Tamra Judge has been a fixture of The Real Housewives of Orange County for longer than almost anyone else in the franchise’s history, a tenure that made her a natural fit for a Traitors Season 2 cast built around recognizable Bravo names rather than unknowns. She’s appeared on 15 of the show’s 19 seasons, a run Bravo has repeatedly cited as tying her for the longest tenure of any Housewife across the entire franchise.
Her run in the castle was short, but her career on Bravo has been anything but.
Glendora, California, and Life Before Bravo
Tamra Sue Waddle was born September 2, 1967, in Glendora, California. Her parents split when she was about two years old, and she was raised primarily by her mother in a working-class household, graduating from Glendora High School in 1985. Before Bravo, she got a manicurist license from Covina Beauty College and worked on and off as a real estate agent, the same career she’d eventually return to years later.
Over a Decade on RHOC
Judge joined The Real Housewives of Orange County for Season 3, which aired in 2008, and remained a main cast member for 12 consecutive seasons before departing after Season 14 in 2020. She returned for Season 17 in 2023 following a two-season hiatus and has continued through Seasons 18 and 19 into Season 20, which began filming in 2026. Bravo has described her as tied with Kyle Richards and Teresa Giudice for the longest full-time run of any Housewife across the franchise. Season 20’s central storyline follows the collapse of Judge’s “Tres Amigas” friendship with Vicki Gunvalson and Shannon Beador, which fractured in Season 18 after Judge publicly questioned Beador’s drinking following Beador’s DUI arrest.
Three Marriages and a Long Second Act With Eddie
Judge’s first marriage, to Darren Vieth, ran from 1985 to 1990 and produced her eldest child, son Ryan, born when she was 19. Her second marriage, to Simon Barney, lasted from 1998 to 2011 and produced three more children, including daughter Sidney and son Spencer; Sidney has long asked to be kept out of the spotlight, though the two have since worked toward reconciliation. Judge married current husband Eddie Judge in June 2013 after a Bora Bora engagement, with the wedding itself documented in the Bravo special Tamra’s OC Wedding that September. As of June 2026, the couple marked 13 years of marriage. Eddie was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in 2019, and Tamra said in a July 2026 interview that he’d had “a little scare” with an irregular heart rate that sent him back to the cardiologist.
CUT Fitness, Vena CBD, and Real Estate
Judge opened CUT Fitness, a small-capacity gym in Rancho Santa Margarita, in 2013, closing it in August 2022 after nearly a decade in business, citing financial strain worsened by the pandemic. She and Eddie later co-founded Vena CBD, named after the vena cava, the veins that carry blood to the heart, a nod to Eddie’s AFib diagnosis; as of 2026, the roughly four-year-old company has been described as one of the couple’s more successful ventures. Judge also resumed working in real estate after leaving RHOC in 2020, and co-hosts the podcast Two Ts in a Pod with former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave.
A Public Skin Cancer Fight
Judge revealed a basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis in January 2017, undergoing surgical removal, and followed that in August 2017 by revealing a Stage 1 melanoma diagnosis after a masseuse pointed out a suspicious mark, telling reporters she “started bawling” when she found out. Her dermatologist described the melanoma as very treatable, and she has since described herself as skin cancer-free.
A Housewives Alliance on The Traitors
Judge was one of several Real Housewives franchise stars in the Season 2 cast of The Traitors, alongside Phaedra Parks, Larsa Pippen, and Shereé Whitfield. Her run as a Faithful was brief: she was murdered by the Traitors, Parks and Parvati Shallow, in Episode 5, finishing in 15th place, after Parks specifically targeted her to throw suspicion off herself. Even with a short game, Judge’s time in the castle forged a real bond with the other Housewives in the cast, memorialized by Parks’s own line to the group, “Don’t come for the Housewives, honey!”
Life Now
Judge has remained one of RHOC’s most visible personalities heading into Season 20, with castmate Vicki Gunvalson publicly calling her a “quality person” amid the renewed Tres Amigas drama. Her marriage to Eddie remains strong by her own account, and the two have discussed a possible move away from Orange County to Big Bear. Her Traitors run sits alongside a full Season 2 cast of Bravo and reality names covered in OpenThreadNews’ Traitors Season 2 cast guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has Tamra Judge been on RHOC?
She joined in Season 3 (2008) and has appeared on 15 of the show’s 19 seasons since, with a hiatus between Seasons 14 and 17.
Is Tamra Judge still married to Eddie Judge?
Yes. They married in June 2013 and marked their 13th anniversary in 2026, though Eddie has continued managing an AFib diagnosis from 2019.
Why was Tamra Judge banished on The Traitors?
She was murdered by Traitors Phaedra Parks and Parvati Shallow in Episode 5 of Season 2, finishing 15th, after Parks targeted her to deflect suspicion from herself.
What health issues has Tamra Judge dealt with?
She was diagnosed with basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma in January 2017 and a Stage 1 melanoma that August. She has since described herself as skin cancer-free.
