'RHOC' star Tamra Judge opens up about 'hurtful' backlash over autism claim: 'I got annihilated publicly'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' star Tamra Judge revisited a deeply personal moment during the Season 19 premiere.

The 57-year-old fitness entrepreneur and reality star became emotional during a therapy session shown on the July 10 episode, where she reflected on how a past comment about possibly being on the autism spectrum led to intense backlash.

Tamra Judge says therapy made her confront past trauma

Tamra Judge said the criticism weighed heavily on her, and she’s now expressing regret over publicly sharing a claim before a proper assessment.

In a confessional, she shared how those unresolved issues continue to affect her today.

“I realized that you have to dig up those things that are buried deep inside of you, because those are the things that come out when you get angry,” Judge said.

“The custody battle that my ex put me through, my daughter leaving me, my dad leaving us. It's hard, and I never wanted to do it and here I am," she added.

Inside the session, she revealed how her mental health had been affected recently. “My sensory issues are heightened, my intrusive thoughts are out of control right now,” she told her therapist.

Therapist tells Tamra Judge her symptoms could overlap with Autism Spectrum Disorder

As the session continued, the therapist explored possible connections between Tamra Judge’s symptoms and unprocessed trauma.

“And we talked about unprocessed trauma and whether or not the spectrum was part of this, because the symptoms can also mimic that. There’s too many variables. It’s hard to say until you get an assessment,” the therapist shared.

Judge said her mental health declined after the October 2024 episode of her and Teddi Mellencamp's 'Two Ts In A Pod' podcast, where she first made the claim of being on the autism spectrum.

“When you mentioned that to me, I had gone home and went on my podcast and I misspoke,” Judge admitted, before adding, “I shouldn't have said anything. I just got annihilated publicly and I had a really s**ty last year.”

In the now-deleted podcast clip, she had stated, “I just did my first therapy session… I am on the spectrum.” The phrase “on the spectrum” typically refers to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which the Mayo Clinic describes as a condition related to brain development that impacts social interaction and perception.

Tamra Judge reflects on the emotional toll of backlash

Tamra Judge said that after she made the claim, the online reaction was especially painful. “It was very hurtful,” she shared in a confessional. “People think that I don't have feelings and it's not true. And I'm tired of being called a horrible human being because I'm not.”

Now, the 57-year-old is focused on healing and growth. Judge hopes to work on "not wanting to be so responsive, impulsive, explosive, and harsh with my words" when she feels triggered by her 'RHOC' co-stars amid cast drama.

“I just don't want to lash out when I'm mad. Even if somebody's done me wrong. I want to fix things," she added.