Shannon Beador is opening up about the “really hurtful” comments Love Hotel host Joel Kim Booster made about her after filming wrapped.
“I was very shocked,” the Real Housewives of Orange County star, 60, told Nick Viall on the Thursday, October 31, episode of “The Viall Files” podcast. “I was in the airport, we had wrapped. And the last I saw him is when we finished filming. He had tears in his eyes for me and he hugged me, so, I don’t know what’s going on. It’s hurtful and it’s upsetting to me because I always get close to the crew. I consider them like my family.”
In since-deleted Instagram Stories from September, Booster, 36, called Beador a “pathetic drunk” who “treats the people you work with like they are subhuman,” adding that he hopes she “suffers.”
When Beador was asked what her first thought was when she saw Booster’s posts, the reality television star said she and her fellow cast and crew members couldn’t believe what they had read.
“Every single person was [shocked] – the girls, Gizelle [Bryant], Luann [de Lesseps] and Ashley [Darby], who I love to death,” the Bravolebrity continued. “We’re bonded for life now but they were really supportive. Just everyone was surprised.”
After Viall, 44, said he thought Booster’s apology on social media made him “look so much worse,” Beador told the former Bachelor star that Booster eventually ended up sending her a personal apology via email.
“I’m so excited about the show airing, by the way. It’s going to be really good. When you see the show, he’s gonna look silly because we were nothing but friendly with each other,” she added. “I can forgive anyone. But you can forgive, you don’t need to forget. And I don’t think it was a genuine apology and I’ll just leave it at that.”
Beador made similar comments at a “Shannon and Vicki Live!” show at the Irvine Improv in California in early October, telling the audience that she “really” doesn’t know “what it’s about.”
One week later, Booster issued a public apology to Beador via his Instagram Story, in which he appeared to take responsibility for his actions.
“Re: The Housewives of it all, I’ve had a lot of time to think and process about this and I wish I could say that I was not the guy who posted those statements on Instagram, but the fact is that I am,” the comedian wrote at the time. “I let an onset conflict cloud my judgment and accessed the darkest, ugliest part of myself and said things I don’t stand by or even believe and I am deeply sorry that allowed my worst self to cloud my judgment.”
He added, “I know Shannon has had an extraordinarily hard year as she has bravely shared and as someone who has struggles of their own that have spilled over into work, I should have had more grace for her in that moment. I am deeply sorry for the ways in which I’ve made Shannon’s road toward stability more difficult and hope that she makes it out the other side of this stronger, healthier and with the love that she deserves in her life.”
Booster hosts season 1 of Love Hotel, a Real Housewives franchise spinoff series and dating show. Beador was announced as an inaugural cast member in July alongside Real Housewives of New York‘s de Lesseps, 59, as well as Potomac’s Bryant, 54, and Darby, 36.
The women filmed in Cabo San Lucas throughout the month of September, but a release date has not yet been set.
