Heather Dubrow says ‘RHOC’ Season 17 was ‘difficult’ amid Tamra Judge’s return
Heather Dubrow teases that “The Real Housewives of Orange County” Season 17 was “difficult” to film amid Tamra Judge’s Bravo comeback.
“It was a difficult season for me,” Dubrow, 54, says on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast while promoting her new interactive network, The HD Network, launching May 9 on Falon Fatemi and Mark Cuban’s Fireside platform.
“I really hope that it’s the way that I remember it and I hope by the end that there can be some resolve for everyone,” the reality star adds. “It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”
As Page Six exclusively reported last week, Judge, 55 — who reclaimed her orange after a two-season hiatus — went “nuclear” on Dubrow as cameras rolled.
Insiders told us the two “butted heads” for the majority of production, but that tensions really boiled over during an explosive cast trip to Mexico.
While abroad, our sources say Judge instigated a “gang-up” on Dubrow, resulting in a “nasty” confrontation.
Though Dubrow was reticent about the details of her onscreen interactions with Judge, the former sitcom actress expressed gratitude that she was able to retreat to the comfort of her family after taping tempestuous scenes.
“These shows are hard to do, they really are,” she says of her unscripted work. “But any time I was having a difficult moment, I was very cognizant of the fact that … I get to go home to my husband [Dr. Terry Dubrow] and my children.”
The mom of four — who shares 19-year-old twins Max and Nick, Kat, 16, and Ace, 12, with Terry, 64 — says on “Virtual Reali-Tea” that her home life is “so fulfilling” and “so solid,” making tough moments with her castmates bearable.
“When things are upsetting and challenging, I can handle it,” she asserts.
Heather and Judge star on “Orange County” Season 17 alongside returning vets Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and newbie Jennifer Pedranti. Meanwhile, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Taylor Armstrong — who now lives in Orange County — jumped franchises and serves as a “friend of” the cast.
In a trailer that dropped Tuesday, Heather and Judge appear to clash over a broken promise.
“You and I pinky-promised,” Heather tells Judge in a disappointed tone.
Prior to any discord, Heather insists that she was supportive of Judge resuming her role on “RHOC.”
“I was excited that Tamra was coming back,” she tells us. “Tamra is … ‘Orange County.’ She really is and she’s been on the show for so long and she’s added so much to the show. And I think will continue to do so for as long as she’s on.”
While Judge’s apparent feud with Heather will play out on Season 17, the show’s next installment will also highlight the latter’s business collaboration with Fireside co-founders, Fatemi and Cuban.
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“I’m just trying to make sure you’re happy, Mark!” Heather tells the “Shark Tank” entrepreneur, 64, in the preview.
The HD Network allows fans to interact with Heather through virtual HD parties, fashion and beauty giveaways, private coaching and her first series “Night Cap,” which premiered April 18.
“When I was approached by Falon Fatemi and Mark Cuban about their new platform, this really cool, cutting-edge, interactive technology … I was so blown away by the connectivity of it,” she raves. “I’m interested in so many different things and I’m really all about creating communities.”
While the champagne enthusiast is looking forward to giving fans a closer look inside her luxe lifestyle, she is equally thrilled to engage in meaningful conversations.
“First, when you think about lifestyle, you think about … champagne and design and all these different things,” she says. “We are going to have all of those conversations but also the deeper conversations about parenting, about the world we’re living in, about friendships and relationships.”
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” Season 17 premieres Wednesday, June 7, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
