Tamra Judge has long been known as one of The Real Housewives of Orange County’s most polarizing figures. While her confrontational style has repeatedly stirred drama with fellow cast members, her recent admission sheds a sobering light on the emotional and physical cost behind the scenes of the reality franchise.
Speaking candidly during a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live, Judge revealed that the stress of filming RHOC pushed her to the brink, saying her skin was literally “falling off” as she struggled with a severe mental health crisis.
The 57-year-old, who joined the show in season three and starred for twelve seasons before returning in season 17, opened up about the overwhelming pressure of juggling the series alongside her podcast and business ventures. The emotional weight became even heavier when her co-star Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
“It was a lot. I was like literally having a mental breakdown,” Judge confessed. “I wasn’t eating. I wasn’t sleeping by the end of the season. I ended up weighing 108 pounds. My skin was just literally falling off of me. And I was just so sad. I was sad.”
She further explained the impact of Mellencamp’s illness: “When somebody close to you is diagnosed with what Teddi was diagnosed with, it’s, the unknown is horrible. That just really put a nail through my heart, and I was just so devastated, and on top of everything else, it was difficult.”
Judge also shared that a consultation with the show’s psychiatrist led to diagnoses of “severe depression” and “self-worth problems,” highlighting the often overlooked mental health struggles that reality TV stars can face behind the glamor and drama.
“I got to a point where I was overworked, I was depressed,” she said bluntly.
Fans witnessed a dramatic moment this year when Tamra was seen walking off set mid-filming during season 19, sparking rumors she was quitting the show. Her ambiguous Instagram message — “It was a long run! When life gives you real problems, this reality s**t doesn’t make sense. Peace out! I’m out!” — only fueled speculation.
But she ultimately returned after a week, describing that episode as “legit my breaking point.”
“I was not obviously in my right mind at all. I didn’t feel wanted. I just went, ‘I can’t f**king do this anymore.’ And I just kind of lost it,” she admitted on the After Show. “It was all so, so new with Teddi. It only had been a few weeks. At that moment, it was really bad. Probably the lowest I’ve ever been in my life.”
Meanwhile, Mellencamp’s battle with cancer has been harrowing. Initially diagnosed with melanoma, it had spread to her brain and lungs. Despite multiple surgeries, recent updates show hope, with Teddi announcing in June that her tumors have shrunk significantly and she may soon be cancer-free.