Tamra Judge has never been one to hold her tongue, and her ongoing tension with RHOC castmate Jenn Pedranti continues to spark conversation, and criticism.
In a recent E! News interview, Tamra revisited the drama surrounding what Gina Kirschenheiter called the “former fatty photo of Jen,” a moment that left viewers, and cast members, divided. While the comment may have seemed like a dig at Jenn’s past appearance, Tamra insisted it wasn’t meant that way.
“Jennifer was not even fat,” Tamra clarified. “She’s just so skinny today.”
According to Tamra, the image was part of a broader conversation she had with Heather Dubrow. “Heather, when I showed her the picture, she’s like, ‘Oh.’ And I go, ‘Well, she was heavier. She was heavier back then.’ But there was a whole transformation that happened …. It was just me, like, ‘She’s changed.’ And she looks great. She looks beautiful.”
Still, the moment drew comparisons to past body-shaming controversies within the franchise, something Tamra was quick to distance herself from. “It wasn’t like Slade Smiley throwing a picture up of me on the Jumbotron and saying that I’m the Michelin man like he did, or calling Vicki ‘Miss Piggy’ or anything like that,” she added.
Beyond the photo, Tamra hinted that her real frustration with Jenn may come down to what she saw as a calculated friendship. “What I wanted to say, but I couldn’t say because I didn’t want to break the fourth wall, is I felt like she was obsessed with my life, so she wanted to get on the show. She wanted on the show, and that’s why she befriended me, so that’s what it was all about.”
That accusation raises eyebrows, especially given Tamra’s long-standing role in the cast and history of clashing with other Housewives. While Tamra maintains that her comments were not malicious, the overall tone came off as dismissive to some viewers, especially those who’ve seen Jenn open up about her own personal growth and struggles.
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