For Heather Dubrow, one of the most disappointing parts of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” Season 20 isn’t the drama fans have watched unfold. It’s that she believes the friendship she thought she was building with Jenn Pedranti changed the moment filming began.
After weeks of tension between the two castmates, Heather is now explaining why she feels so blindsided, saying the Jenn she got to know off camera wasn’t the same person who showed up once production started.
Speaking with Decider, Heather reflected on how quickly their relationship unraveled, insisting the shift caught her completely off guard.
Heather Says Jenn Wasn’t the Same Person Once Cameras Started Rolling
According to Heather, she and Jenn had already formed what she believed was a genuine friendship before Season 20 began filming.
The women spent time together with their husbands, went out to dinner, and enjoyed each other’s company. That’s why Heather says she was stunned by what happened once the cameras were up.
“I really like Jen,” Heather said. “What was confusing to me was that between seasons, we hung out with our husbands, and we went out to dinner. We had a great time. We never once talked about Tamra. The moment the cameras picked up, she’s asking me things like, ‘How do you feel about Tamra? What do you think about Tamra?’ She then ran to Tamra and said that I’m talking about her! It was really, really frustrating.”
Heather said those moments left her questioning what Jenn’s intentions really were.
“That’s why, you see me say to her, ‘I thought we were going to be buddies,'” she continued. “I thought we were cool and that we were gonna have fun together. It felt like Jen had an agenda, and I didn’t like that. It was also a bummer that when Tamra heard what Jen had to say, she immediately believed her.”
The fallout has become one of the defining storylines of the current season, with Jenn accusing Heather of speaking negatively about Tamra Judge behind her back and Heather insisting the conversation never played out the way Jenn described.
Asked whether there’s a path back to friendship, Heather admitted she’s not sure.
“As for whether Jennifer will earn back her trust given what has occurred so far,” she said, “that’s a question mark.”
Why Heather Says Her Bond With Tamra Is Different
Even as her friendship with Jenn continues to unravel, Heather made it clear she’s standing firmly by Tamra.
The two Housewives have weathered disagreements before, but Heather said their history goes back much further than viewers may realize.
“Tamra was the first person I met on the show, and I always compare her to a vampire,” Heather said. “You know when a vampire bites you, you love them forever? She’s my housewife maker, and I’ll love her forever.”
Heather recalled meeting Tamra before filming her first season and immediately connecting over family.
“When I first met Tamra, I didn’t watch the show,” she explained. “So, I had heard she was mean, this, that, whatever, but I was ready to give her the benefit of the doubt. We were going to lunch and waiting for the cameras to be finished setting up. We were by the coffee bar, and we started talking about our kids. I just saw her as a fellow mom, and I fell in love with her.”
Heather acknowledged that not everyone shares her experience with Tamra, but said longtime friendships naturally go through rough patches.
“There’s such a double standard in our friend group,” she said. “I’ve been friends a long time. We move on.”
With the season still unfolding, Heather’s latest comments offer new insight into why she’s remained skeptical of Jenn’s actions while continuing to defend one of her oldest allies on the show.
