Tamra Judge faced a great deal of backlash after telling her podcast listeners she was “on the spectrum.” The Real Housewives of Orange County star recently started therapy. She told fans, “I just did my first therapy session … Let’s just say I found out something pretty big about myself that I didn’t know.”
When she shared her revelation, fans responded with skepticism and a mob mentality. Some accused her of lying outright. Others took a more nuanced approach and simply questioned how Tamra could receive such a diagnosis after just one therapy session. See, a commonly perpetuated myth suggests that everyone is on the autism spectrum.
The word “spectrum” refers to a range of conditions an individual may experience. However, it does not imply that everyone is on that spectrum, even though neurotypical individuals can exhibit symptoms of conditions on the spectrum. As such, it made sense for folks to question Tamra. Given what she shared, her remarks came off as a little gauche. Now, Tamra has responded.
Why did Tamra Judge think she might be on the spectrum?
On October 15, Tamra put out a tweet addressing the backlash. “I started therapy because this year had been really hard on me. I started feeling really insecure, I was having intrusive thoughts, and I didn’t wanna leave my house unless I had to. I even considered just being admitted into a mental health facility.” She wouldn’t be the only Bravo star to do a mental health check-in this year. Tamra then explained her therapist’s conclusion.
“In my conversations with my therapist, who I’ve known for years, we talked about a lot over the course of two hours. And she told me that many of the things about me – like how I process information, my sensory issues, my social anxiety, my aversion to eye contact with new people, my not wanting to be out of my routine, etc. – were all signs of being on the spectrum.”
She continued, “Now, ‘On the spectrum’ it’s such a broad term. I don’t really understand it fully, and my therapist told me more evaluation was needed. But when I sat down at the mic to record my podcast 15 minutes later and my head was spinning from what she had said. I had no time to process things, or even talk to my family – I was just back at work. And I was so emotional, I just blurted it out.”
Tamra vows to continue her mental health journey in private
Tamra then confessed that she thought to remove her confession from the podcast. However, her impulse toward openness urged her to leave it in. Ultimately, she wished she had removed the clip. She went on, “I just want to take people through the journey with me as I’ve always done, but I realize now I spoke too soon publicly, and that processing this with such an onslaught of negative comments has been horrible.”
“If you know me, you know I don’t like to look weak or play the victim. I also hate labels, just as much as I hate excuses. But I’m working on myself — not a TV show; to be a better person for me and the people around me. This isn’t some storyline. It’s my real life.”
She added, “I have past trauma that is deep and painful. This is something I’ve suppressed for 15 years. But I’m finally getting the help I need, and I’m proud of myself for that.” From there, Tamra said she’d be moving forward “more privately until I get to a better mental space.” She explained that she wasn’t in the right space to receive judgment about her mental health.
Real Housewives of Orange County is streaming on Peacock.
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