RHOC: Gina Kirschenheiter Says She Doesn't 'Want to be Like' Shannon Beador After Seeing Her Drink Following DUI

Gina Kirschenheiter is opening up about why she continues to stay sober.

On the Thursday, Sept. 12 episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, the ladies continued their trip in Sonoma, where Gina, Tamra Judge, Alexis Bellino and Emily Simpson went to a pastry making class while the rest meditated in the forest to get time away from the drama. The conversation turned to Shannon Beador’s drinking habits following her September 2023 DUI arrest.

“You've been friends with Shannon for years, but I feel like you're unable to see any compassion towards her,” Emily said to Tamra.

“Because I can't let this go on in my life anymore,” Tamra snapped back. “Do you know how it kills me to sit there and watch her order drinks all the time?”

Gina then chimed in, giving her opinion as someone who no longer drinks alcohol (Gina was also arrested for DUI in 2019).

“I get it, but what I don’t like is you trying to set the boundary for everybody else,” she explained. “Because I have had my own s--- that I’ve dealt with.”

She went on to drop a bombshell: “Part of the reason why I don’t f---ing drink anymore is because [Shannon] is 20 years ahead of me, and I looked at what that looked like, and I didn’t f---ing like that.”

Although Shannon is still drinking, Gina said she is “okay to be supportive to her right now” while Shannon figures out what works best for her.

“We’re gonna have to support both of you right now,” she told Tamra.

Alexis agreed, adding “Everybody in the group needs to butt out and let everybody be friends with everybody.”

Earlier in the episode, Shannon joined Heather Dubrow and Tamra at the bar after hearing the news that ex John Janssen — who is now engaged to her castmate Alexis — allegedly had a video from the night of Shannon’s DUI showing her nearly running over his daughter.

“It’s been a lot lately,” Shannon said as she ordered her classic vodka soda.

“I’m floored that Shannon feels so comfortable that she’s ordering drinks,” Tamra later said in her confessional. “But I know how Shannon’s mind works. If she doesn’t drink, then it’s her admitting she has an alcohol problem.”

She added: “But if she says ‘Oh, I can have one or two drinks, I’m fine with that,’ then, it’s not like, ‘I’m hiding something.’”

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The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.