Shannon Beador Took 'Inventory of My Life' amid DUI Arrest and No Contest Plea: 'It's Been a Tough 6 Weeks'

Shannon Storms Beador stepped out on the BravoCon 2023 stage on Friday, for what marked her first public appearance since her 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 costars Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Jennifer Pedranti, Taylor Armstrong and Vicki Gunvalson for the Real Housewives of Orange County panel 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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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.

A source confirmed to PEOPLE that Beador allegedly crashed her vehicle into the side of a residential building and damaged a built-in planter box before pulling away. Her vehicle was found by police, abandoned in the middle of the road.

Authorities later discovered Beador walking her dog Archie not far from the crash, the insider 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.

She's received support from many of her costars, too, including Gunvalson, who told Access Hollywood’s Housewives Nightcap podcast 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.”  

The RHOC O.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.”  

Meanwhile Kirschenheiter – who was arrested for driving under the influence in 2019, and has been reminded about that for years since by Beador on the show — took the high road when discussing it in a September episode of her Orange Country podcast.

"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.