Shannon and David Beador opened up their lives to television viewers as cast members of Bravo's
long-running series The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Audiences watched as Shannon tried to navigate the murky waters of her fickle OC friendships
while desperately trying to resuscitate a 17-year marriage that appeared to unravel
right in front of our eyes.
"If I'm slaving over a meal, how do you think I feel when you're stuffing your face?"
Despite Shannon and David's best efforts, she filed for divorce in December 2017.
Though the split may not have been surprising for dedicated fans of the reality series,
you may be shocked to learn that their marital issues ran much deeper than many suspected.
Here are the real reasons Shannon and David Beador are calling it quits.
Lonely living
When news hit that Shannon was at her wit's end and filing for divorce, she immediately
released a statement, telling People:
"It's heartbreaking for me and my daughters that this is the road that had to be taken
but it's the only way.
[...] I felt alone in my marriage.
You can do what you can to keep your family together, but you have to have willing parties."
Feeling "alone" was probably an understatement by that point.
Their marriage had the natural ebbs and flows of any relationship, but toward the end of
Season 12, it was apparent David had essentially shunned his spouse.
Shannon explained during one episode:
"The truth about the state of my marriage is that it's not good.
There's no doubt, my husband is checked out.
If you're done with me, then say it and go."
Not only did David "say it and go," he also allegedly ran straight into the arms of a
woman named Lesley Cook before the ink was even dry on those divorce papers.
Savage workouts
There's nothing wrong with living a healthy lifestyle, but it appeared that David's transformation
into a gym rat took a serious toll on his relationship with his wife and daughters.
On an episode, Shannon claimed:
"Because his exercise schedule is so rigorous now, both the kids and I don't see him.
He works out before work, comes home and eats with us, and then goes and works out until
he goes to bed."
The issue was only exacerbated by Shannon's own insecurities with her 40-pound weight
gain.
"My weight gain has affected me and how I feel about myself, I'm embarrassed."
Even after he invited her to Arizona for a 5-mile Spartan race, Shannon was ticked off
by the notion that their vacation would double as a way for him to continue his workout obsession,
saying:
"When David suggested a romantic weekend away that was also a Spartan Race, I respectfully
declined.
We haven't been away alone together for a while and If we do, I want to know that it's
because he wants to spend the time with me, not to kill two birds with one stone."
Bad parenting
Three months after Shannon put the kibosh on their marriage — seeking primary and
physical custody of their kids — David clapped back with a request of his own.
The Blast dug up court documents revealing that David was gunning for joint custody of
their children.
He reportedly also lobbed some major allegations against Shannon, saying she wasn't "fostering
or encouraging a healthy father-child relationship" and that her gig on the reality show "encourages
excess drinking and extended travel."
We're assuming David was glued to his flat screen during the episode where the Housewives
embark on a boozy adventure to Ireland, and Shannon gets called out by castmate Kelly
Dodd for being "a drunk."
"Keep drinking, you drunk."
"I am NOT a drunk."
"Yeah, you are.
You're a drunk."
Vicious rumors
David found himself at the center of some horrific allegations in Season 11, when cast
member Vicki claimed David abused Shannon.
David reportedly confronted Vicki about her accusations against him, and she also said
she had evidence in the form of "text messages and pictures" that supported her claim.
Shannon reportedly tried to explain away that so-called evidence, claiming the bruises happened
when she attempted to break open a door while she and David were engaged in a verbal altercation.
"My husband did not beat me!
He had had an affair on me and I do my best to bring my family back together."
Mistress mayhem
David's supposed disinterest in his marriage just so happened to correlate with an affair
he had with a woman named Nicole McMackin.
Shannon had reportedly forgiven her then-husband for his infidelity, but it still hit her like
a ton of bricks when talk show host Andy Cohen asked David if he was in love with his mistress.
"I thought I was in love with her, yes."
"How does that make you feel?"
"Not good."
McMackin allegedly went to great lengths to seduce David.
Shannon even accused her of attempting to befriend her in order to get closer to her
him
"I became friends with her when it was going on.
Which I think was demented and sick."
Shannon expanded on the situation in her blog, writing:
"What made it so difficult for me was that his mistress infiltrated my life, befriended
me, and vocally displayed an interest in my marriage.
[...] I thought I was gaining a friend, but she was basically acting, only interested
in gathering information for the benefit of her affair with my husband."
Separated
A few months prior to Shannon filing for divorce, the couple separated and was living apart,
according to People.
Shannon told the publication: "It's heartbreaking for me and my daughters that this is the road
that had to be taken but it's the only way."
An insider told E! News: "This has been a miserable marriage for Shannon for a very
long time.
David wanted out.
Shannon couldn't take it any longer and has decided that this is best for the kids and
her health."
A separation doesn't always lead to a divorce, but for Shannon and David, it seemed the writing
was on the wall.
A couple good months
During a Bravo TV special, a teary-eyed Shannon explained:
"We went on a trip to Hawaii, which I kind of hoped would bring everything together,
but he left the trip early.
And when I came home, he said, 'We're done.'
"I said to David, when he told me it was over, 'What happened?
We had a couple of amazing years.'
And he goes, 'We had a couple good months.'"
Wow.
Talk about brutal.
A better example
One good thing about watching your life play out on cable TV is the opportunity to see
things from a different perspective.
Playbacks of The Real Housewives of Orange County reportedly allowed Shannon to take
a deeper look at her marriage and how her choices could affect her children.
She told People:
"As a mother, I want to be a good role model for my daughters.
Three years ago I was proud of what I showed them, because I fought for keeping my family
together after infidelity.
As the last year went by, it's been extremely difficult and painful to watch the show, because
clearly I was in denial about what was going on in my marriage."
In the end, she no longer wanted to come from such a negative place or negatively impact
the people she loved the most.
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