The drama in the Real Housewives universe never seems to cool off, and the latest tea involves a rekindled friendship, a shady accusation, and a very public call-out. Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson, two iconic figures from The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC), have had their share of ups and downs, but recent developments show their bond might be on the mend. Meanwhile, Vicki didn’t hold back when she threw some serious shade at Slade Smiley, accusing him of meddling in the unaired Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season filmed in Morocco. Buckle up, because this story is packed with juicy details!
On a recent episode of her podcast, Two Ts in a Pod, Tamra Judge opened up about her evolving relationship with Vicki Gunvalson, her former RHOC co-star. The two have had a rocky history, particularly after Tamra called out their mutual friend Shannon Beador over her past DUI, which sparked tension last year. Vicki, fiercely loyal to Shannon, took issue with Tamra’s comments, and their friendship hit a rough patch. Adding fuel to the fire, Vicki wasn’t thrilled about Tamra’s close bond with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp, who co-hosts the podcast with her.
Despite the drama, Tamra revealed that she and Vicki recently exchanged heartfelt texts. About a month ago, Tamra posted something positive about Vicki, hinting at her potential return to RHOC. Vicki responded with warmth, writing, “Oh, I love Tamra, I love her so much, we have so much in common, we’ve known each other forever.” The exchange didn’t stop there—Tamra shared a nostalgic video montage of their funniest moments together, to which Vicki replied enthusiastically the next day, saying, “Oh, I love this.”
Teddi chimed in during the podcast, noting that Vicki is “easy to get mad, but easy to forget.” Tamra agreed, emphasizing that she harbors no hard feelings toward Vicki. “I don’t think there was any reason for her to be mad towards me,” Tamra said. “It was more because I called Shannon out last year. So she was Team Shannon.” Tamra also acknowledged Vicki’s apparent discomfort with her friendship with Teddi but brushed it off, saying, “I think it’s fine. I don’t have any hard feelings.”
This olive branch between Tamra and Vicki signals a potential thaw in their feud, proving that their decades-long connection might just weather any storm. But while Tamra and Vicki were busy mending fences, Vicki was stirring up drama elsewhere—specifically targeting Slade Smiley.
On her podcast, My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast, Vicki didn’t mince words when discussing Slade Smiley, the partner of former RHOC star Gretchen Rossi. Vicki dropped a bombshell about Slade’s alleged behavior during the filming of the mysterious, unaired Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season in Morocco. According to Vicki, Slade was excessively involved, constantly calling producers and Gretchen to micromanage her experience on the trip.
“Slade’s a caller,” Vicki said bluntly. “We were in [Morocco], he called a lot to the producers and wanted to manufacture and help Gretchen out. He didn’t get signed up, Gretchen did.” She went on to describe how Slade would check in with Gretchen about her outfits and the on-set drama, even reaching out to the show’s producer, Clark, to get the inside scoop. “We were just six or eight girls, just having fun,” Vicki explained. “We were not filming The Housewives of Orange County, so it wasn’t like, ‘Let’s go hurt somebody and kill somebody and figure out a way to hurt them.’ That’s not what that [Morocco] trip was about.”
Vicki’s comments paint Slade as an overzealous stage manager, desperately trying to control the narrative from afar. Her candid remarks didn’t just stop at Morocco, though—she also referenced a separate incident involving Slade and current RHOC star Katie Ginella.
The drama escalated when Vicki brought up a recent RHOC storyline involving Katie Ginella and her husband, Matt. During the current season, Katie claimed that Gretchen had made comments about Tamra at a restaurant, which Katie then shared on the show. According to Katie, Slade called Matt afterward, urging Katie to retract her story while simultaneously speaking with a producer on another line. Vicki called this move “weird,” questioning why Slade felt the need to insert himself into the situation. “He was calling Matt after their time at Mastro’s [restaurant] to discuss that,” Vicki said, clearly unimpressed.
This accusation adds another layer to the ongoing tension between the RHOC cast and their extended circle. Slade’s alleged attempts to influence the narrative—both in Morocco and with Katie—have put him squarely in Vicki’s crosshairs, and she’s not holding back.
As Tamra and Vicki work toward rebuilding their friendship, the broader RHOC drama continues to unfold. Vicki’s public criticism of Slade has reignited interest in the unaired Ultimate Girls Trip season, leaving fans wondering what other secrets might come to light. Meanwhile, Tamra’s willingness to let bygones be bygones with Vicki shows a softer side to the reality star, who’s often at the center of the show’s conflicts.
The Real Housewives franchise thrives on these intricate webs of alliances, betrayals, and unexpected reconciliations. With Tamra and Vicki finding common ground, Slade’s alleged meddling exposed, and the shadow of the unaired Morocco trip looming large, the RHOC universe is as chaotic and captivating as ever. Will Vicki’s comments about Slade spark a new feud? And will Tamra and Vicki’s renewed bond hold strong amidst the drama? Only time—and perhaps another podcast episode—will tell.