Shannon Beador‘s bestie, Jeff Lewis, opens up about her DUI. He also reveals why he doesn’t think Shannon is an alcoholic and her next plans.
Real Housewives of Orange County star Shannon Beador was arrested for DUI and a hit-and-run on Saturday night in Newport Beach, California, after she drove her car into a residential property and “clipped the house.”
On Monday, the news of Shannon’s arrest and DUI incident broke in the press and shocked the Bravoverse.
Shortly after the news became public knowledge, Shannon’s good friend Jeff Lewis opened up about the incident on his SiriusXM radio show, “Jeff Lewis Live.”
“She got a DUI on Saturday night; she was also in a car accident. She was injured,” Jeff explained.
“So she’s gonna be recovering,” he continued. “Shannon and I have been friends for a very long time. She called me yesterday; we talked for a while, and I was shocked because I’ve never known Shannon to ever, ever, ever drink and drive.”
Jeff revealed that Shannon will be entering counseling this week and is “accepting full accountability” for her actions.
He added that Shannon is “ashamed” and “embarrassed.”
“I am happy to say that she is gonna be entering counseling this week, so I’m happy about that,” Jeff said.
“I won’t have one drink and drive. I just Uber everywhere now, so I’m shocked,” he added, noting that he and Shannon have often privately talked about the dangers of drinking and driving.
The former Flipping Out star also insisted that he doesn’t believe Shannon is an alcoholic despite the chatter going around on social media.
“People were like, ‘Oh, she needs rehab; oh, she’s an alcoholic,’” he acknowledged.
“I don’t think Shannon is an alcoholic,” he clarified. “I think, as her close friend, I think she’s going through a lot of personal struggles right now, and I think that she probably has been leaning on alcohol, but I don’t believe she’s an alcoholic.”
Hours after Jeff’s comments went viral, Shannon’s attorney, Michael Fell, released a statement:
“I spent quite a bit of time with Shannon yesterday. She is extremely apologetic and remorseful. We will be awaiting the official information on this case as it becomes available, and Shannon is prepared to accept full responsibility for her actions.”
Meanwhile, photos and video footage of Shannon’s accident have been popping up on social media. TMZ released video footage of Shannon’s DUI crash, while a young woman named Gabby shared pictures of the damage done by Shannon’s car to her boyfriend’s house on TikTok.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
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