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There has been a number of departures in the world of The Real Housewives recently. Whenever someone leaves the show, they always claim to have their own reasons for leaving. Tamra Judge is one of the most recent housewives to exit the franchise. Now, she is claiming that one of her former costars, Heather Dubrow, left for a personal reason.

Vicki Gunvalson, Shannon Beador, Tamra Judge, and Heather Dubrow
Vicki Gunvalson, Shannon Beador, Tamra Judge, and Heather Dubrow | D Dipasupil/FilmMagic

Tamra Judge’s exit from the show

Judge’s own departure from The Real Housewives of Orange County was a bit of a surprise to her.

“I actually [unfollowed everyone] when I got the news,” Judge told Andy Cohen in an Instagram Live. “So I got the news when I was camping. I had no (cell phone) reception.

“I knew it was going to be a sh*tstorm,” she continued. “I didn’t want to read about it, I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to be hurt any more than I already was. So I just unfollowed everybody. It was just like my instinct. Out of sight, out of mind. I don’t have to see it. Now I’m good. I’ve accepted it.”

But now, Judge may have the option to return to the show.

“[Andy Cohen] did contact me afterward and just said, ‘You know what? They want to mix things up a little bit,’” Judge told HollywoodLife. “[He said], ‘Take some time off, come back the following year.’”

Why does Tamra Judge say Heather Dubrow left ‘RHOC’?

For Judge, Dubrow’s departure from the show in 2016 was a real turning point. In fact, she says that RHOC has not been the same since she left. Judge is now opening up about what she thinks led to Dubrow’s exit.

“I think it was a personal thing, I really do. I think it was a personal conflict with an executive at Bravo,” she said on the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast.

“Like, personality clashes,” she explained. “She wanted things done a certain way, but trust me, there’s people on the cast right now that are way worse. Way worse. On [the producers] like crazy, yelling and screaming, blowing their phones up … yeah.”

Judge was really sad to see Dubrow go.

“I felt like [Heather] was amazing on the show,” she continued. “She gave the show a little bit of class, a little bit more class than it has right now. She [always had] fun trips and exciting things planned for us and it’s not like something she just did for TV because she still does it.”

Dubrow’s reaction to her exit actually influenced how Judge handled her own.

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The Real Housewives’: The Reason Vicki Gunvalson Thinks She and Tamra Judge Were Let Go and Why She Thinks It Might Happen to Kyle Richards Next

“She’s the one who taught me to unfollow everybody because it’s the easiest way to get over things,” Judge said. “She was also offered a part-time role and didn’t take it. I think what they wanted to do was sort of smack her around and say, you know what, here’s a part-time role and then the next year they probably would have brought her back. But I’m just speculating.”

And Dubrow has been there for Judge ever since her departure from the show was announced.

“[Heather] reached out to me as soon as she found out about [me getting fired] and she’s like, ‘I can’t even believe this!” Judge said. “What is going on in the world?’ She told me [it took her] a while. She goes, ‘It probably took me three years to follow people and talk about the Housewives again.’”