ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., July 14 (UPI) -- Tamra Barney Judge initially thought Vicki Gunvalson's grief over her mom's death was too sensitive for TV.
The 47-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star said as much in an interview with HuffPost Live on Monday. Gunvalson was filming for the Bravo reality show when she learned of mother Joanne Steinmetz's death on camera, and the emotional episode aired last week.
"At the moment it happened, I thought the cameras should shut down," Judge recalled. "Vicki was in a state of mind where she didn't even acknowledge the cameras. Now she has to relive it. She told me her family could not watch it."
Gunvalson later told Andy Cohen she doesn't regret the moment being caught on film, which changed Judge's mind about the incident. "[Vicki said,] 'This is something that happened to me, and I'm okay sharing it.' If she's okay with it, I guess I'm okay with it," Judge allowed.
Monday's episode saw Judge welcome her first grandchild as Gunvalson mourned her mom. Judge and third husband Eddie Judge married in June 2013, and son Ryan Vieth and daughter-in-law Sarah Rodriguez welcomed baby Ava in February.
Gunvalson has starred on The Real Housewives of Orange County since its premiere, while Judge joined in season 3. The reality show inspired several other Real Housewives series, including The Real Housewives of New York City, and airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
