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On the Season 19 premiere of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Tamra Judge took took viewers behind the scenes of her ongoing emotional trauma.
At one point, via confessional, the 57-year old said she had been “crying” ever since her previous week’s therapy session.
The main issue at hand?
Tamra’s unexpected and sort of unusual reveal in 2024 that she believed she was Autistic.
Tamra Judge visits the SiriusXM Studios on July 10, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)“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,” Judge said in the aforementioned confessional, noting she has spent her past four months in therapy “just talking about stuff that I don’t want to talk about.”
The long-time reality star cited her past custody battle with ex-husband Simon Barney… her estranged daughter Sidney “leaving me” … and the absence of her dad as some of the stressful topics she was scared to approach.
“My sensory issues are heightened, my intrusive thoughts are out of control right now,” she said.
Back in October, Judge faced scrutiny when she claimed that she was “on the spectrum” (a term that refers to Autism spectrum disorder) after just one therapy session — and no formal diagnosis.
Tamra Judge arrives at EA Sports presents The Madden Bowl at Orpheum Theater on February 7, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images)Fast forward these several months and Judge acknowledged on this premiere that she really shouldn’t have jumped to such a sensitive conclusion.
“I had gone home and went on my podcast, and I misspoke. I shouldn’t have said anything,” Tamra said on Thursday night. “I just got annihilated, publicly annihilated. I had a really s—- last year.”
In March, Judge said she was done with The Real Housewives of Orange County.
She had left same show in 2020, insinuating at various points that she had been fired by executives.
The Bravo personality eventually returned to film Season 17 in 2022 and has been a part of the franchise since… but her future remains murky.
Tamra Judge and Alexis Bellino on season 18 of The Real Housewives of Orange County. (Nicole Weingart/Bravo via Getty)“It was really hurtful,” Tamra now says about the backlash she received. “People think that I don’t have feelings, and it’s not true. I’m tired of being called a horrible human being because I’m not.”
Judge has also garnered criticism for her appearance. And it’s all had an impact on her.
“I’m so afraid if I get close to people, they’ll turn on me,” she conceded on air. “So I just keep a wall up so they don’t get close. I don’t nurture my friendships. I think my biggest struggle is trusting people. I’ve got very few people that I can really talk to.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo, and can be streamed the next day on Peacock.
