Shannon Beador Says She’s Eliminating Toxicity in Her Life After DUI Arrest (Exclusive)

Shannon Beador is ready to turn things around in her life — even if it means cutting ties with people she now realizes are toxic for her.

The Real Housewives of Orange County alum appeared at BravoCon 2023, just days after she was sentenced to three years probation and 40 hours of community service after being charged with a DUI in September, and Beador revealed her plans for moving forward.

"I'm grateful for the people that have rallied around me," Beador told The Messenger, adding that she particularly credits former co-stars Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge — who joined her at the event Saturday in support of their Tres Amigas program — for helping her through. "I stayed with Vicki, and she took care of me. And Tamra didn't even want to go and film The Traitors because she didn't want to leave me alone. To have that support has been overwhelming."

Beador was arrested in Newport Beach after driving into a home, then parking and allegedly pretending she was walking her dog. A blood alcohol test revealed she had three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system, and she was charged with misdemeanors for both driving under the influence and one count of hit-and-run.

She then enrolled in an outpatient behavioral wellness program, and it seems that she is also making some changes in her personal life to ensure it never happens again.

"Being here at BravoCon and having all the support from the fans, I mean, I'm working on myself and focusing on me and I'm making steps to eliminate toxicity from my life. And I feel like I've made some pretty positive strides so far, and I'm going to continue to do so," Beador said. 

Chief among the changes? Recognizing that some of her relationships might not be healthy for her to continue with.

"Certain people in my life, certain patterns," she said of the things she's eliminating in the name of growth. "I mean, do I admit that in my recent past I consumed more alcohol than you normally would? Absolutely. And so I've been able to take a look at that as well."

Gunvalson chimed in to add that drinking isn't the centerpiece of their show, saying, "We don't need alcohol to have fun. We can have fun just by ourselves. I think that's a misconception about our show, that alcohol has to be inappropriate. It doesn't. It's about friendship. So that's what we want to just make sure people know. It's not about getting drunk."