Tamra Judge Says That Simon Barney’s Cancer Diagnosis Is A Big Part Of Why She Walked Away From ‘RHOC’

Tamra Judge shocked fans last month when she announced she wouldn’t be returning for Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Since dropping that bombshell, rumors have been rampant about the “real” reason for Judge’s departure. According to a recent exclusive from People, one of the main reasons she decided to exit the show is due to her ex-husband, Simon Barney’s cancer diagnosis.

Judge told the publication that she fell apart when she first learned of Simon’s illness in November 2019.

“This is the father of my children. Any ill will between the two us just vanished. My first thought was, ‘I don’t want to take my kids to their dad’s funeral.’ And my second was, ‘I don’t want to go back to the show.'”

Simon isn’t the only person in Judge’s family who is currently struggling with health problems. She and her current husband, Eddie, have been vocal about his heart condition throughout the seasons. The former housewife expressed that the reality of Simon’s life-threatening diagnosis made her reevaluate her role on the series.

She realized she didn’t want to be around people that were constantly fighting about “things that don’t even matter.”

According to the outlet, Judge originally planned to announce that Season 14 would be her last before they began filming, but several of her close friends stopped her. They told her that she was in a very emotional place and might regret her decision if she didn’t take more time to think about the consequences.

The article goes on to detail what happened at the Season 14 reunion. Judge admits that she was very “subdued” and that she told her co-star and close friend Shannon Beador that she felt it would be her last season.

A big part of the reason Judge opted not to return for Season 15 is because she felt she wouldn’t be authentic on camera. Simon had asked her not to tell anyone about his cancer, and Judge didn’t feel like she could film new episodes while keeping it secret.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, the 52-year-old was offered the chance to return for three episodes to wrap up her storylines, but the former housewife declined the offer and the $200,000 paycheck.

“I just knew there would be no way to get around it. I couldn’t go back and be myself. I couldn’t be honest. I couldn’t be real.”

Andy Cohen has said he believes that Judge might eventually return to the show, but she isn’t so sure.

“I’ve loved doing the show and love the people there. But I just want to be with my family. Nothing else matters,” Judge told People.