The 18th season of The Real Housewives of Orange County has come with an alarming number of plot twists. Shannon Beador took the high road after her DUI, Tamra Judge took the low road to a degree no one thought was possible (even for her), and Jen Pedranti has become the people’s champion by opening up about her money problems, but not looking broke while doing it (in true Housewives fashion). Whether I like it or not, with our humble queen Jen, comes her problem child of a boyfriend, Ryan Boyajian. I have to believe Ryan is treating Jen like the angel she is to be worth all of the chaos and drama their relationship has caused surrounding her divorce and the town rumor mill. But while I may be accepting of women’s rights and wrongs, Tamra Judge has decided to make herself the judge, jury, and executioner of everybody else’s business on RHOC. This year, Ryan Boyajian (and Jen by association), have found themselves once again in Tamra’s hot seat and things have only fired up further since filming has ended. I’m breaking down the Tamra Judge and Ryan Boyajian RHOC drama from Dodgers players to WWHL.
Is Ryan Boyajian suing Tamra Judge?
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According to photos and information shared by Ryan on September 28, 2024, he has found a lawyer who “served” Tamra Judge paperwork. Who is the lawyer in question? Under an Instagram post by the All About The Truth podcast, Ryan commented that he “hired Geoff Neri which is the same AMAZING attorney that represented Jim Bellino in his victorious slander and defamation lawsuit against Tamra years ago.” Since the news broke, many OC Bravolebs of past and present have chimed in. Vicki Gunvalson, who appears as a friend on season 18, commented under an IG post by Reality Blurb that “Ryan is not suing [Tamra] ‘yet’. He filed a cease and desist.” In addition to Vicki speaking out, OC Housewife Katie Ginella told the press “he didn’t sue her, he sent her a cease and desist that he wants her to retract that statement and publicly say that’s not true.”
Why is Ryan Boyajian suing Tamra Judge?
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Ryan has publicly taken issue with allegations Tamra Judge has made about him on RHOC and WWHL. His legal challenge comes off the back of a September 26, 2024 episode of The Real Housewives where Tamra alleged Ryan’s home had been “raided by the FBI.” After Tamra’s husband Eddie had already asked the Ginellas (who were hosting the group dinner) to stop serving his wife alcoholic drinks, Tamra shouted the claim across the table, leaving Jen Pedranti visibly stunned. During the dinner, Tamra and Eddie expressed being upset with Ryan for a podcast appearance Ryan recorded between seasons 17 and 18. On the podcast, Tamra and Eddie thought Ryan spoke negatively about Eddie’s reputation, while Jen and Ryan believe he was only defending themselves against Tamra’s attacks through season 17.
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Following this episode, a fan suggested that Ryan should “please get [himself] a good lawyer and sue the pants off Tamra” to which Ryan replied “FACTS. I already did.” Jen shared her feelings about Tamra’s behavior at dinner on an Instagram Story where she called Tamra “trash.” The feud only became more complicated when Tamra falsely claimed Ryan stole money on Watch What Happens Live. During the show, Tamra said, “You know what Ryan. We sell more in a month than what you stole from the Dodger player,” speaking of her marijuana company Vena. Following the statement (which has since been removed from the episode) Tamra filmed an Instagram story with Eddie in which she apologized for “misspeak[ing] on a couple things” including that she “didn’t mean Ryan” stole the money. She also posted a longer apology to “correct the record” on a “misstatement [she] made “tying Ryan to the actions of others.”
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How is Ryan from OC involved with the Shohei Ohtani Federal Tax Fraud Case?
On June 4, 2024, Ippei Mizuhara plead guilty to tax fraud charges in federal court. Ippei Mizuhara was the translator for Dodgers player, Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara first admitted to gambling addiction to the MLB in March 2024 and claimed, at the time, that Shohei Ohtani was involved with his gambling debts. The IRS would later clarify after their fraud investigation that “Mr. Mizuhara exploited his relationship with Mr. Ohtani to bankroll his own irresponsibility.” Mizuhara was recommended to receive a reduced sentence for his crimes by the prosecution in accordance with his plea deal, which included paying $16,975, 010 in restitution to the MLB star.
In the criminal complaint against Ippei Mizuhara, it is documented that the translator wired money to “Associate 1.” ESPN later allegedly identified this “associate” to be Ryan Boyajian, who they also report is receiving immunity for his testimony in the ongoing investigation as told by multiple sources. The allegations against Ryan include receiving funds Mizuhara took from Ohtani, using it to gamble, and receiving “comps” in the form of free hospitality services, hotel rooms, and exclusive event tickets from a casino “host” in exchange for gambling there. Jen Pedranti has said Ryan’s connection to this situation is that Mathew Bowyer (an alleged bookmarker who is also involved in the investigation) is his “very best friend.” Jen explained on WWHL that Mathew often took the couple to Vegas for “the perks and all the fun.” But Jen claims eventually “everyone will see it’s not Ryan” who is responsible for the alleged illegal acts.
Gretchen Rossi comments about the Ryan and Tamra drama
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Naturally, Gretchen Rossi has entered the chat. She jumped into the social media discourse to compare Ryan’s complaints to what “[Tamra] would do to Slade & [Gretchen] constantly.” Gretchen recalls that Tamra would “talk mad shit about Slade & then the second he defended himself or called her out on her BS, she would cry & play victim.” Guess we got hard confirmation the Gretchen vs. Tamra feud is also still alive and well.
