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Simon Barney Praises Fiancée Catushia Ienni as His "Hero" During His Cancer Battle
The Real Housewives of Orange County alum celebrates a milestone with his loved one.
Simon Barney is thankful for his loved ones as he battles stage 3 throat cancer, including his longtime fiancée Catushia Ienni.
Simon, the ex-husband of The Real Housewives of Orange County alum Tamra Judge, recently showed his appreciation for Catushia in a post on Instagram on July 26 in celebration of her 40th birthday. "My better half about to go celebrate her 40th birthday at lunch with her girlfriends," Simon wrote in the post, which featured a photo of his fiancée as she got ready to head out of the house to attend her birthday lunch. "She’s been my hero...."
Tamra, who divorced Simon in 2011 after 13 years of marriage, also praised Catushia for taking care of her ex-husband in his time of need while opening up about his cancer diagnosis during an interview with PEOPLE in February. “I’m just so grateful he has her by his side,” Tamra said. “I told her, ‘Thank God you’re here. I know we’ve had our differences, but I just want you to know I’m here for you too.’"
Tamra told Us Weekly in March that Catushia has been especially adept at taking extra precautions amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “He is doing everything he can to protect himself, as is his fiancée, Catushia," Tamra said. "She is his sole caregiver and now has to be extremely cautious as well."
Simon also shared with PEOPLE in February how happy he was to see Tamra and Catushia getting along. “Tamra’s become close with my fiancée,” Simon said. “They text each other almost every day, which at first I was very uneasy. Like, ‘OK, what are they saying? Is she telling her to get rid of me?’ But they’re really both just taking care of me.”
After years of strain for Simon and Tamra's family, they have finally been able to get to a good place. “That’s what I’ve always wanted," Simon told PEOPLE in February. “My fiancée, the same thing, she’s always wanted that with my ex-wife, for the kids. The kids would prefer it if we all got along. And they see that now, and it’s had such a powerful effect.”
Simon confirmed on Instagram earlier this month that he had completed his cancer treatment. Tamra also shared in her Instagram Story earlier this summer that Simon was "staying positive" following his treatment, according to PEOPLE. "We are praying he kicked [cancer's] ass but we don't know yet," she said.
