Tamra Judge’s Ex-Husband, Simon Barney, Has Been Diagnosed With Stage III Throat Cancer

Tamra Judge‘s ex-husband, Simon Barney, has been diagnosed with stage three throat cancer, reports People.

Judge and Barney first got married in the late 1990s and remained together for 13 years before they got divorced in 2011. Those who have been watching The Real Housewives of Orange County since the beginning will remember seeing them together during the early years.

Barney opened up exclusively to People magazine, detailing his doctor’s rigorous chemotherapy and radiation treatments to tackle his cancer head-on. It consists of chemotherapy every three weeks with radiation five days a week, for seven weeks. His course of treatment began in January.

According to Barney, his doctors have said he looks good for someone who is currently fighting cancer, which makes him hopeful for the future.

When he told his ex-wife, she told the outlet, “He told me the news and we both literally started crying. I just couldn’t believe it. My first thought was, ‘I don’t want to take my kids to their dad’s funeral,’ and immediately, any ill feelings between the two of us just vanished. At the end of the day, none of that matters. All we have to do is rally together to make it through this.”

The exes have reportedly become closer than ever in light of the news, moving past any of their indifferences. Judge and Barney have three children together, Spencer, Sophia, and Sidney. Barney said that even though the diagnosis is difficult, he feels like he and his family are getting a fresh start. He claims that Judge is getting along with his fiancé of nine years, Catushia Ienni.

On the Season 14 reunion of RHOC, Judge said she and her estranged daughter, Sidney were beginning to talk again, as have Barney and Spencer, who has had little contact with his father over the last few years.

Ryan Veith, Judge’s son from a previous marriage, has never been on good terms with Barney. However, they have been increasingly in contact lately.

During his interview with People, Barney got candid about the pain he is currently enduring from his many treatments. He says that he has felt close to death and often feels that the treatment is worse than his throat cancer.

Yet the 55-year-old also emphasized how important it is for him to maintain a positive outlook rather than giving up. Barney stated that he is prepared to fight his diagnosis but is also being realistic about the potential outcome.

“If it’s my time to die, it’s my time to die. I’ve lived a good life, and you can’t do anything about that. But if it’s not, then I’m going to fight this.”