The Real Housewives of Orange County is back for its nineteenth season, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most dramatic yet, with friendships on the brink and relationships put to the test.

For longtime cast member Emily Simpson, who joined the franchise in Season 13, this season brings a deeply personal challenge. She reveals that her son, Luke, has been diagnosed with a rare eating disorder in the very first episode, something she’s still trying to fully understand. Emily has also been candid about the toll this has taken on her marriage to her husband, Shane.

Emily Simpson And Shane Simpson’s Differing Views On Son’s Medical Diagnosis Appear To Put A Strain On Their Marriage

Emily Simpson’s Marital Issues Are On Full Display On RHOC Season 19

Season 19 of The Real Housewives of Orange County has already taken an emotional turn for longtime cast member Emily Simpson, who revealed that her 10-year-old son, Luke, has been diagnosed with a rare eating disorder, an issue that’s also placing added strain on her marriage to husband Shane.

In the season premiere, Emily shared that Luke has Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a condition that causes a person to lose interest in food or avoid eating altogether due to sensory sensitivities. She explained that her son often lacks an appetite and frequently refuses to eat. As Emily and Shane try to navigate this challenge as a family, they’ve found themselves at odds over how to handle it, differences in approach that have begun to impact their relationship as a couple.

“He only eats a few different foods and he’s very overwhelmed by texture, color, smells. He will only eat white rice. And he has to inspect each piece of rice before he eats it. So it’s beyond picky eating. A lot of control issues. It’s very overwhelming.”

It quickly became clear that Emily was far more emotionally affected by Luke’s diagnosis, while Shane maintained a much calmer, more dismissive outlook. creating visible tension between the couple. In the same episode, Shane shared that he had convinced Luke to eat a burnt French fry by bribing him with $20, using the moment to suggest that their son’s condition was something he would eventually grow out of, much to Emily’s frustration.

However, in the following episode, fans saw tensions rise as Emily and Shane got into a disagreement about Luke’s progress. When Emily told Shane she had informed their son’s therapist that Luke had “declined over the last week or so,” Shane took issue with her wording. He argued that it wasn’t fair to characterize their son as “declining for the rest of his life” just because he had a tough week.

“I think my approach is a little bit more try to make it like it’s normal for Luke and it’s nothing that stands out or makes him lesser than or feel inferior,” Shane shares in a confessional. “But Emily just wants to flip a switch and fix it. And I know it doesn’t work that way.”

Emily later shared, “Shane is a good man and he’s a good dad. But I have a son that’s in crisis, and it’s like we’re not even on the same page. And I just … feel alone in that.”

Emily Simpson Hinted At Divorce In The RHOC Season 19 Trailer

Are Emily And Shane Still Married Today?

In an interview with People, Emily opened up about how “frustrating” it has been “as a mom” to watch her son struggle with something as basic as eating. She described heartbreaking moments where Luke would be “starving,” yet unable to eat, leaving her feeling helpless in the face of his refusal.

“There were so many times when he would say he was starving… because he was starving. But he would refuse to eat. And as a mom, that was so frustrating. I didn’t know what to do because on one hand he’s crying and telling me he’s starving, and on the other hand, he refuses to eat anything that I offer,” she explains. “Every day is challenging.”

Emily also shared that filming this season of RHOC was particularly challenging, as she was simultaneously trying to understand and navigate Luke’s diagnosis while managing the tension it created in her marriage. Balancing her son’s needs with the emotional toll of her and Shane’s differing approaches proved to be overwhelming. Viewers have already witnessed how the situation has placed significant strain on their relationship.

During an interview with Bravo HQ. Emily detailed how her marriage was tested this season. “I actually had this conversation with [Shane] the other night because I know there was a lot of friction between the two of us while we were filming.”

She continued, “Shane parents in a very ‘everything will be fine’ kind of way, and I parent in a ‘it’s the end of the world, what are we going to do?’ So, he tells me that he does that because he’s trying to bridge the gap and bring me down a little, where I find it frustrating because I feel like he’s not taking things as seriously as he should.”

In the Season 19 trailer, Emily was in tears when she shared that she and Shane are going to “end up divorced,” which means that fans will certianly see a few more tense moments between the couple. Despite this, Emily told Access Hollywood’s Housewive Nightcap podcast in June, that she and Shane are still married.

“We’ve had challenging things. We’ve been married almost 17 years now,” she shared.

For more RHOC coverage, visit our Reality TV Hub.