The most uncomfortable drama on season ten of the Real Housewives of Orange County has been a toss-up between Brooks Ayers possibly faking cancer and Shannon Beador broadcasting her husband’s infidelity on national television.
David Beador cheated on his wife last year, and this season, the couple is shown trying to stay together and work through their marriage. If you watched the show, you’ll see that their progress seems somewhat questionable. Technically, they’re still married and going to counseling with their main goal being to keep the family intact for the sake of their three daughters.
Shannon has said repeatedly that she has forgiven her husband. David’s affair warrants the pain, embarrassment and betrayal that Shannon must have felt and probably continues to feel. I doubt anyone would fault her for still being upset. The problem is that she insists she is over it while her actions suggest otherwise.
This past weekend, the Beador’s attended a USC football game. Shannon posted a picture from the game on Instagram with a caption that references a run-in with David’s mistress, which apparently included Shannon yelling to the crowd: “That’s the girl who had an affair with my husband.”
On Monday night, the Beador’s appeared on Entertainment Tonight to discuss Shannon’s Instagram post, the confrontation and, as always, the affair in general.
In the interview, Shannon claims, “I’m sick of talking about. I’m done.” EXCEPT YOU JUST WENT ON A WHOLE OTHER NATIONAL TELEVISION SHOW TO TALK ABOUT YOUR AFFAIR.
Shannon insists that she doesn’t think about David’s mistress, Nicole McMackin, and her husband Reed. That’s when Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier kept it really real, countering that yeah, Shannon keeps saying that, but then she goes on television and continues to talk about it. Meanwhile, David looks on as expressionless as he has been all season, his eyes open wide as if he’s silently begging to be anywhere but where he is right now.
The best response Shannon could come up with was: “It’s part of the process when you’re on a reality show,” which is delusional and untrue. It is not at all part of a reality show to post a picture on Instagram about your husband’s mistress, particularly when you’re not even filming for the show. It is not a part of the process to go on another show to talk about something you keep saying you don’t want to talk about it. There is not “process” to being on reality television. The Beador’s are not some high-powered celebrity couple being hounded for answers about their relationship.
She also had the nerve to post AGAIN on Instagram with a caption asking why we can’t all move on.
BECAUSE YOU WON’T LET ANYONE MOVE ON, SHANNON. THAT IS LITERALLY THE ONLY REASON WHY.
With the second part of the reunion airing that night, Shannon would already have known that she had addressed the affair at length. Going on another show to talk about this was completely voluntary and not something anyone really needed.
David is the one who cheated, but my god. I hate to say it, but it’s becoming hard to feel sorry for Shannon. Last night’s reunion episode found her pushing this exact same bullshit over and over again.
She says she’s not interested in punishing David, but if that’s true, then what’s the point of all this? What purpose is it serving for her to go on Entertainment Tonight to discuss an incident entirely brought on by her? In what way is this helping their marriage beyond Shannon being able to inflict the same hurt and humiliation onto David as she feels?
Despite the fact that she seems to be lying to herself and the viewers, what I found especially offensive were her comments on divorce. The Beadors push this narrative of “saving their family,” like divorce is some sort of death sentence to eternal unhappiness when generally it’s the opposite.
My parents (and the parents of many of my friends) divorced and yes, at times it was annoying to have two separate houses and all the inconveniences of a separation, but in the end, it was the best decision for everyone. At a certain point, divorce teaches your children that yes, family is important, but a family can look many different ways, and that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your personal happiness and well-being just to maintain some dated idea of what a family is.
What I know for sure is that I’d rather be divorced than go through a single minute of what the Beadors have been selling all season.
Contact the author at kara.brown@jezebel.com .