Here's the *Real* Reason RHOC Resumed Filming 36 Hours After Season 18 Reunion
Some of the RHOC ladies gathered after the reunion wrapped when new information came to light.
In the final few moments of The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18 reunion, fans witnessed something that doesn't happen often: cameras being picked back up. But why did producers feel the need to capture the women 36 hours after they'd already aired their grievances (and toasted with some espresso martinis and mocktails)?
As it turned out, there was some information floating around that wasn't shared at the reunion. Thus, Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, Tamra Judge, and Heather Dubrow gathered at Emily Simpson's house to talk it through.
"Seven months she's known that piece of information, and she drops it after we film the reunion and they turn all the cameras off," Emily told Gina, sharing that the information in question came to light at a dinner right after the reunion.
It was then quickly revealed that Heather was the one dropped the bombshell news. When she arrived at Emily's house, Gina asked, "Why did you wait so long to tell Shannon?"
"I wasn't holding the information," Heather said.
When Shannon arrived, they were able to really dive into what exactly went down.
What did Heather Dubrow reveal after the RHOC reunion filmed?
Heather explained that at a dinner with Tamra, Eddie Judge, Terry Dubrow, Alexis Bellino, and John Janssen, which took place the night of the finale party (aka five months before the reunion) John unveiled some interesting insight into Shannon's 2023 car crash (which led to her DUI arrest).
"I don't remember why it came up, you were not the topic of conversation all night," Heather recounted. "Something comes up about the night of the accident, and John said, 'Oh, I heard the crash.' Tamra and I both went, 'What the f-ck? What are you talking about?'"
As Shannon explained, Heather told her about the conversation after the reunion had wrapped.
"When you mentioned that to me last night, I literally went numb," said Shannon. "It was always an 'I'll never know the answer' but ... "
Tamra was able to corroborate Heather's story.
"[John] said that when you took off and he heard the crash, he went to go run for you but his daughter stopped him and said, 'No dad, this isn't good. You guys are fighting. I'm gonna go look.' And she went around the corner and said you were pulling off," Tamra said. "Our mouths dropped."
Heather continued the story — "He said it wasn't a good night and things were said and done to each other" — before Tamra once again jumped in and stated, "He said that there was an altercation between you and him."
Shannon Storms Beador's reaction to what Heather and Tamra revealed when filming resumed after the reunion
Upon hearing Heather and Tamra's revelation, Shannon became visibly upset. Gina, however, comforted her and said, "The bottom line is, Shannon, you were having a really difficult time. And when you have alcohol, things get mixed up in your head and you make bad decisions. You have changed your relationship with alcohol."
"But you guys, what if I did such bad things?" replied Shannon.
"If you did something bad on the videos, you're gonna take responsibility for what you did just like you took responsibility for what you did that night. It doesn't make you a terrible person," answered Gina. And everyone else agreed.
As Tamra put it, "The whole situation was a bad situation from the get go...But at the end of the day, Shannon, you're a human being."
Why didn't Heather and Tamra tell Shannon what John Janssen revealed?
Emily asked Heather and Tamra why they didn't tell Shannon what John said about her over five months ago, and Heather replied, "It was a lot to process, Emily."
Tamra, for her part, noted that she and Heather had had plenty of conversations about how to approach Shannon with the news.
How Shannon Storms Beador feels about her RHOC castmates after Season 18
In a huge turn of events (is this what Andy Cohen was referring to when he said fans would be surprised by the reunion's outcome?), Shannon said that she felt "incredibly bonded" to the women surrounding her, and even took Tamra's hand.
"I love you. That's why I was so mad at you," said Tamra. "It comes from a place of love. Maybe Shannon and I can go to therapy together. Friendship therapy?"
"I just want you to know that being friends with Alexis was never to get back at you," she added before they talked a bit about the reunion drama and how it all made them feel.
In the end, Shannon said she was "very grateful" that having something like this happen to her could ultimately bring the women together.
"My lowest moment of my life was the night of my DUI," she said. "And, I don't know, I just feel like here we are, sitting here, over a year after my DUI and discussing that horrible night. And yet somehow I just feel so much love around me right now. It's just overwhelming."
"We love you," the women echoed before Gina quipped, "But you have got to get better taste in men."
