Shannon Beador Gives New Update on Her RHOC Cast Relationships Since Her DUI

Heavy/NBCUniversal Shannon Beador.

“Real Housewives of Orange County” star Shannon Beador suggested she did not think all of her RHOC castmates were genuinely concerned for her well-being following her September 2023 DUI arrest.

During an appearance on the December 26 episode of the “Bravo’s Hot Mic” podcast, Beador stated that she has been “choosing the healthy path” after her arrest. She stated that she has abstained from drinking alcohol and has focused on her mental health by attending therapy sessions. Beador also seemed to reference that some of her co-stars, specifically Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson, have publicly made comments about her drinking habits.

“I do take accountability for mistakes that I make. And I made a horrible mistake in all of this. But I know what’s best for me. And choosing alcohol to cope when you are not happy is not a good thing. So I’m aware of that,” said Beador. “And right now, I am not drinking and I haven’t drank. So if the concern from my cast was genuine, then I appreciate it. I don’t know if it was genuine in all cases. And we’ll just leave it at that.”

Beador also stated that she is unhappy that Simpson and Kirschenheiter suggested she had a drinking problem during the production of RHOC season 17, which premiered in June 2023.

“I did get a DUI — I understand that, I’m still upset that Emily made a joke that I needed a breathalyzer for my phone, or Gina said that I needed rehab because they don’t know anything about my social life. Or what I do on a regular basis. I had a call in 2020 where I drank too much with Gina — okay say I need rehab,” said Beador.

Gina Kirschenheiter Reacted to Shannon Beador’s DUI Arrest in September 2023

Kirschenheiter commented on Beador’s DUI in a September 2023 episode of her podcast, “Orange Country.” She noted that some fans believed she would feel vindicated about the situation as Beador repeatedly mentioned her own 2019 DUI incident on RHOC. The New York native stated, however, that she empathized with Beador.

“It’s obviously the worst mistake you can make. I am a wholehearted believer in that, having made that mistake myself. So I’m just glad everybody’s okay. But like, it sucks. You know, it’s hard. I feel bad,” said Kirschenheiter.

Kirschenheiter also stated she believed Beador should be able to learn from the situation.

“This is the worst thing that could have happened to her right now in this moment, and I feel bad for her. It was her choice, she put herself there, she definitely made this bed. But I believe that she should have the opportunity to right this wrong,” said the 39-year-old.

Gina Kirschenheiter Suggested She Believed Shannon Beador Is Still Consuming Alcohol

During a December 2023 episode of the “Sarah Fraser Show” podcast, Kirschenheiter suggested that she has been informed that Beador has continued to consume alcohol after her arrest.

“I don’t like speaking to things that I’ve heard through other people. And I don’t know that directly but I would be very curious. I was shocked that nobody just point blank asked her that at BravoCon,” stated Kirschenheiter.

Kirschenheiter, who usually refrains from consuming alcohol, stated that she believed Beador should consider sobriety if she has not already.

“My take on it is, why don’t you just try [sobriety]? I mean, what do you have to lose? And if you’re not an alcoholic and you don’t have a problem with drinking, it should be very easy to simply just stop drinking for a bit,” said the reality television star.

The upcoming 18th season of RHOC has not yet started filming.