Brace yourself: The latest RHOC casting rumors says Tamra Barney Judge is getting fired and being replaced by Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant. Should this gossip pan out, is Vanessa the right replacement and what viewers want?
Like other reality TV shows in the franchise, Real Housewives of Orange County has its share of cat-clawing drama. Buzz about the firecracker blonde getting canned is nothing new on the presses, but if the gossip going around that the Black Mamba’s wife is working out a deal behind the scenes to replace Barney, this rivals anticipation around Teresa Giudice’s sentencing date. Tamra getting fired is likely utter nonsense, but play along for a bit.
Like anything else, change is inevitable, and at the end of the day, even the biggest and brightest of star’s candle can be doused in favor of some funky, fresh talent. Apparently, Andy Cohen and company are mulling over the idea of giving Tamra the boot, because the drama has caused rifts among cast members — and fans are seeing through her theatrics.
In taking a quote from RumorFix , the writing is on the wall about Vanessa Bryant being tapped.
“There will be a new girl and a new friend. They are looking at athletes wives. There is one who plays professional baseball. There have also been talks of Kobe Bryant’s wife being scoped out.”
A RHOC insider weighed in on Bravo’s calculus in its potential move to fire Tamra and hire Vanessa Bryant.
“Everyone is stirring the pot too much. So they’re NOT looking for someone who’s a sex pot or out of control. Actually, just the opposite. They want someone who’s really successful, an entrepreneur or just someone who’s well respected among their peers. She is not being authentic and the audience is not connecting with her.”
During a pow-wow with Cohen and the Real Housewives , a caller posed a question to Tamra Barney Judge and essentially put her on blast about being a troublemaker and appearing to deliberately ruffle the weaves of all cast mates. And in keeping with her baseline denial, she put a spin on the caller’s characterization of her in a manner only Tamara could do.
“I’d like to rephrase the question. Am I [a] trouble maker or am I just making the show worth watching?”
Cohen, in a cosign gesture to the caller, redirected Tamra with the deftness of a fiery attorney on cross-examination.
“Earlier you said it’s your job [troublemaking], but really your job is to be yourself on TV.”
Not surprisingly, Barney continued with her trail of denial, but the point was made and a case built against her in favor of pulling the plug.
Another source says Tamra’s reign may be coming to an end not merely because she can’t get along with anyone, even herself if she’s alone in a room; she’s being too guarded on a show that wants everyone to be an open book.
“She not being authentic and the audience is not connecting with her. She hasn’t been completely open about her custody issues. It’s supposed to be reality and instead she only wants to create drama with others around her.”
Vanessa Bryant may be the answer the franchise needs to bring balance and reason in the wake of Tamra’s trail of grunge. As the insider says, “They [Bravo] want to replace [Tamra] who’s stirring up too much s**t and the entire cast is against her.”
But here’s the deal: Tamra may still have a job, according to Fashion & Style , and Vanessa Bryant may be an add-on, a friend who is inserted into the RHOC fray as the resident shrink. With Tamra being knee-deep in a jousting match with her ex-husband, Simon Barney, Vanessa may be just what the doctor ordered. Besides, after the world saw how she handled Kobe’s affair with poise and grace, perhaps all the ladies can use her two cents.
If Tamra Barney is fired, is Vanessa Bryant a good replacement on the show?
[Image via: BET ]