Gina Kirschenheiter did not mince words while confronting Shannon Beador at the season 17 Real Housewives of Orange County reunion.
During part one, which aired on Wednesday, October 4, host Andy Cohen put Shannon, 59, in the hot seat for claiming earlier in the season that she was the reason Gina, 39, didn’t lose custody of her children to Child Protective Services (CPS) following a 2019 DUI.
“Gina, I do not remember saying it. When I made that statement, I wasn’t saying that your kids would be put in the system and taken away from you. It was had you been arrested and an adult wouldn’t have been present,” Shannon explained during the special, which was taped in early September. “They wouldn’t have left your children there until you got your legal things taken care of.”
She continued: “That being said, I was told by Heather [Dubrow] that you were discussing my relationship [with my now ex-boyfriend John Janssen]. I was freaking pissed off at you. I don’t like you. We don’t get along, because you don’t know anything about me.”
In response, Gina asked Shannon to list her children’s names — which she wasn’t able to do. (She shares Nicholas, 10, Sienna, 8, and Luca, 6, with ex-husband Matthew Kirschenheiter.)
“I’ve known you for six years and you don’t even know my kids’ names. And you’re gonna drop a bomb about CPS. It is completely inaccurate. It is so inappropriate,” Gina added. “You are out of bounds right here, Shannon, you were so wrong. And for you to have anything right now other than ‘I’m sorry for my behavior’ — you are going low.”
Shannon admitted she was “horrified” by her actions after watching the season back, but Gina wasn’t swayed.
“This is who you are. You are the woman who gets proven that you did a s–tty thing and you don’t just lay down and say you’re sorry. It is not OK,” Gina continued. “You gave a phone number to me four and a half years ago and then you have used it as a weapon ever since. My kids are this close to being on social media. You put clickbait out there. ‘Gina, mom, CPS, children almost taken away.’ My children — for them to see that and get hurt by that and you don’t even know their names.”
According to Gina, Shannon’s comments ruptured their friendship for good. “This is a wound that has stayed with me and it will stay with me. You have crossed a line to the point where I don’t even know if I can honestly even continue to do this,” she concluded.
Gina exclusively told Us Weekly on September 5 that she planned to call out Shannon as the RHOC cast prepared to hash out their issues. In a shocking turn of events, Shannon was arrested less than two weeks later for a hit-and-run and a DUI. She was booked for two misdemeanors on September 16, after driving erratically through Newport Beach.
According to police, Shannon drove onto a residential property and clipped the house while trying to park her car. She got out of the vehicle with her dog when the authorities arrived, allegedly attempting to make it seem like she was walking her pet when the accident occurred.
Shannon’s attorney issued a statement shortly after news broke of her arrest.
“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,” Michael Fell said at the time.
While Shannon hasn’t directly addressed her legal woes, several of her fellow RHOC stars have weighed in.
“The irony of it is major. But honestly, really, at the end of the day I’ve been thinking a lot about this and Shannon in general, and I just don’t have it in me. I’m not gonna kick someone when they’re down and I’ve been down. And I know where she’s at right now. It’s not a good place to be mentally, emotionally,” Gina said on her “Orange Country” podcast.
