RHOC: What Is Tamra Judge's Son Spencer Barney Doing Now?
"The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Tamra Judge is back with an orange in her palms for Season 17 after her two-season hiatus and some fans are wondering what the OC OG's youngest son, Spencer Barney, is up to these days since he's absent from the cameras this season.
Judge joined the rambunctious Southern California cast in Season 3 with her four children in tow: Ryan Vieth — who she welcomed with her first husband, Darren Vieth — Sidney, Spencer, and Sophia Barney. Throughout his mom's decade-plus reign on the show, Spencer appeared on the Bravo reality series only a handful of times. Audiences watched Judge's family celebrate Spencer's 18th birthday, which the Housewife later indicated was the first time he appeared on "RHOC" since they filmed his 7th birthday party. The mom of four explained on "The Daily Dish" in 2019 that "Spencer's not that excited about filming" because being on camera isn't "really his thing" and "he's kind of shy."
Since then, Judge's youngest son has remained out of the public eye, but she has given periodic updates about the significant events in their family's lives.
Spencer Barney attends university in California
"The Real Housewives of Orange County" mainstay Tamra Judge once told Us Weekly that her biggest regret was never going to college, but it looks like her son, Spencer Barney, is achieving what she couldn't (due to her pregnancy with her first child at the end of high school). After Barney graduated from high school in 2018, he entered college to earn a degree in psychology. In 2019, Judge received mild backlash after she uploaded a photo of a tattoo Barney got while away at school, with more conservative fans questioning her parenting skills. Although the "RHOC" star admitted she thought he would "regret" the ink, she defended her son in the comments, saying, "I want my children to be able to express themselves. He's a good kid, going to college, good grades, doesn't drink or get into trouble." When Barney turned 21 in 2021, Judge wrote in her birthday post that he was "dead set on never having a sip of alcohol."
During an episode of "The Daily Dish" in August 2022, the Housewife gave an update noting Barney had transferred schools to a state college an hour away from Orange County. Judge gushed to Bravo in June about how her son was getting ready to receive his degree soon. "[He's] been working really hard," she shared. "He lives about an hour away from us, but we talk every single day. And he's excited to graduate."
His father's cancer diagnosis brought the family closer together
Viewers of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" saw how estrangement impacts children of divorce, something that hit close to home for Tamra Judge due to her own family's plight after her 2011 divorce from her second husband, Simon Barney. Even though the family's relationships have been historically strained, the unfortunate news of Barney's throat cancer diagnosis in February 2020 acted as a catalyst for a path toward reconciliation. The former couple spoke in a 2020 interview with People about how Judge immediately dropped any animosity she held toward Barney when he informed her of his diagnosis.
"It's kind of like a new beginning for me and my family," he explained to the publication. "It's really brought everyone closer together." Barney explained how the pair's son, Spencer, had reached out to him to reconnect. "It's good because, I haven't really talked to him in a while," Barney said at the time. "But we're getting there now."
On a February 2022 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," host Andy Cohen asked about Simon's condition, and Judge updated that he's "doing OK" and "still fighting the fight."