--- title: "Tamra Judge’s Daughter Sophia Barney Was ‘Happy’ to Return to RHOC" url: https://allabouttrh.com/2024/08/30/tamra-judge-sophia-barney-rhoc/ type: post date: 2024-08-30 modified: 2024-08-30 markdown_url: https://allabouttrh.com/2024/08/30/tamra-judge-sophia-barney-rhoc.md author: "Lara Sophia" --- # Tamra Judge’s Daughter Sophia Barney Was ‘Happy’ to Return to RHOC ## Tamra Judge’s youngest daughter, Sophia Barney, reveals she was "happy" to return to RHOC for season 18 and admits it was "frustrating hiding in the shadows." [Season 18 of the Real Housewives of Orange County](https://allabouttrh.com/2024/08/30/tamra-judge-fans-want-fired-rhoc/)marks the return of[Tamra Judge](https://allabouttrh.com/category/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/tamra-barney/)'s youngest daughter, Sophia Barney's return to the franchise. The 18-year-old was last seen on the hit Bravo series during season 5 when she was just five years old. [Sophia Barney](https://allabouttrh.com/2014/10/15/tamra-judge-posts-photos-daughter-sophia-following-custody-case/) and her siblings, Spencer, 23, and [Sidney](https://allabouttrh.com/2024/07/16/tamra-judge-estrangement-sidney/), 24, vanished from the show after their mom, Tamra Judge, split from their dad, [Simon Barney](https://allabouttrh.com/2023/10/05/rhoc-simon-barney-tamra-cheating/), who refused to allow them to film. For years, Tamra continued to film for RHOC while her minor children remained in the background and off-camera. The 56-year-old's adult son, [Ryan Vieth](https://allabouttrh.com/2023/08/28/tamra-judge-bethenny-frankel-drama/), from a previous marriage, would appear on the show from time to time. ![Tamra Judge and daughter Sophia Barney](https://allabouttrh.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tamra-judge-sophia-barney-season-14-RHOC.jpg)Tamra Judge and daughter Sophia ***"As a mom, I felt horrible," ***Tamra tells *[PEOPLE](https://people.com/tamra-judge-daughter-sophia-was-frustrated-not-filming-rhoc-exclusive-8703670)*.*** "I'd even say, "Can you just shoot them from the back walking up the stairs so people know that I have children?' Because it was really hard for me. We're supposed to be fully transparent on the show, and here was this whole part of me I could just never show."*** ***"It was frustrating hiding in the shadows,"*** Sophia explains. ***"I had to tiptoe around the cameras all the time. And seeing my mom do it my entire life, it seemed like something was happening in my life that I was kind of a part of, but always an outsider to."*** When Sophia turned 18 earlier this year, she followed in her brother Spencer's footsteps and showed up to film for season 18. ***"As I got older, I wanted to be part of it so I'm happy,"*** she said. ***"It just seemed a lot easier; like I didn't have to feel like a stranger in my own house."*** ![Tamra Judge slams Shannon Beador](https://allabouttrh.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tamra-Judge-Returns-in-Real-Housewives-of-Orang-County-042523-3-d2504b9d303147df9f9b042c64741928-1200x663.jpeg)Tamra Judge slams Shannon Beador's latest Claim about Alexis Bellino Sophia has found returning to the *Real Housewives of Orange County* effortless, but she acknowledges that she has also witnessed the ugly side of reality TV. ***"I just I don't see Tamra Judge that everyone else sees. I see my mom,"*** Sophia explains. "***These people, they only see her through the TV and it's not the person that she is. The life we have together, she's nothing like that. So I just think they're uneducated and the stuff they say online, they're the ones who look like idiots."*** According to the mother-daughter duo, they ***"live a very mellow life." *** Tamra said, ***"I've always separated that world from them. We don't walk red carpets. We don't have paparazzi taking our pictures. We don't act like we're a big deal by any means."*** ***"We're very normal,"*** Sophia notes. ***"We just go to HomeGoods, to the mall, to thrift stores. It's very chill."*** ***"She's my best friend,"*** Tamra adds.*** "Which, I think a lot of people wouldn't understand because they haven't seen our bond over the years."***