A REAL Housewives star has revealed that she had a difficult time dealing with the stress of filming and the alarming symptoms she experienced as a result.
Tamra Judge might be a Real Housewives of Orange County veteran, but it doesn’t mean the demands of filming don’t faze her.
A Real Housewives of Ocean County star has opened up about the challenges she faced while filming Season 19[/caption]
Tamra Judge revealed her ‘skin was falling off’ while dealing with stress in her personal and professional life[/caption]
She admitted that much of her distress was due to coping with her BFF Teddi Mellencamp’s cancer diagnosis[/caption]
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live on Wednesday, the reality star opened up about the challenges she faced while filming Season 19, which premiered in July.
The TV personality admitted she often felt “overwhelmed” while juggling her personal and professional duties, and it took a significant toll on her health.
At the time, Tamra was filming the Bravo show and recording five podcast episodes a week with her co-star, Teddi Mellencamp, for their joint podcast, Two T’s in a Pod.
On top of that, she was coping with Teddi’s cancer diagnosis, which sent her into such a tailspin that she was referred to the on-set psychiatrist and forced to pause filming midseason.
‘I WAS JUST SO SAD’
“It was a lot. I was like literally having a mental breakdown,” Tamra revealed on the radio show.
“I wasn’t eating. I wasn’t sleeping by the end of the season. I ended up weighing 108 pounds. My skin was just literally falling off of me. And I was just so sad. I was sad.”
Tamra further explained how Teddi’s diagnosis affected her and why she wouldn’t let herself scale back on her commitments.
“When somebody close to you is diagnosed with what Teddi was diagnosed with, it’s, the unknown is horrible,” Tamra shared.
“I am committed to every job I have. If it’s a podcast, if it’s me working at Burger King when I’m 16 years old, I am committed. I’m a hard worker,” she added.
She then revealed she’d discovered her BFF’s heartbreaking diagnosis just two weeks into filming.
“That just really put like, you know, a nail through my heart, and I was just so devastated, and on top of everything else, it was difficult,” Tamra said.
Tamra ended up being directed to the show’s psychiatrist, who helped her through the painful time, which included taking a 500-question survey.
“I got to a point where I was overworked, I was depressed. I took a week off of the show. You know, you guys all saw how that happened,” the California native recalled.
“I talked to my therapist when I got home. I also talked to the show psychiatrist. I had to do a 500-question survey.”
Real Housewives Franchises
Over the last few decades, there is currently 10 versions of the Real Housewives.
- The Real Housewives of Orange County (first aired in 2006)
- The Real Housewives of New York City (first aired in 2008)
- The Real Housewives of Atlanta (first aired in 2008)
- The Real Housewives of New Jersey (first aired in 2009)
- The Real Housewives of D.C. (only lasted one season in 2010)
- The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (first aired in 2010)
- The Real Housewives of Miami (first aired in 2011, took a hiatus, then returned in 2021 and is a Peacock Original)
- The Real Housewives of Potomac (first aired in 2016)
- The Real Housewives of Dallas (first aired in 2016 and it’s last aired in 2021)
- The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (first aired in 2020)
- The Real Housewives of Dubai (first aired in 2022)
“Then she evaluated me, and she’s like, ‘You’re severely depressed. You have self-worth problems’” Tamra remembered, adding that the show’s psychiatrist and her own therapist checked in on her regularly afterward.
A ROCKY ROAD
Tamra joined the RHOC during the series’ third season in 2007. She was a main cast member for 12 seasons before stepping away in 2020.
She returned to the show for Season 17 and was thought not to be back for the current season after butting heads with several cast members last season.
The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed in March that Tamra quit after getting into a shouting match with her co-star, Gretchen Rossi, during their cast trip to New Orleans, Louisiana.
In a post on her Instagram Stories, Tamra swore she was done with the show forever; however, that didn’t stick as she rejoined the cast mid-season.
A source claimed that Tamra didn’t want to quit but was acting out due to processing the grief of Teddi’s health issues.
Teddi revealed in March 2022 that she was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma.
She’s been updating fans on her journey and revealed earlier this year that the cancer had tragically spread to her brain.
Teddi revealed in 2022 that she was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma[/caption]
Fans were unsure if Tamra would appear on Season 19 after butting heads with numerous cast members the season before[/caption]
