After Tamra Judge’s shocking departure from The Real Housewives of Orange County, she dramatically unfollowed her former fake friends.
But Andy Cohen is vowing that viewers haven’t seen the last of Tamra.
Andy Cohen spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the The Real Housewives of Orange County casting shakeup and Tamra in particular.
“She’s been such an incredible part of the show for 12 years,” Andy pointed out.
“That my only thing that I’ll say about her is,” he teased.
Andy announced: “you have not seen the last of Tamra on the Housewives of Orange County!”
“Tamra, we love you,” Andy gushed, directing his affections towards the (former) Housewife during the interview.
He then reiterated: “We’re not totally done.”
It’s not clear whether or not this vow is news to Tamra or not, but it sounds like he intends to stay in touch.
“I’m gonna call her today on the way to the airport,” Andy
“Yeah,” Andy acknowledged, “we shook things up a little bit last week.”
That is an understatement.
The series lost its two most recognizable and longtime stars: Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson.
Andy noted that “it was a dramatic weekend in Orange County.”
“It’s been a wild 12 years,” Tamra Judge wrote on Instagram as she broke the news about her departure from the series.
“But,” she expressed at the time, “it’s time for me to move on.”
“I’m sad to go,” Tamra admitted, “but I’m very excited about my future. Love you guys.”
In a separate and more complete statement, she also revealed that she had been offered a three-episode “Friends” role and turned it down.
“Eddie and the kids are very excited,” Tamra revealed days later.
As many are aware, Tamra’s role as a reality star has led to real tensions within her family.
In particular, she and daughter Sidney have been estranged for years after Tamra crossed over some boundaries.
“I want to thank all the fans who have offered me their support over the years,” Tamra told her fans. “It’s meant a lot.”
Tamra’s words sure made things seem final. But what could Andy’s teaser mean?
The first and simplest theory is just that he means, as he has said in the past, that he wants to keep tabs on all former Housewives.
In 2019, Bravo held its first-ever Bravocon.
It is Andy’s hope that even former Housewives can make an appearance — and rake in some cash in the process. Good news for Tamra and Vicki.
But another theory is that just because Tamra was removed for the casting shake-up doesn’t mean that she has to stay gone forever.
Obviously, if ratings take a nosedive, Tamra and Vicki are likely to be asked back — possibly with the promise of raises.
But even if Season 15 does well, Tamra could still have a place on subsequent seasons.
Reintroducing someone after an absence wouldn’t automatically make the show’s dynamic revert, right?
If reports are to be believed, Braunwyn Windham-Burke is being set up to be the unofficial “star” of Season 15.
She was a newcomer this past season, but her free spirit, nurturing maternal nature, and willingness to do and discuss many things on camera were refreshing.
Braunwyn’s threesome talk introduced a new storyline to this past season — one that had nothing to do with the same old feuds.
We definitely could see Tamra being safely reintroduced to this environment — like a faun being returned to the forest — after a brief time away from the cameras.