How Shannon Beador Saved ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’

By Emma Chance | TV | September 29, 2024 |

By Emma Chance | TV | September 29, 2024 |

It’s been an era of change for the Real Housewives franchise. The Real Housewives of New York City was relaunched with a younger, more diverse cast last summer after the old guard of white Upper East Side socialites became too problematic for TV. Atlanta has undergone major cast changes after several dud seasons, and the same goes for Potomac. Salt Lake City saw a housewife get arrested on camera and go to prison for fraud, only to be replaced by an internet troll who triggered a fourth-wall-breaking, genre-shaking confrontation. The long-running family conflicts on New Jersey became so intense that they skipped a reunion, and a cold war between the leading ladies likely means cast changes. And don’t even get me started on the lawsuits.

Through all of this chaos, the original show of the franchise, The Real Housewives of Orange County, has stayed strong. (Well, maybe not strong—there were weak ratings during the pandemic—but that doesn’t count.) And it’s all because they had a secret weapon.

RHOC invented the Housewives concept. It began in 2006 as a casual, fly-on-the-wall look at the private lives of rich friends in the gated golf community of Coto De Caza, California. Those first few seasons were harmless and a little boring. There were a few head-shaking moments at the sheltered naivete of wealthy white women, but nothing outrageous. Vicki Gunvalson, forever known as “The O.G. of the O.C.,” was a shrill, shrewd businesswoman who quickly became the focus—not because her life was dramatic, but because her essence was so ridiculous you couldn’t help but laugh. The real drama, as we know it today, didn’t start until Tamra Judge joined the cast.

These days, Tamra likes to manipulate the narrative, focusing attention on her castmates. She’s a pot-stirrer, in the show’s parlance. But back then, she was good TV because her life was a mess. Her husband sucked, her adult son sucked, and we watched as her marriage unraveled on camera, leading to a bitter divorce and estrangement from her daughter. She cried on Vicki’s lap more than a few times. For a while, it was just the two of them. Then it was three.

The only person with a messier life than Tamra Judge is Shannon Storms Beador. Shannon joined the show married, wealthy, and obsessed with “holistic” health. She was the lady with nine lemons in a bowl and crystals in her walls. She, Tamra, and Vicki became fast friends—maybe it was the peroxide.

But Shannon’s life exploded as soon as the cameras rolled. Her slimy husband, David Beador, was cheating on her, and though she didn’t know it yet, their public arguments—often in front of the other women, who had all been divorced by then—left them all thinking, “Yikes. I remember that.” Shannon learned of her husband’s affair after filming her first season, and the next few years were marked by tears, weight fluctuations, and efforts to forgive him. She fell in and out with Tamra and Vicki during this time, but by the time her divorce was final, the Tres Amigas were stronger than ever. They even took their comedy show on the road!

This is what Housewives used to be about: capturing the real, chaotic lives of deeply flawed women. As younger stars on other reality shows try to hide the juiciest parts of their lives—and justifiably so—people like Shannon Beador can’t help but be themselves. And drama is who Shannon is, for better or worse.

After her divorce, Shannon dated John Janssen for a while. He was unremarkable, but with Shannon, drama is inevitable. Eventually, her friends started confronting her about the relationship, claiming she’d call them late at night crying about John. Shannon denied it and resented the accusations. Then they broke up. Then Shannon crashed her car into a house. Then John sued her for $75,000. Then he started dating a former OC Housewife, Alexis Bellino, whose ex had previously sued Shannon for defamation. And now Alexis is cast on season 18 as a friend. Once again, Shannon’s messy life is central to the show.

Somewhere along the way, Vicki got fired, probably for flying too close to the sun and calling RHOC “her show.” Tamra got fired after that, likely thinking it was her show once Vicki was gone, only to be brought back when ratings dipped. Through it all, Shannon stuck around, screaming and crying.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: reality TV thrives on exploitation. Whether the participants are aware of this when they sign up is debatable, but to be unaware of it now would be ignorant. You can either ride the wave or let it ruin your life.

I’ve lost count of how many times Shannon Beador’s life has been ruined, but as long as she’s willing to show it, I’ll keep watching. And as long as that’s true, The Real Housewives of Orange County will remain as real as it gets.