Lydia's Rough Ride to End a Fun Season

Whoa, that was brutal!! It's kind of a bummer that such a fun season of my life ends with such a sour taste in my mouth. This last episode was pretty hard to watch, and extremely hard to sit through.

Briana came onto the set with such an intense vibe, which you instantly see on her face. She has been through a lot -- a new baby, getting married, having her husband deployed, seeing her parents divorce and on and on. Having to deal with all of that on display on a reality show must be hard. I really don't know Briana, but for the record let me say that I have no ill feelings towards her and I really do wish her and Ryan the best.

What happened between my mother and Ryan was unfortunate. However, I feel Vicki, Ryan, and Briana are trying to steer away from the facts. Ryan shouldn't have yelled at my mother. End of story. He should apologize for his actions. She wasn't drinking red wine, but if she had been, don't you think he would have mentioned that while he was verbally assaulting her!?

I was upset with how Briana acted at the reunion. She said she didn't want to talk about "it," but then went on to insinuate that my mother was somehow responsible for "mud and red wine" on the couch. Why wasn't this mysterious glass of red wine ever mentioned before and where is this magical mud patch my mom supposedly walked through before resting on the couch? My mother doesn't drink red wine and Vicki's home has all cement in the back. Oh and let's not forget that my Mom was wearing all WHITE! Brianna is clearly making excuses for Ryan. What's upsetting to me is that there was no acknowledgement that he was out of line.

Neither Briana nor Ryan have reached out to me or my mother since this all happened. They haven't apologized in the slightest, even after watching the scene when it aired on TV. "He was stressed out." "He was drinking too much." The reason is irrelevant. I just hope Ryan can watch it, accept responsibility and grow from this because there is absolutely no excuse for his behavior. I was and am very proud of how my mom handled herself that night at Vicki's. She was VERY shaken, but kept her cool while some arrogant man dropped f-bombs at her.

Once the reunion conversation turned to Brooks, Briana, and Vicki, I had had enough. We had been filming all day. Eight hours of constant drama and negativity! I'm just not used to being around that energy. It's one thing for one of the Housewives to call out another for something petty, but the drama went to a whole different level when Vicki's daughter starting talking about Brooks, a man her mother cares about. In no way am I defending Brooks' actions or taking sides, but Briana made some serious accusations about Brooks on a world stage and my heart broke for my friend Vicki. She looked broken and so sad and while it was all happening, I was sitting there wondering, "How did I get myself into such a bad situation?" and I decided I didn't have to be. So. . .I got up and left. I had a good cry, said a prayer and took a few deep breaths. When I felt composed I was able to rejoin the group.

To my fans I would like to say thank you for all of your support. Oprah once said, "People who are too weak to follow their own dreams will always find a way to discourage yours." I hope I gave just one person the courage to be themselves and to follow that little voice inside. It has been a journey and I hope to continue to grow from this experience. Words can't express the gratitude and love I feel from the all my incredible fans. I am so thankful and humbled by you.

There is no disputing that this show is full of drama. We are all strong, opinionated, different woman. We butt heads at time, but we also are a family. At least, that's how I see it. I have been hurt, frustrated and angry at some of the ladies at different times, but each of them has qualities that I admire and love. I don't do well with tearing each other down. I like building people up. It's kind of an oxymoron being involved with a show like this, knowing at my core who I am. . .But I don't regret this journey for a second and who knows. . .Maybe I'll be back. . .

Xo, Lydia

I realize this show only lets you see a small glimpse into my life, so here are some charities that are close to my heart and some of my other businesses, if you are interested.

Charities I'm involved in:
iSanctuary: Reintegration for survivors of Human Trafficking 
Friendship Shelter Laguna Beach: temporary housing for homeless men and women in OC
YoungLife: Doug and I met as volunteer leaders 

Doug and my businesses:
Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine: Our nationwide luxury-lifestyle magazine   
LYDIA M Jewelry: My line of handmade jewelry, designed by me, made in OC  
SKYLAB Modern Art: Our contemporary art gallery in Laguna Beach
SKYLAB Weddings: Luxury wedding films and photography

Follow me here:
LydiaM.com
Twitter: @oclydia
Instagram: @oclydia 

My handsome husband Doug on Twitter: @ocdoug
My Mom on Twitter: @ocjudymom