Tamra Judge's Complicated Relationship with Estranged Daughter Sidney — a Glimpse Inside

Reality TV Star Tamra Judge was a popular face on Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County" for over twelve years. During that time, Judge endured a very rocky relationship with her eldest daughter Sidney.

In most cases, mothers develop close friendships with their daughters because they usually bond over shared experiences.

From the changes they experience during the early stages of puberty to their first dates, mothers are always there as a constant support for their daughters.

Unfortunately, this has not been the case with Tamra Judge and her eldest daughter, Sidney Barney, who she shares with her ex-husband, Simon Barney.

Following her bitter split from her estranged ex-husband, Tamra remarried in 2013.

Over the years, the relationship between the mother and daughter has experienced several lows, and at some point, they did not see each other for more than two years. Here is an inside look into the pair's frosty relationship.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

In October 2016, during the season 10 reunion show of the popular Bravo reality TV series "Real Housewives of Orange County," Tamra Judge spoke candidly about her relationship with her daughter, Sidney.

Tamra, 52, claimed that her rift with her daughter began shortly after her messy divorce with Simon Barney was concluded in 2011.

Things came to a head sometime in 2014, when Sidney came to her mom with the shocking news that she was leaving. Tamra recalled:

"She came in the kitchen, and she sat down, and she said, 'I don't want to live with you anymore. You've ruined my dad's life.' And I said we need to work through these things."

The "RHOC" star also revealed that she had to give up custody of Sidney to her father, Simon, after she opted to stay with him full-time. Sidney was 15 at the time.

Tamra Judge's fallout with her daughter inspired her to join forces with Erasing Families to help and educate parents and kids who find themselves torn by the damaging effects of a divorce.

THE SHORT-LIVED RECONCILIATION

In June 2017, the mother and daughter were finally reunited for Sidney's high school graduation. The reconciliation was premised on Tamra not sharing any pictures from the ceremony on her social media accounts.

However, the businesswoman angered her daughter when she went ahead to share pictures from the ceremony on her Instagram page barely two weeks after the event.

Tamra Judge's daughter Sidney subsequently took to her Facebook to share a lengthy post that gave a scathing assessment of her mom.

In the post, Sidney shut down reports that her parents' divorce was responsible for her rift with her mom. She wrote:

"...she was neglectful (leaving us at home with no food or simply ignoring us entirely), she constantly put herself first, and the biggest reason was that she was mentally and emotionally abusive."

In the post, Sidney also accused her mom of making her resent her father as a child because she always talked about him negatively in front of her and her siblings. When the damning post was pointed out to Tamra by a fan, she responded:

"Not surprised. #brainwashed Ask her paid [sic] for her very expensive college. I'm good when it works for her and her dad."

Later, the "Real Housewives of Orange County" star claimed she had made a mistake by posting the graduation pictures.

In 2017, during the season 12 reunion, Tamra revealed that she only posted the photos after Simon shared photos of the graduation that did not include her, causing the tabloids to go wild with reports that she was not invited for the celebrations.

Despite her daughter's insistence on staying out of the spotlight, Tamra has been very vocal about her issues with Sidney, often sharing it live on the Bravo reality TV series.

The 52-year-old blonde beauty has equally been vocal about her family's divisions following the bitter split between her and Simon. Their eldest daughter chose to live with Simon, while their only son Spencer lives with her and her current husband Eddie, and the estranged couple's youngest daughter splits her time between both parents.

SIMON BARNEY'S STAGE 3 CANCER

Earlier in the year, "Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Simon Barney was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer. Simon noticed a swelling on one side of his salivary gland back in May 2019, and after an ultrasound, it was discovered that he had cancer and it had spread down to his throat, tonsils and lymph nodes.

Simon was placed on a combined treatment of chemotherapy and radiation. Since he began his treatment, he has been very vocal about his ordeal and how difficult it has been to continue despite the gruesome symptoms, which he described is worse than cancer.

More importantly, Simon claims he is ready to keep fighting the cancer. During a recent interview, he said:

"Listen, if it's my time to die, it's my time to die. I've lived a good life, and you can't do anything about that. But if it's not, then I'm going to fight this."

Meanwhile, Simon's warring family members, led by their mom, Tamra Judge, have decided to set aside their differences and rally behind their father to support him through such a difficult time.

Earlier in the year, Tamra announced she would be leaving "RHOC" after featuring on the show since November 2007. More importantly, she claimed Simon's cancer diagnosis has made her "reevaluate her life" and shift her priorities.

TAMRA JUDGE'S PERSONAL LIFE

Tamra Judge was married to her ex-husband Simon Barney from 1998 until 2011. The pair both starred on the Bravo show, "Real Housewives of Orange County," and their marital issues came to a head during the show's season 5 finale.

The estranged couple shares three children, Spencer, 20, Sophia, 14, and Sidney, 21. After their divorce in 2011, the couple was granted equal custody of their three children. Tamra Judge also has a son, Ryan Vieth, from her first marriage to Darren Vieth.

Following her bitter split from her estranged ex-husband, Tamra remarried in 2013. Tamra Judge's husband, Eddie Judge, is a fitness expert and businessman. He first gained public recognition when he began dating his wife, and the pair have since opened a business together, CUT Fitness.

The couple has been self-isolating together with two of Tamra Judge's kids Spencer and Sophia. Tamra and Eddie's time during self-quarantine is well-documented on their social media accounts. The lovebirds spent a lot of time working out and doing some remodeling in their home.

Tamra Judge's time on the "Real Housewives of Orange County" undoubtedly brought her fame, but it came at a price. Following her exit from the show, many of her ardent fans anticipate her next move, but there is also that hope that she finally settles with Sidney.