Tamra Judge admitted that Simon Barney’s throat cancer diagnosis influenced her decision to leave The Real Housewives of Orange County.
The reality TV star recently got candid about her ex-husband’s battle with cancer, as well as the impact it has had on their family.
Last week Simon, who was married to Tamra for 13 years, revealed he is in the middle of seeking treatment for stage 3 throat cancer.
Simon shared he began a dual regime of chemotherapy and radiation to fight the disease.
Leaving RHOC
In a new interview with People magazine, Tamra got real about her decision to leave RHOC. She shared it was Simon’s diagnosis, along with her husband Eddie Judge’s heart problems that made her decision to exit the Bravo show easy.
The two health crises made her priorities clear to Tamra.
“It made me reevaluate my life. Simon had told me about his health back in November, and I was completely destroyed. I was a mess! 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.”
Tamra went on to explain the two health issues made it challenging for her to want to go back to do a reality TV show. The thought of listening to people yell and scream about things that do not matter was too hard for Tamra to stomach.
She realized time is something people don’t get back and didn’t want to waste time having arguments with women on television.
Family-focused
Since leaving RHOC, Tamra has been focused on her family. There is one positive to come out of Simon’s throat cancer. It has brought their fractured family together again.
Following Tamra and Simon’s nasty divorce, their children took sides. There were definite lines drawn in the sand, with two of their children not even speaking to their parents. Simon’s battle has forced them all to realize life is precious.
“I’ve grown close with his fiancée Catushia Ienni. It makes me happy Simon has someone like her who can take care of him from day-to-day. And we’re all our talking with our kids again, after the estrangement. We’ve all rallied together to be there for Simon and make sure he has the support he needs,” Tamra revealed to People.
During Bravocon last fall, Tamra Judge grew emotional, talking about what a good dad Simon Barney is to their children. The family has come a long way since their nasty divorce.
The Real Housewives of Orange County will return for Season 15 in Summer 2020.