In March 2025, Tamra Judge shocked Real Housewives of Orange County fans when she dramatically peaced out from a cast trip to New Orleans.
Apparently, following a fight with newly-returned nemesis Gretchen Rossi, Tamra packed her bags and flew home early. On the way out the door, she posted the equivalent of a “goodbye cruel world” to her Instagram.
“When life gives you real problems, this reality sh*t doesn’t make sense,” she wrote at the time. “I’m out.”
Tamra Judge leaves The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 for a short time
“Tamra, you didn’t quit!” ET’s Brice Sander began the conversation.
“I’m not a quitter!” she was quick to respond.
Calling attention to the fact that RHOC Season 19 is now approaching the episode in which Tamra took her toys and went home, Brice wanted to know what she was thinking. “What was going through your mind in the moments that you posted that?” he asked.
“It was a very difficult time for me,” Tamra explained. “It was probably two [or three] weeks after Teddi [Mellencamp] went into the hospital and had brain surgery … New Orleans was the last place we were together.” As we all know, Teddi is Tamra’s bestie, so it was understandable that she was upset.
“I’m already fragile,” Tamra explained. “Filming a show like this just doesn’t seem right when someone you’re close with is fighting for their life.”
After the screaming match with Gretchen, Tamra realized, “I can’t do this anymore.”
“So basically, I leave, obviously,” she said. “I get back [to Orange County], and everybody’s calling me: production, [executive producer] Andy Cohen.”
“The first place I went to when I got home was my therapist,’ she added. She also met with the show’s psychiatrist.
Tamra was subsequently diagnosed as being “deeply depressed” and prescribed medication to help her. Following a visit with Teddi, which “put a smile on my face,” she felt much better.
“You’re not a quitter,” Teddi told her. “If I have to go through this and power through, you [also] have to.”
“I’m doing this for Teddi,” Tamra concluded, with a laugh. “That pushy little TWOT.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo in the US. It streams on Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
