Heavy/Getty Jeff Lewis, Shannon Beador, Tamra Judge, Andy Cohen
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” season 18 is in full swing, with different cast members having started filming for the franchise’s flagship series. On the January 16 episode of “Watch What Happens Live”, Andy Cohen got upset at guest Jeff Lewis for revealing that he was asked to appear on-camera for the new season. In a January 24 episode of his SiriusXM show “Jeff Lewis Live”, the radio host confirmed that he would no longer be stopping by RHOC after all, after reading the contract Bravo asked him to sign.
“I was supposed to film today for ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’,” Lewis shared, “It was a big lunch with Shannon [Beador] and they wanted me to do it because I’m very close to Shannon. I know all the details of the accident, the John Janssen relationship. I know everything.”
Jeff Lewis Refused to Sign Bravo’s RHOC Filming Release
Lewis went on to explain why he pulled out of filming with Beador, telling his radio show guest Stassi Schroeder in a clip that was reshared to TikTok.
“They feel like, I guess, that I need them because when we did the release, they wouldn’t indemnify me and in turn they want me to indemnify them,” Lewis explained of the network. “So what that means is basically if I say something and I get sued they’re not going to protect me, they’re not going to insure me, they’re not going to do anything. And then in turn if I say something, they’re expecting me to be responsible if they got sued. So my attorney’s like ‘I don’t know what you’re getting out of this here. You’re not getting paid. You’ve got a TV show, you’ve got a radio show. Why do you need to do this?'”
Despite his urge to help out Beador by meeting with her on-screen, Lewis confirmed that he backed out over his fear of not being protected by the producers and network behind RHOC, who he says “have got nothing to lose.”
As for how his friend Beador took the news that he would no longer be filming with her? “Shannon totally understands why I’m not doing it, because of what happened with her with Heather McDonald and Tamra [Judge]. She did a podcast and she wasn’t protected, they didn’t edit it, and she ended up getting sued.”
Why Was Shannon Beador Sued?
Beador’s legal battle that Lewis was referring to began in 2018 after former Househusband of Orange County Jim Bellino sued Beador and Judge for defamation. The case related to comments the Housewives stars made on McDonald’s “Juicy Scoop” podcast, with Judge claiming that she had a theory that Bellino was “going to go to jail” and Beador saying she heard Bellino’s indoor trampoline park business was closed “because they were sued,” among other comments.
People reported that Beador won her case in October 2020. While Beador may be done dealing with Jim Bellino, she may have to confront his ex-wife and former Housewife Alexis Bellino on camera soon. It was announced that Bellino would be returning to RHOC for season 18 in a “Friend of” role, months after the news broke that she began dating Beador’s ex John Janssen.
Fans will have to wait for the new RHOC season to see exactly where Beador and Alexis’s relationship stands.
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Jeff Lewis Backs Out of RHOC Filming Over Contract Issues