‘Real Housewives Of Orange County’ Star Heather Dubrow Doesn’t Understand How Taylor Armstrong “Twisted” Her Good Intentions

When you get to chat with The Real Housewives Of Orange County star Heather Dubrow, it’s only fitting to be in a setting as glamorous as the RH Rooftop Restaurant in the heart of NYC’s Meatpacking District. In town for an appearance on Watch Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the Bravo star–lovingly known to fans as “Fancy Pants”–supplied us with hors d’oeuvres, champagne, and a glorious view before we plunged into a conversation about the new season of RHOC and so much more. And if you’re wondering whether her supportive and doting husband, Dr. Terry Dubrow, was present, he was! With two of their four children now off at college, the Dubrows are still adjusting to their new normal and enjoying life as soon-to-be empty nesters.

After returning to the show in 2021 following a brief hiatus, the actress-turned-mother-turned-reality star-turned-mogul thought it would be “easy” to slip back into her old gig. “They asked me back, and I thought, ‘I’m going to drink champagne, I’m going to show off my house’. . . what an idiot I was,’ laughed Dubrow. “The girl [Nicole James] I brought on the show sued my husband and it all went crazy at the first party,” remembered Dubrow. And, as the Let’s Talk With Heather Dubrow podcast host revealed, Season 17 proved to be just as unpredictable.

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“What was weird and shocking to me was that I thought things were going one way and then I kept getting blindsided,” said Dubrow. Tamra Judge returns this season after a two-year break, so viewers can continue to expect the unexpected knowing that the two gals don’t always see eye to eye. When asked about filming again with Judge and fellow longtime housewife Shannon Beador, Dubrow said it felt “familiar,” a “net positive” for the fans. She explained: “Many people say that seasons 7-11 or so were the glory days of the show, and I felt that same vibe while filming the current season.”

One of the miscommunications Dubrow alludes to involves the show’s new Friend Of and RHOBH alum, Taylor Ford Armstrong. Armstrong offered a movie role that wasn’t hers to offer to Dubrow during a night of drinking. When Armstrong followed up with Dubrow, she backtracked, saying that the offer was theoretical, not hard and fast, which is believable given Dubrow’s rich history with network television.

In last week’s episode, Dubrow went over to Armstrong’s home to support her and help her rehearse for her upcoming film with acting coach/Broadway vet Lauren Lim Jackson. Dubrow had met Jackson backstage at Pretty Woman a few years earlier. Dubrow describes the scene wistfully: “It was so weird and coincidental, but I had the best time that day. I walked out of Taylor’s house feeling like, ‘wow, I miss acting. I miss all these things’ and then to have Taylor get my reaction twisted like she did…” Dubrow trailed off.

In tonight’s episode, we’ll see more conflict between the two OC residents after Armstrong fills Judge in on her side of the story, namely she believed Dubrow was talking down to her. “I don’t understand how she could have misconstrued my intentions,” teased Dubrow. “I’m curious to watch it back. I’m a self-actualized person and I want to know if I was in the wrong or was it her?”

The unsinkable Dubrow made sure to share a toast with us before saying goodbye. Even though her journey might not be the easiest season, we just know that she will handle her Louboutins to the fire with her usual grace and poise.

New episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County air Wednesdays at 8pm ET on Bravo.