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Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge are officially saying goodbye to the Real Housewives of Orange County. The reality stars have been staples on the show for well over a decade, and will no longer be a part of the series following a drama-filled season 14. While Gunvalson and Judge are looking forward to the next chapter in their respective lives, there is one thing they are not allowed to do after getting booted from RHOC.

RHOC Vicki Gunvalson Tamra Judge
‘RHOC’ stars Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge with Andy Cohen | Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson announce their departure

Gunvalson’s exit from the popular reality series did not come as a huge surprise. The OG of the OC was demoted to friend status last season and was very vocal about not returning unless Bravo gave her orange back.

When the network decided to move in a direct direction, Vicki Gunvalson formally announced her departure on Instagram. Gunvalson, who has been on the series since the very beginning, thanked fans for their support over the years and seemed content with her decision to leave.

Gunvalson is not the only cast member to say farewell to RHOC. Judge also confirmed her exit on social media, though she admitted that it is difficult saying goodbye to a series that has been a big part of her life over the years.

Although Judge said that she is looking forward to starting a new chapter, there is a good reason why Bravo did not invite her back for season 15.

Why did Judge leave ‘RHOC’?

Prior to Judge’s announcement, rumors swirled that Bravo executives wanted to demote Judge in order to reduce her salary. The series was apparently paying Judge way too much and needed to create some room for others.

Sources claimed that executives thought Judge’s salary was too high and that she wasn’t worth a full-time salary anymore.

Judge seemingly confirmed the rumors on Instagram Live when she said, “I’m not cheap Andy, and that’s why I got fired!”

Sadly, Judge has not taken her exit very well. The former RHOC later revealed that she cried for days following the news and that she has had difficulty sleeping. Despite her struggles, Judge assured fans that she will eventually get over it and move on.

Although it will be sad to see Judge and Gunvalson go, their contracts will Bravo include some strict rules about what they can do after their time on the series has come to an end.

Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge are banned from this 1 thing

Fans hoping to see Gunvalson and Judge get back in front of the cameras soon are sure to be disappointed. The two signed some very strict contracts with Bravo when they landed spots on RHOC, and one of the stipulations regulates what they can and cannot do after leaving the network.

According to The Sun, Vicki Gunvalson and Judge are not allowed to star in another reality show for at least a year after their exit from RHOC. Their contracts featured a non-compete clause that prohibits them from joining a rival series.

“Vicki and Tamra have a one-year non-compete clause in their contracts,” a source claimed. “They will have to get special permission to film any other television shows for the next year.”

We do not know if Gunvalson and Judge were planning on returning to the world of reality TV soon, but it sounds like they will have to wait until they get in front of the cameras again.

This is pretty disappointing news for fans, especially considering how many viewers are still coming to terms that they are no longer a part of RHOC.

Could this be the real reason Gunvalson and Judge lost their oranges?

While fans grapple with Vicki Gunvalson and Judge’s exit, there is a lot of talk that the women were fired due to their age. Some fans believe that Bravo wants to bring on some younger cast members to attract a new audience to the series.

A caller asked Bravo host Andy Cohen about the rumors on his SiriusXM Radio show. In response, Cohen assured the caller that age had nothing to do with Gunvalson and Judge’s exit.

He also pointed out how there are plenty of cast members in Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise who are just as old as Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge. This includes Real Housewives of New York star Ramona Singer, who is 63 years old.

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