Shannon Storms Beador at BravoCon 2022.Photo:Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Shannon Storms Beadorstepped out on theBravoCon 2023stage on Friday, for what marked her first public appearance sinceher arrest on Sept. 17 for an alleged DUI and hit-and-run.
The reality star and mother of three, 59, shared her remorse over the incident, saying, “It’s been a tough six weeks but I will tell you that I made a terrible mistake and — I don’t want to cry. I’m incredibly grateful that I didn’t hurt anyone.”
“I, on my own, just completed a 28-day behavioral wellness program with an alcohol component and I have been able to focus on elements of my life that were unhealthy and toxic and I believe that today, I’m going in a good and positive direction,” she continued.
After thanking fans for their support, she added that she took “inventory of my life” following the arrest and realized that she was “absolutely” drinking too much.
Beador appeared alongside costarsTamra Judge,Heather Dubrow,Emily Simpson,Gina Kirschenheiter,Jennifer Pedranti,Taylor ArmstrongandVicki Gunvalsonfor theReal Housewives of Orange Countypanel at the the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. The day before,a judge ruled to drop Beador’s misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, though she was charged with a DUI, also a misdemeanor.Her blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest was said to be 0.24, three times the legal limit.
She was sentenced to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service. She will also be required to complete a nine-month alcohol program.
“I am grateful that no one else was injured besides me in this incident,” she said in a statement through her lawyer. “I have learned so much from my terrible mistake that night and realize that driving any distance while impaired is too far.”
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Shannon Storms Beador on ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’.Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Beador was arrested in Newport Beach, California around 1:17 a.m. local time, police previously told PEOPLE, after “fleeing the scene from a collision that caused property damage.” She was “booked for two misdemeanors — DUI alcohol hit-and-run — and released on a citation,” they said.
In the wake of her arrest, Beador entered herself into a mental health treatment program. “Right now, I’m focusing on getting healthy, getting back to myself, and walking Archie,” she said in a video on Oct. 17.
Her lawyer Michael L. Fell previously told PEOPLE that she was “extremely apologetic and remorseful” after her accident. “We will be awaiting the official information on this case as it becomes available, and Shannon is prepared to accept full responsibility for her actions,” he said.
Shannon Storms Beador.
She’s received support from many of her costars, too, including Gunvalson, who toldAccess Hollywood’sHousewives Nightcappodcast that Beador was “one incredible woman.”
“She’s taking ownership of this,” Gunvalson, 61, said. “She’s already made restitution with the little garden wall that she hit. And you know, I’m so proud of her. I mean, I’ve hugged her and loved her. And I said, ‘You know what? Accidents happen. This is an accident. You take ownership of this. You get in front of it.’ She’s doing all of that.”
TheRHOCO.G. also explained that Beador had lost her phone the night of her accident, which prompted her to drive under the influence. “The ironic thing is Shannon doesn’t and hasn’t, drive, drink, drive. She is an Uber girl. She spends a ton of money a month. But that night it was an unfortunate situation,” Gunvalson said. “She had to have been out with some friends and she might have had one too many and then went to go try to find a phone. She thought she left it at the restaurant, so she got in her car because she couldn’t call an Uber to find her phone because she didn’t have her phone.”
Shannon Storms Beador and Vicki Gunvalson.Bravo
Bravo
“Honestly, at the end of the day … I just don’t have it in me,” she said. “I’m not going to kick someone when they’re down, and I’ve been down. I know where she’s at right now. It’s not a good place to be — mentally, emotionally.”
“It’s obviously the worst mistake you can make,” Kirschenheiter, 39, added. “I am a wholehearted believer in that, having made that mistake myself. So I’m just glad everybody’s okay. But like, it sucks. It’s hard. I feel bad. I feel bad for her.”
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BravoCon 2023 is continuing through Sunday, Nov. 5 as Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.
source: people.com
