The 'Real Housewives of OC' star was arrested in September.
Shannon Beador is addressing her DUI arrest, and revealing details of the fateful night and her journey to self-discovery and recovery.
The Real Housewives of Orange County was arrested in September 2023 for a DUI.
"I still look back on it, and I have a hard time," Beador admitted in an emotional interview on Bravo's Hot Mic podcast, hosted by Alex Baskin. "I am a huge proponent of Uber; my CFO yells at me every month because my Uber bill is so high. So, if there was even a possibility of me having one sip of alcohol, I always take an Uber."
Beador continued, describing the night of the incident. "That night I had an early dinner and I was having fun meeting people in this new neighborhood I was staying in, and I took an Uber home. I left my phone in the car, and I stupidly got in the car and drove to John's because I needed help to get my phone back, and it was three blocks away."
The reality star shared that she got into an argument with her ex, John Janssen, and when asked to leave, she made a rash decision. "I was angry, very angry, and I thought, 'Well, I'm not going to leave my car here,' so I got in my car to drive the three blocks. I made a horrible mistake, and I have to tell you, it keeps me up at night to think I could have hurt somebody. I'm just so grateful that I didn't."
Expressing remorse, Beador reflected on the incident, acknowledging the gravity of her actions. "I made a terrible mistake, and I sit back and think, 'Why did this happen?' But it has forced me to look in and take an inventory of myself and realize what wasn't working in my life."
The Bravolebrity revealed that despite receiving offers for free rehab stays for alcholism, she chose to attend a behavioral wellness program to address the root causes of her unhealthy choices. "I went to a behavioral wellness place because I want to figure out why I make certain toxic and unhealthy choices in my life. There was an alcohol component to it, and in this particular part of my life, have I been drinking way more than normal? Absolutely."
Beador emphasized her commitment to self-improvement and expressed gratitude for the wake-up call. "I'm able to look at all of that, and I don't want that to be the life. I wasn't happy, and I think you can see that too in the last season. I wasn't willing to acknowledge it."
Last month, Beador opened up about her DUI arrest and her breakup in an exclusive interview from the carpet at BravoCon 2023.
Talking with ET's Brice Sander, the reality star revealed how she was doing less than two months after she was taken into custody for driving under the influence in Newport Beach, California.
Beador -- who was sentenced to 36 months of probation, 40 hours of community service and a nine-month-long alcohol program -- said she was focused on getting better and improving herself.
"I've spent the last month focusing on myself," Beador told ET. "I went to a program for 28 days and I am -- I have started and I'm continuing to eliminate toxic and unhealthy things in my life."
She clarified that while that does mean she is axing alcohol from her diet, it's not the only thing she is cutting out.
"I haven't been drinking and, you know, there are certain relationships that I've ended as well," she shared.
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