The Truth About Tamra Judge
When the The Orange County Register revealed that Tamra Judge had signed on to replace Jo De La Rosa on season three of The Real Housewives of Orange County, we didn't know what to expect from this mother of four. Since her 2007 television debut, however, the reality TV star hasn't just transformed her body, she's completely overhauled her life. Judge went from being married to getting divorced to getting married again. As of this writing in 2019, she's been living happily ever after with her CUT Fitness business partner beau, Eddie Judge.
This blonde beauty is just one of many cast members on RHOC, so there simply hasn't been enough time for cameras to capture every single waking moment of her life. That's why we've stepped up to save the day! Thanks to Judge having absolutely no filter during interviews, we were able to dig deep into her personal life to uncover the inside scoop about her two failed marriages, rumors that she allegedly abandoned one of her children, and her immediate family's struggle with depression. This is the truth about Tamra Judge.
Tamra Judge's 'totally obnoxious' casting application sealed the deal
Tamra Judge didn't take the process of appearing on The Real Housewives of Orange County very seriously at first. In 2012, the former part-time realtor told Emme Magazine that she "jokingly filled out an application" that was given to her by a friend. She had no reason to believe the producers would even call her, especially since she was "totally obnoxious" with all of her answers and was actually "mocking the show." In fact, the Bravo starlet told the publication that she and her friend were both "laughing" at all of her answers. Sounds about Tamra!
"I didn't send any pictures and didn't show up to the casting call in Newport," Judge went on to say. "So when they called me a few days later I almost dropped the phone." After going on various interviews for a month, they called her up and told her she would be the newest housewife for season three. Judge was all in at that point, as she told herself, "Everything happens for a reason ... here goes another chapter in my life." And what a chapter it's been!
Divorce caused Tamra Judge's family to be divided
When Tamra Judge made her first appearance on RHOC, she was still married to Simon Barney, an employee at a Mercedes-Benz dealership, according to a his Bravo blog. As the seasons passed, the cracks in their relationship began to show, and the couple decided to end their marriage in 2010.
Ever since the divorce, Tamra Judge and her eldest daughter, Sidney Barney, have unfortunately shared a contentious relationship. Things appeared to be improving by 2017, when Sidney invited her estranged mom to her high school graduation. However, when the RHOC star posted a since-deleted picture from the occasion on Instagram, it unfortunately caused more issues between the mother-daughter duo. In a later-removed Facebook post, Sidney claimed that she only invited Judge because her father "forced" her to (via People). She also revealed that she'd requested Judge not post any photos from the event on social media because she didn't "want to be associated with her or the show."
During an Instagram Q&A session in March 2019, Judge shared that she and Sidney still weren't speaking, before revealing that their relationship sadly wasn't the only casualty of her divorce (via OK! magazine). According to Judge, son Spencer Barney lives with her, but "doesn't speak to his dad." Meanwhile, the former couple's youngest daughter, Sophia Barney, "Splits her time between parents."
Is history repeating itself in Tamra Judge's family?
After marrying Eddie Judge (pictured, left) in 2013, Tamra Judge couldn't help but wonder if moving on from ex-husband Simon Barney was maybe the reason for her aforementioned damaged relationship with her eldest daughter, Sidney Barney.
While chatting with Eddie on an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2017, the reality TV starlet revealed that she'd noticed a similar pattern in her own life while opening up about her own fractured relationship with her father after her parents split. "My dad ended up marrying my mom's best friend. And I felt like he was choosing this woman over our family," Tamra Judge said (via Yahoo! Entertainment). "I didn't really talk to [my] dad for 10 years. I mean, we talked, but we weren't close for 10 years. And it was all divorce. Divorce just destroys families."
Admitting that she'd turned her back on her dad because she didn't approve of the way he was "dealing with the divorce," Tamra explained, "I do feel like Sidney's doing exactly the same thing to me." In the end, while feeling remorseful, the Bravo celeb said, "Maybe if I just stayed married to Simon, I wouldn't be going through this."
Tamra Judge contemplated taking her own life twice
Aside from the ongoing issues with her eldest daughter, the rest of Tamra Judge's life has appeared to be on the right track. She's long been married to the love of her life, Eddie Judge, who's thankfully doing well following his diagnosis with AFib (via Entertainment Tonight). However, life hasn't always been so grand for this reality star.
While speaking at the Los Angeles Women's Expo during a 2013 episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Tamra Judge revealed that she attempted suicide while dealing with the end of her first marriage to Darren Vieth. "I took a bunch of prescription medication that I found in my mom's cupboard, then my mom found me and they took me to the hospital," she said (via The Daily Dish). "They admitted me into a mental hospital."
While speaking with In Touch months later, Judge revealed that she attempted suicide a second time around the age of 25 following another "bad relationship" with her boyfriend of three years. "Feeling stuck in that situation caused me to try and do it again," she explained. "I didn't know what to do. I thought, 'Okay, this is it. I can't do this again.'"
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Did Tamra Judge abandon her child?
After Tamra Judge's aforementioned confession about attempting to take her own life following her first divorce, ex-husband Darren Vieth clapped back by exposing all of Judge's business in an interview with Radar Online. Among other things, he accused her of abandoning their son, Ryan (pictured, left), at his house shortly after he remarried.
"She said to me, 'Here, you raise him,' and left," Vieth claimed, adding that he'd retained custody of their child for "several years." However, after he found out Judge was in a stable relationship with then-boyfriend-turned-ex-husband Simon Barney, Vieth wound up giving her custody of their little boy.
For his part, Ryan wasn't having it and called his dad a liar while speaking with Wet Paint (via Heavy). "My mom never gave me up as a child, only asked for my dad to step it up and help out when she was going through a difficult time," he said. On that note, Ryan put the nail in the coffin: "I'm trying to keep my life positive and want nothing to do with him. Bottom line, I know who's in my life, and it's not him."
Our hearts break that there are so many damaged relationships in and surrounding Judge's life.
Tamra Judge's extended family has a history of mental illness
In a 2013 Bravo blog post entitled "Tamra's Dark Past," Tamra Judge opened up about her family's history of mental illness. Sharing son Ryan Vieth's battle with anxiety and depression, she noted that it brought back so many painful memories of her own past, writing, "Seeing yourself through your children's struggles is a very difficult thing to face."
While Judge's childhood may have been far from ideal, the California native refrained from blaming her parents since they had "difficult" upbringings of their own. Her maternal grandmother was "hospitalized most of her life for mental illness," the reality TV star wrote, adding that her paternal grandparents "were alcoholics." Acknowledging that her parents never said, "I love you," Judge went on to wonder if this made her fall into a depression or "if depression is just hereditary?"
Thankfully, Judge was able to get the help she needed when she was prescribed anti-depressants, according to In Touch (via The Daily Dish).
Tamra Judge has (finally) mended things with ex-husband Simon Barney
After a very bitter divorce, Tamra Judge and her ex-husband Simon Barney's relationship was pretty much non-existent. But over time, she has apparently learned to forgive and forget "for the sake of her family," according to a source cited by Radar Online claimed in 2019. The exes joined forces that June to send their youngest daughter, Sophia Barney, off to her eighth grade dance, according to photos posted to Judge's Instagram. The insider went on to Radar Online that Judge decided to bury the hatchet and "meet in the middle" to avoid having things with Sophia morph into the way her relationship with eldest daughter Sidney has turned out.
We certainly had our fingers crossed that they'd be able to keep the peace. Weeks after the dance, Judge told Entertainment Tonight that things were thankfully better than ever. "We've actually been getting along very well," she said. "It's been a long time coming but, you know, I've always wanted this. I've always wanted to co-parent and now we're actually doing it." We never thought we'd see the day!
This real housewife likes to keep it casual
Whenever cameras for The Real Housewives of Orange County are rolling, you can usually find this ringleader of the so-called Trés Amigas taking a shot (or two or three) of tequila ... all while dressed to the nines! But Tamra Judge told The Daily Dish that she looks totally different off screen, preferring to keep her look comfy, cool, and casual.
"I usually have sweats on," she said. "You guys usually see me all glammed up, but normally, you wouldn't even know me." While we doubt the mom of four and grandmother looks that much different away from the cameras, Judge went on to add that her typical day-to-day uniform consists of a baseball hat, ponytail, and "either yoga clothes or sweats." This, of course, is in stark contrast to Judge's impeccable on-camera style, including a flawless makeup application and coordinating outfit that's TDF. We can't even imagine her looking unrecognizable on the streets of the O.C.! Our minds = blown.
Spilling the deets on Tamra Judge's diet
Tamra Judge celebrated her 50th birthday in September 2017 by donning an itty-bitty leopard bikini, and we were shook. How has this TV personality managed to look like the poster girl for Forever 21 after all these years? Well, Judge has admittedly gone to great lengths to keep her bangin' bod in tip-top shape.
In 2016, the reality starlet put her body, mind, and willpower to the test to train for her very first fitness competition. People reports that, thanks to all of her hard work and dedication, she was able to take home a trophy. While speaking with The Feast two years later, Judge revealed that she also sticks to a high-protein diet, while staying away from processed food and sugar. And even though she's since become a professional bodybuilder, things can still get tough for this multi-hyphenate at times: "For me, the problem is that I can work out and then not eat for like four hours and you're not doing yourself any justice when you do that."
So, it's all about prepping her food, working out "two to three hours" every day, and then eating. It sounds so easy, but we're exhausted already!
Tamra Judge has gotten wild in the jungle
Tamra Judge's Bravo co-star and (sometimes) BFF Vicki Gunvalson has made it known that she needs to get busy with her fiancé, Steve Lodge, at least four times a day. But Gunvalson isn't the only cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County who has spilled the beans about her private intimate activities.
While playing a game of Never Have I Ever with Us Weekly in 2015, Tamra Judge admitted that she has made "several sex tapes." One piece of footage, in particular, was filmed on an iPhone in the middle of the Panama jungle. Roar! While we're assuming her co-star in this outdoor romp was her husband, Eddie Judge, Tamra didn't go into any further detail about who, what, where, when, how and, most importantly, why. For Tamra Judge's sake, we hope that this footage — and the rest of her sex tape archive — never sees the light of day!