Why Cameras Picked Back up on RHOC After Season 19 Wrapped: "Expose the Truth"
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After The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 19 wrapped, cameras picked back up and resumed filming. The reason? Tamra Judge had allegedly been leaking behind-the-scenes information for months.
According to an onscreen graphic that was displayed toward the end of RHOC's Season 19 finale, "After production wrapped, some of the women received DMs from a person with information about the show… which was not yet known to the public."
So, Shannon Storms Beador and Gina Kirschenheiter reconvened with Jennifer Pedranti at her and fiancé Ryan Boyajian's home on May 9, which was about two months before Season 19 premiered on Bravo, to discuss the accusations.
Gina kicked things off by pulling out a screenshot of a message that one of them had received. "They said, 'I know you don't know who I am, I'm just someone who wants to expose the truth,'" she read aloud. "'Tamra has been leaking details about the entire season throughout filming to bloggers and fan pages. If you want to test knowledge, feel free. I can prove everything I'm saying.'"
The Tamra Judge leak allegations on the RHOC Season 19 finale, explained
When viewers saw the trio again, they were seated on Jenn's sofa on a phone call with someone whose voice was intentionally disguised.
"She does do a lot of talking, mainly on Instagram," the mystery person alleged. "And it's always a play by play during filming."
Jenn responded by asking the tipster to give them a couple examples of things that they knew, as proof they were telling the truth. That's when he or she presented several specific details from moments that the general public wouldn't see on RHOC for at least another three or four months.
RELATED: The "Over the Top" RHOC Season 19 Reunion Looks Include Slits, Sparkles & a $60 Dress (PHOTOS)
Among the then-unaired Season 19 details the caller mentioned were: a conversation Tamra filmed with Heather Dubrow in a local restaurant after she "fake quit" on the New Orleans trip; the date Katie Ginella "last filmed with the group" and her "sitdown with Tamra" that followed; the "altercation" Tamra had with Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley at Emily Simpson's charity fundraiser during which she "took the high road"; and the more recent discussion Tamra had with Gina about "transphobic and homophobic" posts Gretchen had allegedly liked on social media.
As Gina aptly pointed out to a producer, "There are so many things that are coming up that haven't even aired."
How the RHOC cast reacted to the bombshell Tamra Judge leak accusations
The three were understandably stunned by the accuracy of the bombshell accusations against Tamra.
"That's insane," Gina responded during the fourth wall-breaking conversation. "This is all of our content. This is our whole show."
As she vented in a confessional, "You know what, Tamra? I'm not here to do your dirty work. I'm not your f–kin' henchman; I'm not your minion. And now you've pissed me off."
RELATED: RHOC Cast Sounds Off on Tamra for "Quitting" the Show for Third Time (EXCLUSIVE)
Agreeing with Gina that the tipster seemed to know "everything" the season's storylines, Jenn was quick to also point out a double standard: "Tamra's getting away with leaking info yet holding Katie accountable for doing the exact same thing."
Speaking to a producer, she added, "Tamra will do anything for maximum impact. I think she will hurt anybody. I think she will leak information. And I think she's probably one of the most calculative, scary, dangerous people within this friend group."
Shannon similarly fumed about Tamra in her interview setup, saying, "How dare you try to destroy so much for your own benefit? I really can't come up with another word other than evil."
Get a sneak peek at how Tamra responded to the leak allegations at the RHOC Season 19 reunion.
Kyle Richards Says There Will Be Things Fans Will 'Not Expect' in RHOBH Season 15
Kyle Richards says Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans should get ready for some shake ups in the show’s upcoming 15th season.
Richards, 56, caught up with PEOPLE exclusively while attending the Anastasia Soare and Oprah Winfrey in Conversation at Raising Brows event in L.A. on Oct. 23. During the discussion, she said that viewers can expect some new faces and dynamics when the show returns to Bravo on Dec. 4.
“The dynamics between everybody has just changed so much, and things you just would not expect, and a lot of people are changing,” she teases.
Richards adds, “And we have a lot of new blood in the group, so I think the audience is going to be very excited this season.”
The reality star — who has been a part of RHOBH since the show's inception and has never skipped a season — also reveals whether she plans to retire from the series any time soon.
Kyle Richards at the Sona Warrior Awards in L.A. on Oct. 12, 2025.
C Polk/Variety via Getty
“Listen, that day obviously will come,” she says. “It's been a long time. Fifteen years. It really is. It’s a long time. I don't know how long this can go on, how long I can go on for.”
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“There have been different times, season 5, I think maybe even before," she says, adding, "I can think of a number of seasons where I almost walked away."
Continuing, she adds, "But 15 years is a long time, and there's things I want to do, and it takes up a lot of time. And [my youngest daughter] Portia is going to college, so who knows."
Richards has previously opened up about the challenges of being on a hit reality show, noting that it can be difficult to live life under a microscope.
“I mean, it's very difficult for your life [to be] out there and have the world weighing in on analyzing things and people not knowing you know the full scope of full details,” she told PEOPLE while attending An Unforgettable Evening Benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund event in Beverly Hills, Calif., in April.
“And judging you without being able to explain everything, it's very difficult. So it depends on what year and what season, whether I can handle it or not,” she added.
While speaking to PEOPLE at the recent Raising Brows event, Richards also provided an update on friend and former RHOBH castmate Teddi Mellencamp, 44, who recently revealed that her stage 4 cancer is in remission.
“Teddi is doing a lot better,” Richards says.
She continues, “She had posted on her Instagram Story that she's cancer free, so we just keep praying and keep her on that path. And she does struggle with getting depressed often, so sometimes it’s just about going over, just dragging her out of the house, honestly. When she doesn't really want to do anything, when she’s feeling down. And we just show up and say, ‘No, we're going to get frozen yogurt,’ or, ‘We're going on a walk.’ ”
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“It's really, really crazy, but she's been so strong and such a trooper. I just have so much admiration for her," she adds.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 premieres on Bravo on Dec. 4.
