Q&A: ‘Real Housewives of Orange County': Shannon shares stories as she returns for 11th season

Miami Herald

14-07-2025

ANAHEIM, Calif. - As Shannon Storms Beador of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" thought about her goals for 2025, she realized that men weren't on her list at all this year.
That surprised her, Beador says, though she's happy with what did make her list.
"Not only this season, but more importantly for myself for the year, it's just that so much of my life has been focused on relationships," she says on a phone call the day before the 19th season of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" premiered. "I kind of set my personal goals in line with whatever's going on with my relationships at the time.
"You know, I have some good, fun ideas of things that I could maybe branch out and do on my own," Beador continues. "I know that's maybe a Housewives cliché, going, 'Oh, big news coming!' But this is my 11th season, so it's not something that I'm just coming up with at the top of my head. It's things that I've thought about for years."
In the premiere, we learned that Beador spent a week at the Golden Door Spa in San Marcos to rebalance her life and find a healthier path forward.
"I thought, 'I'm going to focus on continuing to lead the healthiest life that I could live,'" she says. "And trying to maybe look into different things I can do with my time.
"I exercise with a trainer again, because I did gain weight," Beador says. "It's slowly coming off, but I'm older, and it's just harder. I want to focus on that."
And the single life, she adds, hasn't been at all what she feared it might be.
"I never thought that I would be OK being by myself," Beador says. "Everyone was like, 'Oh, you're going to love it.' But I forced myself to be single after my DUI, and you know I kind of enjoy it because I get to create my own schedule and make my own plans without checking with anyone.
"I spend a lot of time with my daughters, visiting them, and traveling," she says. "I will still want the partner, but if live the rest of my life living the way that I am, I'll be OK."
In the previous season, Beador had perhaps her hardest go-round ever. It began in the aftermath of a highly publicized arrest for driving under the influence. It continued with bitter drama from different angles.
Former housewife Alexis Bellino returned as a friend of the housewives – and as the new girlfriend of Beador's ex John Jansson, who filed a lawsuit against Beador for money he claimed she owed him. [In the premiere of the new season, we learn that Beador has since settled the lawsuit for $60,000.]
And longtime friend Tamra Judge argued with Beador, telling her she should not be drinking at all after the DUI, though other issues crept in, too.
In an interview edited for length and clarity, Beador talked about her season from hell, her relationship with Tamra, the proper way for housewives' children to be portrayed on the show, and the only guy in her life who has never let her down.
Q: Your last season was brutal. How'd you go about resetting and getting back on a better path?
A: I went to the Golden Door, which is one of the things in the first episode. But it was difficult, and in the end, I was very depressed because I did feel a little beaten up. But again, I put myself in that position. There's nobody to blame but me. I'm the one that got the DUI. I'm the one that dated John Janssen for as long as I did. I put myself in a position for all those things to happen.
I will be honest. When I started the [previous] season with basically zero friends, I didn't know that I'd be able to get through it. So there's a part of me that feels strength after getting through it. Like, OK, you survived. It was really hard, but you survived.
So that makes me feel like I'm stronger. If you look on the bright side, you say it can never be as – I don't think it can be as bad as – bad as that.
Q: Having been through it, were you anxious as filming for this new season began?
A: No, not at all. My favorite season of filming was Season 14. That was the year that I was single [post-divorce], and I was silly. I was having fun and kissing a bunch of men, and it was really fun.
As Season 18 ended, I ended in a good place with most people. So for the first time in a while, it was like I'm going to be excited to come back and be with these ladies. And you will see – I hope they show it all – a very silly side of me. Like it got to the end where I would just walk into a room and people would just start laughing. because I was a little bit over the top. I wanted to have fun and be silly.
Q: One of the other big dramas last season was the warfare between you and Tamra. Have you guys worked things out?
A: We did hug at the reunion because at that particular moment, that was an appropriate thing to do. Just because I hug someone doesn't mean that everything is OK. As much as I might sound cruel, I've had a lot of self-reflection in the last couple of years. And I believe that our friendship was toxic. I felt I was walking on eggshells, and it wasn't necessarily healthy for me. So it was important to me to get to place where we can at least coexist.
Because last year, the girls all said, "Gosh, when you and Alexis and you and Tamra are in a room, we just feel the tension, and it just ruins everything." I don't want to have that happen again. Do I sound cruel that I don't want to rush back into a friendship? I don't, because in my eyes I see that it wasn't healthy, and what I'm trying to do is choose the healthiest path that I can.
Q: I want to ask you about some of the other cast members. Katie Ginella says in the premiere that you and she got closer after last season.
A: Hearing her words, I was a little shocked. What was she talking about? In moments like at the reunion, I felt that everyone was coming at her, it was being pushed too far. A bit unfair. But I hadn't been that close to it.
Q: It looks like this new season Katie is still under fire for the things she says to and about the other housewives.
A: I wish I could explain Katie's mind, but I think it's unexplainable. And as you continue to watch the season, I have my own issues [with Katie].
Q: There's also the Jenn and Ryan storyline, where now they're talking about Jenn wearing a wedding bikini instead of a wedding dress.
A: We all wish we could have that body, my friend.
Q: Ryan's definitely got better abs than I do. Tamra was mad that Jenn was with Ryan. Where did you come down on their relationship?
A: From the moment Jenn [Pedranti] started three years ago, I was on her side. Tamra was coming at her with, "Ryan said this. He wanted to [bleep] me. He's been with another girl." Every time we filmed, she had some new tidbit that was very hurtful to their relationship. I was on Jenn's side the whole time.
Q: Former housewife Gretchen Rossi is the new friend of the housewives this season. You joined the year she left. How much do you know her?
A: I have met her a few times, but you have to understand that she and Tamra weren't friendly. So Tamra would tell me things about her, and as a loyal friend, I just kept my distance from Gretchen because I was being loyal to my friend. That being said, I think she's a wonderful addition. She and [her partner] Slade [Smiley] have been together 16 years. They share a daughter together. They're so happy.
Q: She's a better friend than Alexis?
A: Absolutely.
Q: A storyline that continues from last season involves Katie and Emily and includes their children. What's the appropriate way for children of housewives to be portrayed on the show?
Q: For me, my kids understand that my goal is to be as authentic as I can, and to show what's really happening in my life. Stella, who lives in Paris, she's the daughter that least likes to film. At the same time, they understand that it's part of the thing. And I love the idea that people have seen my twins from when they were 9 when we started and they just turned 21.
That being said, when it comes to children, it's kind of this unspoken rule, I think, throughout the Bravo universe, that the kids are off-limits. Like, we can show them because we do want to show what's going on in our family life. For instance, when I showed details of [her former husband's] affair, we spoke to my children first. We spoke to our church with the kids, we spoke to a therapist beforehand, so that they would be prepared for it.
But you don't attack children. Women sign up for the show, but the kids should not be hurt, and the men should not be hurt either unless they get involved.
Q: I do enjoy your relationship with your daughters. Like when Stella called from a rave in Belgium and you asked her what happens if you do drugs and she kind of smirked and said, "You die!"
A: Since they were little, I would pull the car over [when talk of drugs came up]. "You're going to die!" Does it upset me that she's in Europe, going to flippin' concerts at 2:30 in the morning? Yes. But at the same time she's got to grow up, and I hope that I've given her the tools so that she makes smart choices.
Q: You were just on "Love Hotel" a few months ago, looking for love. How was that?
A: It was so amazing. Just so much fun. It came at the perfect time, because it was right kind of at the year mark where I hadn't dated. I thought, OK, I'm ready to go have fun. RHOC was airing, so it was a nice diversion for me for a month to get out of town, where we didn't have access to the show [The Bravo series was shot in Cabo San Lucas].
I had a really fun time. I tried with Earl [her dating candidate on the show]. It didn't work.
Q: The host posted some really harsh criticisms of you online after the show ended.
A: It was a shock to me. The last time I saw him he had tears in his eyes, saying, 'Congratulations.' I had some very emotional moments with him. There's no explaining.
Q: It occurred to me watching the premiere that the one male who is always there for you is Archie, your golden retriever.
A: He's a very good boy. He's kind of adjusted himself to my schedule, and he's very protective of me. He's the sweetest dog ever. I mean, he'll bark, but he'll be wagging his tail at the same time.
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