Season 16 of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is wrapping up with at least one more fight between frenemies Shannon Beador and Gina Kirschenheiter.
In Page Six’s exclusive preview of tonight’s finale, Beador, 58, explains why she previously branded Kirschenheiter, 37, “arrogant” — and proceeds to call her “mean” for saying the Real for Real CEO has “no friends.”
“You going through all of the obstacles that you have and launching your business and doing all that, that’s amazing,” Beador tells the CaraGala Skincare founder, who has overcome such adversity as domestic violence in her marriage to ex-husband Matt Kirschenheiter.
“I just think that there’s a line between confidence and arrogance and certain comments that you’ve said to me are on the mean side,” she continues. “For instance, to say to me, ‘Do you even have any friends?’”
But Gina claims that she merely repeated what Beador said herself.
“Because you’re the one who told me that you didn’t have friends,” she says.
Still, Beador feels she deserves an apology from Gina. “You didn’t say I’m sorry for it,” she fumes at her co-star. “You didn’t own what you did.”
However, Gina isn’t interested in apologizing. Rather, she’d like to remind Beador of the way she’s felt excluded by the OG Bravo star.
“You always pacify this. You say, ‘I have those core one. I have this core two. I have this core three.’ I’m never in it!” she points out to Beador. “You don’t think that hurts my feelings? I feel like all of a sudden Noella [Bergener]’s probably one of your ‘core’ friends now.”
Beador quickly clarifies that Bergener, 36, is not in her “core” posse and then alleges that she never discussed a lack of gal pals with Gina.
“I cannot tell you how many things I’ve done [for you] that I haven’t done for anybody else,” says Beador, who notably connected Gina with an attorney that helped her avoid a second DUI-related arrest years ago.
“This is where the telephone game happens. Do you have any friends? I have never, ever said to you that I don’t have any friends!” she continues. “How dare you?”
Beador also claims that she routinely invited Gina to attend nights out with her friends before the New York native met now-boyfriend Travis Mullen.
“When you were single, pre-Travis, I would invite you out with my friends and I. Do you remember that? But now all of a sudden, I don’t have any friends,” she says, later accusing Gina of making no “effort” to repair their fractured friendship.
“This whole idea that I’m not trying, it’s like I’m trying with you more than I try with anybody else! I don’t text anybody and I text you two times!” a frustrated Gina responds. “Don’t tell me to pick up the phone when I’m trying to pick up the phone and you’re not answering.”
As the ladies’ argument grows louder, cast members Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson and Dr. Jen Armstrong continue their spending spree at an Aspen boutique.
“I’m kind of glad they’re getting it out,” Dubrow, 53, notes in a confessional. “I just figured, you know, the more we purchase, the less irritated [the store staff is] going to be by the yelling and the spectacle.”
Despite their friction this season, Gina told Page Six in December 2021 that she can appreciate what Beador brings to “Orange County.”
“Four years later, I’m still trying to get to know Shannon!” said Gina, who joined in Season 13.
“As much as I don’t like Shannon, I love her. I really do and I think she’s an important part of this cast. I think she brings a very interesting point of view and element and resistance to rationality. And I think that’s really interesting to watch.”
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.