Shannon Beador on ‘RHOC’ Reveals Truth About Drinking Post-DUI

Shannon Beador is facing criticism this season on The Real Housewives of Orange County after revealing she has continued to drink following her DUI and alleged hit-and-run incident. However, she asserts that her relationship with alcohol is not the same as it used to be. Here’s what the Bravo star had to say about her choice to continue drinking after her DUI.

Shannon Beador admitted to People that her relationship with alcohol has changed. “I acknowledge that I was drinking a lot — a lot — back then, but today I’m not,” she said.

She further explained that she was going through challenging times. She was in the midst of a painful divorce from her ex-husband David Beador and then entered a “miserable” relationship with John Janssen.

Amid all the turmoil, Shannon said she was “using alcohol as a coping mechanism. And I know I can’t do that anymore.”

The RHOC star was first arrested in Newport Beach on September 17. She reportedly crashed her car into a planter box attached to a house. Shannon blew a .24 on the breathalyzer test, three times the legal limit. She was arrested and booked on two misdemeanors.

In November, Shannon was sentenced to three years of probation, 40 hours of community service, and ordered to pay restitution for the damage to the house. Additionally, she must complete a nine-month alcohol program.

Before commencing her court-ordered service and alcohol class, Shannon enrolled herself in an outpatient program. She spent a month in “one of the trauma behavioral wellness facilities,” then completed her community service and is on track to finish her nine-month program by September.

Shannon Beador emphasized that the biggest lesson she learned was accountability. “I want to be a healthier and better person for me,” she said. “I still see my therapist and my psychiatrist from the facility I went to on a regular basis. And I’ll probably be working on myself for the rest of my life. But today from where I was almost a year ago — because I’m approaching the year mark of my DUI — I’m proud of where I’ve come.”

Having completed most of her court-ordered classes and service, Shannon says she is now keeping to herself. She maintains a “very small, close-knit group” of friends and keeps her drinking to a minimum.

“If I choose to drink when I go out, I keep it to a minimum. And one or two drinks typically is what’ll happen — especially if I go on vacation,” she said. “And you’ll see the season when we went on our all-cast trip, I ordered a drink or two when we went out — because I never want it to look like I’m sneaking — and I was fine.”

When asked if she would ever quit drinking entirely, Shannon said, “Absolutely. When I did the program, they would randomly drug and alcohol test, so I couldn’t drink during that period. But I don’t want to sit here and say I’m never going to have a drink again. Because I am drinking. So I want to be open and honest.”

Shannon hopes her critics can recognize the changes she has made, stating she is more self-aware and “more clear-headed.” She added, “Anyone who has anything to say about me still drinking, maybe you should look at yourself in the mirror and your relationship with alcohol.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.