Lara Sophia 
Slade Smiley’s ex Michelle Arroyo has the support of the Bravoverse amid the passing of their 22-year-old son Grayson Smiley. Tamra Judge, a prominent figure in the reality TV world, has expressed her condolences and offered her support to Michelle during this difficult time.
To start, AllAboutTRH dives into which Bravolebs have donated to Grayson’s GoFundMe.
Plus, returning OC Housewife, Tamra Judge opens up about returning to the fold after getting fired in 2020. She also dishes on unexpected allies and teases her rumored feud with Heather Dubrow.
The 411 on the GoFundMe for Grayson Smiley
Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley are being called out by his ex Michelle for capitalizing on the death of their son.
According to Michelle, the RHOC alums have had little to no contact with Grayson in the last ten years.
However, Gretchen has been posting non-stop tributes to her stepson on her Instagram, including videos, photos, and more.
Neither has donated a penny to help cover Grayson’s funeral or hospital expenses.
Subsequently, Slade still owes $152k in back child support. He has not made a payment since 2019.
Because of this, Michelle has had to set up a GoFundMe to cover Grayson’s funeral expenses and his outstanding medical debt.
Which Bravolebs Have Donated?
Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp each donated $500 to GoFundMe for Grayson. Both women encouraged Bravo fans to contribute to the cause on their Two T’s in a Pod podcast.
Naturally, Tamra couldn’t miss the opportunity to toss shade at Gretchen by noting that she probably received a nice paycheck for appearing on season 4 of the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
Details on Season 17 of RHOC
Speaking of drama, the Real Housewives of Orange County is expected to return for season 17 any day now. Bravo fans have been begging the network and Andy Cohen for the trailer.
Season 17 of RHOC stars Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Tamara Judge, and newbie Jennifer Pedranti. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Taylor Armstrong joins them as a friend of the Housewives.
Last but not least is the OG of the OC, aka Vicki Gunvalson. She will also appear in season 17.
In a new interview with OK! Tamra shares insight into her RHOC comeback, The longtime Housewife made her triumphant return to the franchise in 2022 after nearly two years away from the camera.
Tamra on Getting Fired from RHOC
The mom of four admits that she never expected to be fired or demoted from RHOC, so when it happened, it was a shock to the system.
“I was not expecting to get fired or demoted. As a business owner, I understand it. Maybe they thought they could get someone younger or cheaper. I was still totally shocked.”
However, Tamra notes she needed time away from the cameras.
“Toward the end, I felt like there was a distance between me and some of the producers. I was a little bit depressed in the first year because I’ve been doing this for 12 years and my kids are all grown up. My kids then said, ‘Please go back on the show. You know you need to go back.’ I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
Unexpected Allies and Rekindled Friendship
Naturally, Tamra was nervous about returning to the fold, especially since she was on the outs with most of the cast.
“I was a little nervous to go back because some of the girls had a lot of things to say about me. I think somebody said they would dance on my grave and someone said there was no place for me on the show anymore. I went back in thinking, ‘Who is my friend and who is not my friend?’ Shannon Beador and I were not in a good place, so there’s a lot going on with me on the show this season. I’m bracing myself for what’s to come.”
Oddly enough, Tamra found herself a few unexpected allies – including former BFF Shannon Beador and former nemesis Emily Simpson.
“It was an evolution of talking and working things out,” she notes. “I love her, and I think she’s great on the show. The cast is really good and there’s people that have become friends that weren’t friends before.”
As for her friendship with Shannon, Tamra says:
“The hardest thing for me is I really loved [her] and we were such good friends. When I felt left out, she was distant from me and I assumed she didn’t care about me like I thought she did, but we worked through those things.”
Details on Heather vs. Tamra
Surprisingly, not everyone in the RHOC cast welcomed Tamra back with open arms. It seems that Tamra got the cold shoulder from former friend Heather Dubrow.
Even before Bravo announced Tamra’s return to RHOC, she and Heather discussed it on their respective podcasts. In June 2022, Tamra accused Heather of trying to keep her off the show.
As a result, Heather and Tamra commenced filming for season 17 on icy terms, and it seems the ice didn’t thaw all season long.
Shortly after filming wrapped for season 17, the divided RHOC cast enjoyed different holiday dinners, leaving some of the cast caught in the middle.
Now, months later, not much has changed. Tamra was recently left off the guest list of one of Heather’s fabulous parties. It turns out Shannon and Taylor were also not invited.
On an Instagram Live with Teddi Mellencamp, Tamra said:
“She invited the crew and she invited the other housewives but the only one that [could go] was [Emily Simpson],”
Despite the diss, Tamra insists she would not have attended anyway. See the clip below!
RHOC returns for season 17 in 2023.
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Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp have each donated $500 to Grayson Smiley’s GoFundMe.
No, neither Slade Smiley nor Gretchen Rossi has donated any money to cover Grayson’s funeral expenses.
Season 17 of RHOC will feature Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Tamra Judge, and newcomer Jennifer Pedranti. Vicki Gunvalson will also make an appearance in Season 17.
