The next season of Real Housewives of Orange County is going to look a lot different now
that not just one, but two of its biggest stars are stepping away from the franchise.
Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge announced their departure within a day of each other.
So why have two of the most well-known stars of Orange County decided to part ways with
the show?
Gunvalson's departure wasn't too surprising.
She's been on the show for 14 years, and her demotion to a "friend" of the cast in season
14 no doubt came as a blow.
In an Orange County reunion special in 2019, Gunvalson revealed how she really feels about
her demotion, saying she feels like a "has-been."
In a heartfelt statement posted on Instagram, Gunvalson revealed that she felt it was time
to part ways with the Real Housewives franchise, writing,
"I will always be the OG of the OC, but it's time to say goodbye to The Real Housewives
of Orange County.
It's been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want [to] thank all of you for your
support, for your love and for 'whooping it up' with me along the way."
"You have a little family van, when do you ever send a family van to pick up six people?"
Gunvalson also revealed some of her plans for the future, including a new podcast called
Whoop It Up With Vicki.
She added,
"I will have much more to say about this on 'Whoop it up with Vicki.'
I hope you will join me with my new journey so please stay tuned.
I love all my fans, and I want to thank Bravo and Evolution for this incredible experience
which my family and I...will never forget."
While Tamra Judge hasn't been on Real Housewives of Orange County as long as Gunvalson, having
joined the show in season 3, she's still spent more than a decade of her life on the show.
Judge wrote on Instagram,
"It's been a wild 12 years.
But it's time for me to move on.
I'm sad to go but very excited about my future.
Love you guys."
Gunvalson offered up her own tribute to her time with Judge in the comments.
She wrote,
"We have shared so many great and not so great times together and it has been the ride of
our lives.
Thelma and Louise...now where do you want to go?!"
According to Radar Online, Judge quit because she was about to be demoted, just like Gunvalson
was in season 14.
An anonymous source revealed,
"Bravo bosses wanted Tamra to be [a] bridge from the old cast to the new in season 15
and she refused.
Tamra got her pick up contract letter last, after the other ladies, and it had major conditions
in it.
She was even more than demoted to a friend role.
She'd have very little camera time.
And it meant she would earn next to nothing in reality TV terms."
Judge would have apparently gone from earning $900,000 for the entire season to just $60,000
for three show appearances.
The source added,
"It was humiliating.
So Tamra walked away."
Judge didn't just leave the show, she severed ties with it completely, at least on social
media.
Following her announcement that she would not be returning for the next season, Andy
Cohen called her on Instagram Live.
Judge explained that she unfollowed everyone after getting the unexpected news that she
was being demoted on Real Housewives.
"I didn't want to see it.
I didn't want to be any hurt than I already was.
So I just unfollowed everybody.
It was just like my instinct."
On the call, Judge revealed that, now that she and Gunvalson have both left the cast
after being demoted, the rest of the Real Housewives cast is scared of something similar
happening to them.
As she put it in her chat with Andy,
"All the OGs are shaking in their boots thinking that they'll get fired, too!"
Judge told People that she's looking forward to her newfound free time, and has no reservations
about leaving the show without a final farewell.
She explained,
"It's been a wild ride, and after all these years, I'm looking forward to life away from
the cameras.
I was offered a chance to come back to the show in a limited role, but would prefer to
walk away on my own terms."
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