Gina Kirschenheiter Stands by Shannon Beador Amid Controversial Comments from Ex-'RHOC' Producer

In a surprising turn of events, "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Gina Kirschenheiter is defending her former co-star Shannon Beador against accusations made by a former producer. Patrick McDonald, who worked on the Bravo hit during Season 18 before leaving the industry, described Beador as a challenging figure behind the scenes, alleging she would "lose it," yell and curse at producers and crew just moments before filming. He also labeled her as one of the most "miserable" and "narcissistic" housewives across the franchise. However, Kirschenheiter isn't quick to jump on the bandwagon. "You know what? It's hard for me to say because I only know my relationships with the producers," she shares exclusively with Page Six's "Virtual Reali-Tea." She admits that she has witnessed Beador losing her cool, but clarifies that viewers have seen the circumstances surrounding those outbursts play out on screen. Kirschenheiter points to Season 18 as a particularly tough time for Beador, who was filming alongside her ex-boyfriend John Janssen and his then-girlfriend Alexis Bellino. "When she’s dealing with, like, she’s afraid that her ex’s feelings…and so she’s flipping out," Kirschenheiter explains. "And they also showed all that, you know? So, that to me, what they’ve shown, what you’ve seen, is what I’ve seen." Beador herself has responded to McDonald's allegations on Jamie Kennedy's "Hate to Break It to Ya" podcast, insisting she was kind to the producer during that season and disputing claims of mistreatment towards the crew. As for her relationship with Beador today, Kirschenheiter says they are on good terms. "I love Shannon. I love her," she tells us. The latest season of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo, with new episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.