After a contentious dinner with the Real Housewives of Orange County cast, Tamra Judge stormed out of the restaurant and, seemingly, out of RHOC altogether. She posted on social media about quitting and told the people in her life that she was done. Ultimately, Judge is not leaving the show behind. She shared why she decided to come back despite the stress it was causing her.

Tamra Judge said a week away from ‘RHOC’ made her decide to return

After a dinner on a cast trip to New Orleans went awry, Judge announced her plans to leave RHOC. She said she felt more stressed than she’d ever been in her life. Her friend, Teddi Mellencamp, was dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis, and she was on the outs with the cast. The stress began to manifest physically.

“It was a lot,” she said on Jeff Lewis Live. “I was literally having a mental breakdown. I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping by the end of the season. And I ended up weighing 108 pounds. My skin was just literally falling off of me. And I was just so sad. I was sad.”

When Judge left the show, Bravo executives contacted her and told her to take the week off before making any final decisions on quitting. She agreed, and found the week rejuvenating. 

“Having a week off, going to see Teddi, having her tell me, ‘Don’t be a quitter,’ going to Big Bear with [my husband] Eddie and the dog, [and] playing in the snow.”

Judge decided to return for the remainder of the season.