RHOC star Tamra Judge responds after influencer ridicules her ‘on the spectrum’ diagnosis

Influencer Zak Peter – the former deputy director of Jenny McCarthy’s controversial autism foundation – lambasted Real Housewives of Orange County star Tamra Judge following her announcement that she had been diagnosed with autism.

The reality TV personality, 57, opened up about her diagnosis during a new episode of hers Two T’s in a Pod podcast on iHeart, where she co-hosts with former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp.

“Well, I just did my first therapy session, and let’s just say I discovered something pretty big about myself that I didn’t know before,” Judge began.

“I’m on the spectrum,” Judge claimed, tears streaming down her face.

However, Judge’s diagnosis doesn’t quite match Peter, who has been a longtime autism advocate took to Instagram on Tuesday to share his thoughts.

He prefaced the video by explaining that he has met Judge in person and likes her, but is “having a hard time” with this recent announcement.

“As many of you know I have a brother, my brother is Ethan, he is 22 years old and he has autism,” Peter said.

“Not only that, but I have dedicated my time and energy to helping families affected by autism for over a decade. I used to run one of the largest national autism organizations here in the US.”

McCarthy’s autism foundation has previously come under fire for believing the diagnosis could stem from vaccine damage and is linked to the gut, something she explained in an interview with PBS Frontline.

Her son, Evan Joseph Asher, was diagnosed with autism in May 2005.

Peter explained that he has worked with a “number” of families, all of whom were on a different spectrum.

“Even in the best functioning businesses, I can tell you they don’t have the luxury that Tamra Judge lives with,” the spokesperson said. No filter with Zack said podcast host.

“They’re not on a reality show, they haven’t been on Ultimate Girls Trip, competed on The Traitors or sat under bright lights for hours recording confessionals,” he continued.

“They don’t have to do anything to pressure or start the CBD business that they have.”

Peter continued, explaining that while he likes the Real Housewives star, he feels like she doesn’t “fully understand” autism.

“I like Tamra, I’ve met her a number of times, and this is really challenging for me because it feels like she’s absolving herself of responsibility by attaching herself to the autism diagnosis without fully understanding autism,” he admitted .

He also mentioned the Instagram story Judge posted on Tuesday in response to some headlines, in which she wrote that she checks “almost all the boxes” and that it is an “ongoing evaluation.”

Peter said the Instagram story made it seem like Judge was just “doubling down” on things.

“I think this is such an insult to people living with autism and families who deal with it every day, and it’s heartbreaking coming from Tamra,” he said.

Peter also shared in the caption of his clip that his invitation for Judge to join him on his podcast “still stands.”

In response to Peter’s comments, Judge told DailyMail.com exclusively: “Please understand that this is all still unfolding for me as well.”

‘I will continue to talk to my therapist and the more I learn about myself the more I will be able to talk about what I am dealing with, but I need time to gather my thoughts and information and educate myself about what I am dealing with have to do. dealing with, before I feel comfortable talking about it more,” she continued.

However, former Real Housewives of Orange County stars Gretchen Rossi and Vicki Gunvalson also threw their hats into the ring, leaving scathing comments in agreement with the influencer and against Judge.

“It’s a huge insult, and you and I both know it’s her way of gaining sympathy from an audience that hates her right now,” Rossi wrote. “She is ‘setting up’ her storyline for next year with this BS. She uses this as an excuse for all her horrible behavior over the years (including naked waste) and does it while crying crocodile tears.”

Her comment continued: “Let’s get this straight: she has no empathy for others, but in that moment she can suddenly have empathy for herself! What a rude and failed attempt to excuse her behavior and make the audience feel sorry for her! She makes my stomach turn.”

Gunvalson also said: “This is disgusting and a shame on her. She’s looking for attention and sympathy – it’s no different than Brooks saying he has cancer out of sympathy and lying to me. She needs psychological help and needs to stop making fun of the fact that she is ‘on the spectrum’ or has autism.”

During the podcast episode where she shared her diagnosis, Judge explained that she can “process hard things” and has sensory issues, especially when it comes to sound and light.

“My biggest problem is dealing with trauma, trauma that I’ve had in my life,” Judge continued to Mellencamp.

“I struggle with empathy when feeling the feelings of others,” the Real Housewives veteran explained.

Being “on the spectrum” often refers to autism spectrum disorder, which is referred to as a spectrum because it can have a wide range of symptoms and affect people in different ways.

It is a “condition related to brain development that affects how a person perceives and interacts with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

The cases can be quite severe and some diagnosed with autism are unable to use spoken language and face physical symptoms such as epilepsy. Very good health.

“I’m just one person and I thought things were black and white for me, that I grew up in a family that didn’t have a lot of empathy or love or whatever. my adult life,” Judge said during the episode.

“But after talking and experiencing everything and my emotions, I have a hard time with empathy and feeling the feelings of others,” she continued. “There’s a reason why, and I’ll share it with you [camera].’