Tamra Judge is finally telling her side of the story when it comes to her dramatic exit from “The Real Housewives of Orange County” season 19 — and let’s just say, she’s not sugarcoating a thing.

In a new interview, the longtime Bravoleb explained that filming became unbearable while she was dealing with the devastating news of her friend Teddi Mellencamp’s stage four brain cancer diagnosis.

Tamra Judge Says RHOC Became Too Much

“Going into filming, Teddi Mellencamp had just gotten diagnosed [with brain cancer],” Tamra shared to US Weekly. “When someone says you have stage four brain cancer — you’re having brain tumors removed from your head, it’s scary as hell.”

Tamra admitted the stress consumed her, leading to weight loss, sleepless nights, and even relying on Xanax to get through the day. “I wasn’t eating or sleeping, I would have to take Xanax to even cope during the day without crying, I was down to, like, 108 pounds,” she revealed.

Her breaking point came during the group’s New Orleans trip, when she infamously stormed out of dinner and declared she was done. “I had a few drinks and I had a Xanax, and it was the worst thing I could have done. I just decided this isn’t for me right now. I can’t do this anymore.”

Gina and Emily Lacked Compassion, Tamra Says

While Bravo execs — including Andy Cohen and Alex Baskin — encouraged Tamra to take a short break instead of fully quitting, she claims her castmates weren’t nearly as understanding. “To see people like Emily [Simpson] and Gina [Kirschenheiter] say the things they said about me and not have any compassion? Honestly, Heather’s the only one that truly had any compassion whatsoever for me,” she said.

Ultimately, it was Teddi’s encouragement that brought her back. “When it came to the show, I wasn’t giving 100 percent,” Tamra admitted. “You wouldn’t know that, because every storyline is about me.”

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Tamra Judge Says RHOC Season 19 Will End in a ‘Very Dark Place’

About Perry Carpenter

Perry Carpenter has been covering entertainment news for more than 20 years — and yes, she absolutely has opinions about the latest Bravo casting shake-ups. Throughout her career, she has specialized in celebrity news and television, with a particular obsession for all things Bravo, "The Challenge," "Outlander," of course, Travis & Taylor, and the ever-expanding Taylor Sheridan universe. A member of the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors, Perry has built a storied freelance career covering pop culture's biggest moments and smallest Easter eggs. Her work has appeared in Showbiz Cheatsheet, Daily Express, Radar Online, and on her Muck Rack profile.