way to film for The Traitors, but she still took Shannon’s call because friends are friends forever, sometimes.

Shannon explained that Tamra supported her greatly. Tamra “didn’t even want to go [to film for The Traitors],” Shannon revealed.

Um. Woah.

Tammy Sue earns points here. The Traitors could line her pockets with dough while further strengthening her platform. But Tamra was willing to wave this all away for Shannon, who (thankfully) gave her friend the okay to stay and film.

But Shannon continued drinking, so Tamra bounced

When Tamra returned to the OC, her firm stances came with her. Much to Tamra’s shock and horror, Shannon was still drinking. Despite Tamra’s urging, Shannon refused to stop. Therefore, Tamra quit their Tres Amiga’s roadshows.

On-air, Tamra explained that she quit right after Shannon’s DUI. “She [Shannon] was on this tour, trying to tell people and the press that she wasn’t drinking. And we’re in the green room, there’s a bar, she’s over there, looking, looking, looking [over her shoulders to see if anyone was watching],” Tamra claimed.

According to Tamra, when Shannon felt like the coast was clear, Shannon poured liquor into her cup. As their show contained several drinking narratives, Tamra found this in poor taste, as Shannon had just gotten slapped with a DUI, was lying about her liquor consumption, and wasn’t changing a dang thing in her life, despite her public claims that stated otherwise. Tamra tried begging Shannon to cease drinking, but as Tamra stated, Shannon did not.

Following Tamra’s exit, Shannon went on the defense, slamming her friend for not supporting her when the chips were down. In contrast, Tamra took to E! News, explaining that she “was the one that was constantly getting the phone calls … always dealing with her [Shannon’s] issues while she drank,” so no, Tamra did not randomly abandon Shannon, as there was a cause behind her actions.

“This is rock bottom as far as I’m concerned,” Tamra added. However, “it just wasn’t [a rock bottom moment] for” Shannon, as Shannon “likes to blame it on other people. It was John’s fault,” Tamra quipped, referencing how Shannon somewhat blamed her DUI arrest on a fight she and John had mere moments before her wreck.

This is why Tamra’s gloves are now off with Shannon

Tamra’s moves make sense. Yet, when RHOC Season 18, Episode 5 aired, I cringed. Tamra is now doing way more than merely stepping away from her former friend. Now, Tamra is verbally destroying Shannon as well, on national television to boot. Like me, this also leaves a few of their RHOC cast members torn on how to feel about Tamra.

During a cast dinner hosted by Gina Kirschenheiter, the waiter asked Shannon what she wanted to drink. Shannon turned to her emotional support human, Vicki Gunvalson. Vicki told Shannon that it was okay if she wanted to order an adult beverage. Without missing a beat, Tamra yelled, “Oh yeah, an alcoholic should drink!”

“Who made you the judge and jury? Every friggin day that I wake up, I think about what happened,” Shannon yelled across the table at Tamra. OC street-fighter Tamra clocked back in, asking, “Is that after you’ve had a drink?” Their costars took a pregnant pause here, unsure how to proceed.

But Tamra knew how to continue. She began barking at Shannon about rehab. She also revealed that both times Shannon called her from her therapy sessions, which she entered into after her DUI, Shannon was drunk.

Tamra’s gloves are now off with Shannon. But has Tamra taken things too far this time? Or has Tamra just hit a wall, so she is now hitting Shannon everywhere, hoping her harsh words might eventually land and make Shannon change her ways?

I honestly think both points are true at this moment. Only time will tell how this storyline ends on RHOC.

Real Housewives of Orange County can be streamed on Peacock.