Tamra Judge always thought of herself as the hottest Housewife. Now, she’s accepting her spot on Bravo’s metaphorical Mount Rushmore.
The Real Housewives of Orange County icon has become the longest-running Housewife across the entire franchise at a time when so many Bravo legends—including the OG of the OC—have been shown the door. Fifteen seasons in, Judge is taking a hard look in the mirror, and her reflection is still hot.
As for the “longest-running” title, she doesn’t take it too seriously, but “it doesn’t suck,” she snickered.
“Andy texted me something because it was announced on social media, and I said, ‘What do I get, boss? What do I get? Do I get an award?’” she told The Daily Beast’s Obsessed over Zoom. “And he’s like, ‘No, you get to be famous and rich.’ And I said, ‘I’ll take it.’”
A lot has changed in the Real Housewives’ 20-year history. What was once a voyeuristic docuseries in the vein of The OC and Desperate Housewives is now a well-oiled machine spanning dozens of franchises worldwide. The stories have changed, the intro’s been revamped, and the ecosystem is unrecognizable.
“Of course the show is different. The world is different. The things that we did back then, the things that we said back then, would never fly today,” Judge confessed.
“Social media has changed the show so much, because now cast members and talent can see what people are saying, and they might self produce themselves, or want to pull back because everybody on social media is saying you’re a horrible person, or go kill yourself, or whatever they’re saying to you. It’s tough.”
That’s where Judge stands out. Emerging in the age of Bravo blogs, the veteran has always shown the good, bad, and especially ugly when it comes to her life. From the notorious “Naked Wasted” in Season 4 to asking her then-husband for a divorce in a raw display in Season 5, Judge pioneered the modern Housewives archetype: boldly outspoken and brazen in her machinations. “To stay on the show, you have to be an open book,” she said.
Fans have flipped through each and every one of Judge’s pages with her throughout the years. She’s the villain, an anti-hero, or even the Greek chorus, depending on the episode. While Judge is just as polarizing within the group as she is with the fans, she’s the nucleus of RHOC—and she knows it.
“Everybody’s talking about me, even if I’m not in the scene. They’re talking about me as if I’m this horrible human that is just evil, [asking], ‘Is she going to change? Can she change?’” she said. “It’s like, Oh my God, guys, leave me alone. ‘She’s damaged. She’s this, she’s that.’ And Eddie said, ‘Babe, they’re talking, and they’re talking about you. And the whole show so far is about you.”
Judge has sparred with pretty much every single one of her castmates—from newbie Jenn Pedranti to OG feud partner Gretchen Rossi, who returned to the show as a friend-of the Housewives this season. Several years and a facelift or two later, not much has changed between the two.
“When she was let go [after Season 8], we were on decent terms. I mean, she went to my wedding. I sat there and hugged her at the reunion when people were all talking about her fake proposal,” Judge said. “When she got fired, I moved on. She didn’t live rent free in my brain, so I went on with my life.”
“And I noticed all the time that she was talking about me, if it was a podcast, if it was her coming back to the show for a little cameo,” Judge added. “She’s gotta bring up, ‘Eddie’s gay!,’ and [she] connected with my old best friend [who was] just talking badly about me back then. Every podcast she does, it’s about me. She even did her own podcast for a little while, and she talked about me.”
Production pulled Judge aside before filming Season 19 to tell her about Rossi’s impending return. Naturally, she wasn’t thrilled, but “if you guys think it’s good for the show, I’m OK with it,” she said.
That return certainly has brought about explosive drama, from a reunion 12 years in the making to an even more chaotic scuffle in New Orleans, which fans will see in Episode 6 and 7 of this season.
Judge left filming for a brief period following the trip. What exactly causes that is yet to be revealed—although Rossi took credit during an interview with Obsessed—but Judge attributes it to stress relating to her podcast co-host and former Real Housewife of Beverly Hills, Teddi Mellencamp, who is battling cancer.
“I just felt beat up in general,” she said. “Something in New Orleans happens, and I just thought, ‘This isn’t worth it. I need to be home. I need to be close to Teddi. This fighting, it’s not something I want to do right now.’’
“I went and saw Teddi, and she says, ‘Tam, nobody likes a quitter. If I have to fight for my life right now, I want you to go back for me, and I want you to finish this out.’”
That’s just what she did. After all, Judge knows all about the comeback, not only having risen from the ashes of a Bali takedown in Season 9, but returning to reclaim her role in Season 17 following a two-season firing (which led Rossi to throw a party in celebration, Judge mentioned).
Five years later, Judge’s legacy is more cemented than ever. Having usurped icons like Teresa Giudice and Luann de Lesseps to become the longest-running Housewife, she feels she’s finally earned her place on Bravo’s Mount Rushmore.
“You know, before last year, I probably would have said no. But now, being the longest running housewife, yeah, I do,” she revealed. “I think that people like me and Kyle [Richards] and NeNe Leakes should be up there on Mount Rushmore.”
As for who shouldn’t make the cut, Judge’s answer is the same as it was on Watch What Happens Live a month ago: Shannon Beador.
“I feel like we’ve seen the same shtick with Shannon year after year after year. You know, the Lucille Ball shaking and, ‘Oh, I’m gonna fall down and I’m gonna wear a costume!’” she said. “ I mean, some people love her neurotic behavior. I just feel as a viewer, because I watch all these shows, I report on all these shows, I want to see more.”
Of course, whether Beador or Judge return for the record-breaking Season 20 is a decision we won’t know for months.
“They keep us on our toes, for sure,” Judge said. “I don’t know what my future is. I’m getting tired. I’m very busy with everything, and I have to prioritize certain things moving forward so I don’t go insane. But I love my job. I love the people that I work with.”
“I’ll ride the wave as long as they want me.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs every Thursday at 9 p.m ET/PT on Bravo/next day on Peacock, and fans can catch up with The Daily Beast’s Obsessed’s recaps here.
