It might be the end of an era for the Tres Amigas as and are no longer on the best of terms — and might not reconcile in the future.
“I don’t [think we’ll be friends again] because I now can look back and see pretty much every season that I’ve been in with Tamra, there’s always an issue that she has with me,” Shannon, 60, told Us Weekly in an exclusive interview earlier this month. “Either I did something or didn’t do something, and it’s OK, we don’t need to be friends then. She says she walks on eggshells around me. I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I walked on eggshells around her.”
She added, “I was feeling like I had to prove to her that I was a good friend, and that’s not healthy for me. I’m making healthy choices right now.”
According to Shannon, her friendship with Real Housewives of Orange County costar Tamra, 56, hit a breaking point “five days after BravoCon” in November 2023. Fresh off the annual convention, Shannon, Tamra and their fellow Tres Amigas member, , headlined two live shows in Arizona.
“We had two shows in Phoenix. Someone ordered me a drink that first night and he said, ‘You want me to order your drink?’ And I go, ‘Yeah,’” Shannon recalled. “I walked into my hotel room that night [and] I said, ‘Shannon, you can never do that again because people are going to think you’re sneaking.’ And so [the next night,] when we went out to get a bite to eat after, I ordered the drink.”
She continued, “One day, a guy offered to buy me a drink, and I said yes. So, it’s the planting seeds that aren’t accurate that [is] hurtful. I don’t know what Tamra’s agenda is either. What did I do to you and who made you my judge and jury about what I need in my life?”
Tamra, 56, later alleged that Shannon was “sneaking” alcohol in between the shows, which Shannon has since denied. (Shannon was arrested for driving under the influence in September 2023, telling Us earlier this month she is heading down a “healthier path” after therapy sessions.)
“What bothers me too is that in my past with Tamra, there would be inconsistent stories about me that had maybe a nugget of truth, but there was embellishment around it [and] I would just say nothing in deference to the friendship,” Shannon said before detailing her reaction to Tamra’s RHOC comments about her alcohol use. “I feel as though she said things to make it appear as though [she was concerned about me].”
She continued, “I think she said, ‘I said things she didn’t want to hear.’ OK, I heard things that you said and I took them into account, and I did what I felt was best for me and I know that that was a good choice because I know how I feel right now.”
Shannon also attributed the two women’s feud to Tamra’s “big ego” and her newfound friendship with . (Alexis, 47, is currently dating Shannon’s ex .)
“I said that she had a big ego, which got back to her, and yes, she does. And I’ve said, ‘Well, you do. Yeah, and?’” Shannon told Us. “I was upset with her when John first met Alexis that she was commenting on Alexis’ photos. It’s like, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?’ And so now they’re big buddies. None of it makes sense except that maybe it’s just a little bit of overproduction and too much story-focused.”
Shannon is still close with Vicki, 62, and claimed that her Bravo costar is also taking a step back from a friendship with Tamra.
“I can’t speak for her, but she feels a lot of the same things that I feel,” Shannon alleged, saying they are “having so much fun” touring their joint live shows. “I’m single, I don’t have anyone at home. So, we’re traveling the country with the ‘Shannon and Vicky Show’ and we have a show in New York and Philadelphia next week [on] July 17th and 18th at City Winery. We are having fun with it. It’s a show about friendship, [and] it’s silly fun. I’m enjoying it because [I’m] performing in front of people that are there to see you because they want to, and there’s no drama. It’s just love.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
