NBCUniversal Gina Kirschenheiter.
Emily Simpson and Gina Kirschenheiter are rallying behind their “Real Housewives of Orange County” co-star Shannon Beador and supporting her in the wake of her DUI arrest.
Although there’s been no news yet on the filming schedule for RHOC’s 18th season or its cast, Kirschenheiter and Simpson told Us Weekly that they hope Beador will make whatever decision is right for her concerning her future on the show. “I think she needs to do whatever is in her best interest,” Simpson said.
“Honestly, if Shannon wasn’t filming, I don’t know if it would make it worse, because she might feel like she lost something, you know what I mean?” she continued. “I just think she needs to figure out whatever’s best for her and whatever is best for her to move forward and be healthy. So, whatever that looks like for her, I support.”
Kirschenheiter, who is now sober after her own struggles with alcohol, said she was hoping Beador would be open with viewers if she returned. “It’s all out there, and hopefully then she just lets the guard down,” she shared.
“She had a lot to guard, and now it’s all been exposed, so maybe that’ll be a release for her and she’ll be able to just be authentically herself again,” she continued. “And it could be a really good thing. I know that in my journey, I have so many people who have told me that they admire the journey that I’ve been through. It’s helped them get to a better place, and she has that opportunity to be that person too.”
Follow the Heavy on Bravo TV Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Gina Kirschenheiter Said She & Shannon Beador Were ‘Tabling’ Their Issues for Now
While Kirschenheiter and Beador often clashed during RHOC season 17, Kirschenheiter made it clear that she wanted to support her co-star heading into BravoCon 2023 weekend. “I don’t want to make anything bad for her,” she explained to the publication. “She made it bad enough for herself, so … [I said], ‘I’m just here to support you and stay out of trouble.’ So, that made me feel better that I just said that.”
That said, Kirschenheiter said she was nervous going into their panel and reiterated to Beador that she wasn’t trying to make the situation worse for her. “She’s been really kind to me, and I’ve been really kind to her,” Beador added. “And I think we’re tabling everything. We’re not getting into anything deep. Maybe at one point, we will have a conversation about how this all unfolded and went down, but for now, we’re both really being kind to each other, and I think that that’s good enough for right now.”
Beador did address her DUI arrest at BravoCon, telling the audience, “It’s been a tough six weeks, but I will tell you that I made a terrible, terrible mistake and I’m incredibly grateful that it didn’t hurt anyone.”
Shannon Beador Pleaded No Contest to a DUI Charge After Her September 17 Arrest
The Newport Beach Police Department arrested Beador early in the morning of September 17 after they said she “[fled] the scene from a collision that caused property damage,” People reported. In early November, Beador pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol. The judge dismissed her second charge, a misdemeanor hit and run.
A judge sentenced Beador to 40 hours of community service, 9 months of alcohol classes and three years of unsupervised/informal probation, the publication added. Beador also already paid restitution to the homeowner for the property damage, per her sentence.
READ NEXT: Andy Cohen Calls ‘Nightmare’ Real Housewife a ‘Disaster’