Lara Sophia 
Emily Simpson weighs in with her legal expertise on her Real Housewives of Orange County co-star Noella Bergener’s messy divorce.
“When I first met Noella, I was very, very much on her side and believing her ‘cause I had nothing to compare it to,” the attorney told Us Weekly. “He’s not on the show; he’s not giving his viewpoint, so the only thing I have to go by is what she’s telling me. And of course, I want to support her and be a friend to her.”
Noella has accused her estranged James Bergener of abandoning their son; however, James has denied the accusation. The RHOC newbie filed for divorce in August 2021, yet James’ attorney claims his client filed for divorce in July 2021. According to James, his divorce from Noella was finalized in December 2021 in Puerto Rico.
As more allegations have come to light in Noella’s divorce, Emily has changed her opinion on the drama.
“Now that all this stuff is coming out and he’s releasing statements, and his attorneys are releasing statements, I will tell you, as an attorney, I jump all over that stuff,” she said. “I read all of it. I listen to it. I decipher it. I go back through what she told me on what dates; I make timelines. So, I will tell you; I can blow holes through a lot of things.”
Emily also admits she took major issue with Noella’s living situation as she’s currently squatting in her rented OC mansion.
“Who calls their house a mansion? Let’s go there,” she quipped. “Like, what is this? Does she have a moat? Is there a dragon? Like, I don’t understand. Like, why does she have to say mansion? But secondly, as far as what I read from documents, the lease was up. I don’t know what their financial arrangement was — maybe he was only financially obligated to pay the length of their lease and then that was it. So, I don’t know. If she’s illegally squatting there, then she should find somewhere else to live. Maybe not a mansion.”
She then called out Noella for handling her divorce, while filming season 16, poorly.
“I do believe that that is kind of an ongoing theme throughout the rest of the season where it’s like, ‘Yes, we feel badly for you. Like, no one wants you to be in this situation, but you can’t be the aggressor and be hostile,’” she hinted. “But then when someone calls you out on being aggressive, [you] go right back into victim mode and ‘I’m going through a lot.’ I mean, Noella is interesting. She really is because she has a very wide range of emotion. So there’s a lot going on there.”
As for whether or not she still supports Noella, Emily admits the two are still in touch but says she doesn’t go out of her way to check on Noella.
“She will text a little bit and I will text back, and I don’t have any ill will toward her at all. And I do want what’s best for her and if she reaches out, I always respond,” she noted. “With the whole divorce, I think that there’s her side and his side, and then I think that there’s the truth somewhere that lies in the middle. And maybe even with what she considers her truth is maybe just a little convoluted or just because when you’re living it and you’re feeling it, you know, you always think you’re right.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm EST on Bravo.
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