Why Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador’s Friendship Seems Irreparable

Shannon Beador and Tamra Judge before their friendship troubles.
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Since 2014, Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador have been besties. Season 9 introduced the Real for Real founder to the series. And since then, fans have had to wear Depends because these two and Vicki Gunvalson made up the hilarious Tres Amigas. Tamra and Shannon first met at a Halloween Party which Tammy Sue was hosting. During the second episode, Vicki lamented that I’m not a big fan of meeting new women because most of them are fake. Shannon, however, I like her. She’s not 12. She kind of looks like she’s got some smarts to her. And she’s an Aries. So, I’m going to give her a shot.”

Thus began a long and humorous friendship between the three women. After Vicki departed (was demoted) from Real Housewives of Orange County, Tamra and Shannon grew even closer. But Season 18 is showing some cracks in their relationship. Their issues have given fans pause and have some of us wondering if they should have signed a Cynthia Bailey friendship contract. Sadly, after this last fight, I don’t think their friendship is repairable. 

Tamra Judge judges Shannon Beador’s DUI

During the premiere of Season 18, Tamra made it clear she was not on board with Shannon’s DUI or excessive drinking. While talking to her husband, Eddie Judge, the realtor explained she chose to cancel a Tres Amigas comedy show. Tamra noted that she didn’t feel like it was a good look for Shannon to be on stage joking about her drinking after the arrest. In fact, she thought she was doing her friend a favor and helping her save face. 

Tamra has often claimed she worries that Shannon’s whole life revolves around being a Real Housewives star. The former CUT Fitness gym owner has often stated that Shannon needs to have an identity of her own that doesn’t involve working at Nordstrom after this ride is over. But could Tamra’s negative outlook and comments be affecting Shannon? I think so. 

During an interview with Decider, Tamra opened up about her concerns, sharing, “The DUI did not break up our friendship. I was very supportive of Shannon for months after her DUI. If you go back to BravoCon, she did an interview and said that Vicki and I were the people who supported her the most.” The mother of 4 shared, “I was truly worried for years that something like this was going to happen to her. I thought it would be a huge wake-up call to her, and she would finally stop drinking. But that did not happen.”

Shannon Beador never checks up on Tamra Judge?

Tamra Judge on The Traitors.
Photo Credit: Bravo Media

One of their biggest battles has always been Tamra complaining that she puts more effort into the friendship. This issue is constantly being brought up. The latest episode showed Tamra and Shannon facing off. Tamra told her former friend, “You’re not a good person. You’ve done horrible things to me.” Tamra explained in her confessional that Shannon lies about everything because she never learned how to apologize. 

Shannon claims the friendship with Tamra is over

For Shan, the end of her relationship with Tamra has been a long time coming. While speaking with Us Weekly, the 60-year-old revealed, “I don’t think we’ll be friends again because I now can look back and see pretty much every season that I’ve been in with Tamra, there’s always an issue that she has with me.” According to Shannon, she either “did something or didn’t do something, and it’s OK, we don’t need to be friends then. She says she walks on eggshells around me. I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I walked on eggshells around her.”

These two have exchanged a lot of nasty words over the years, but none are as polarizing as the lead-up to Season 18. Sometimes, friendships just end for no reason. But what is going on with Tamra and Shannon seems very calculated, and both women have reason enough to want to drop the other from their lives. I think the spotlight got too small for both to share. Instead of talking it out, they both decided to throw one another under the bus. 

TELL US — DO YOU THINK TAMRA AND SHANNON’S FRIENDSHIP IS OVER FOR GOOD EVEN WITH ALL THEIR HISTORY?

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