Tamra Judge is addressing the fan response to her major health revelation from earlier this week. On the Oct. 14 episode of her podcast, The Real Housewives of Orange County star opened up about a recent diagnosis, saying through tears that she learned she is “on the spectrum” after therapy.
“I just did my first therapy session … let's just say I found out something pretty big about myself that I didn't know," Judge said in a clip from Two Ts in a Pod , her Real Housewives-centered podcast with former The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp .
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When Mellencamp replied asking what the discovery was, Judge replied, “I am on the spectrum.”
Mellencamp replied, "Oh my gosh, Tam,” to which Judge answered, “Don't make me cry.” While holding back tears, the OC castmate continued, “My biggest problem is working through trauma that I had in my life.” She added that she has always had a "hard time with empathy and feeling people's feelings."
The clip received an array of responses from the fandom, with some reaching out with messages of support, others criticizing the reality star for revealing her diagnosis so early and some even questioning her motives altogether. In a statement posted to her Instagram, Judge offered some clarity.
"I started therapy because this year had been really hard on me," she explained in the post. "I started feeling really insecure, I was having intrusive thoughts, and I didn’t wanna leave my house unless I had to. I even considered just being admitted into a mental health facility."
She went on to explain that her therapist told her that many things about her like how she processes information, "sensory issues," social anxiety, her aversion to eye contact with new people, and more are all signs of being on the spectrum. "Now, ‘On the spectrum,’ it’s such a broad term," she explained. "I don’t really understand it fully, and my therapist told me more evaluation was needed.”
Although she admitted she wanted to be transparent in the post, she wrote that she wished she had maybe reconsidered revealing something as sensitive as this so quickly. "I was so emotional, I just blurted it out. Afterwards, my instinct was to have it removed. But I’m used to being so open with everything in my life, I thought against it. Now, I wish I had.”
In the actual podcast episode, she dives deeper into her journey toward this discovery and how it relates to her long run of 14 seasons on RHOC . "I just thought that things were black and white to me ... you know, I grew up with a family that didn't have a lot of empathy or love ... so that just transpired that onto, you know, my adult life,” she said.
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“But after talking and going through everything and my emotions, and I have a hard time with empathy and feeling other people's feelings … there's a reason why,” she continued.
Judge is currently appearing on the latest season of RHOC airing on Bravo, where she can be seen feuding with her former bestie Shannon Beador .
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