Tamra Judge will not have to hand over text messages exchanged with Heather McDonald to her former Real Housewives of Orange County co-star, Jim Bellino.
Weeks ago, Jim filed documents requesting messages sent between the two women prior to Tamra’s appearance on Juicy Scoop because he believed they would prove comments made by Tamra on the show were premeditated.
On October 22, Radar Online shared details regarding the latest development in Jim’s $1 million lawsuit against Tamra and her co-star, Shannon Beador, revealing a judge shut down his motion on October 18.
During a hearing at the Orange County Superior Court, Judge Layne H. Melzer ruled against Jim’s motion for discovery and continued his case against the reality stars to December 6. As the outlet explained, in California, all requests for discovery are required to be put on hold after a party files an anti-SLAPP motion.
An anti-SLAPP motion in created to strike a complaint due to freedom of speech.
“As a result, a plaintiff who brings a defamation action subject to the malice standard cannot show good cause for discovery on the question of actual malice without making a prima facie showing first that the defendant’s published statements contain provably false factual assertions,” Melzer wrote.
Jim filed his $1 million lawsuit against Tamra and Shannon in September after they labeled him a “shady mother***er” and suggested he was “going to jail” during a June appearance on Heather’s podcast.
Also during the appearance, Shannon claimed people had been paralyzed at one of Jim’s trampoline parks.
“I am not amused and will be seeking full compensation for the damages to my reputation and my business and all of the pain and suffering that Judge and Beador have put me and my family through during a very personally difficult time in my life,” Jim said in a statement to Radar Online after filing the suit.
Following Jim’s lawsuit filing, Tamra filed documents of her own, requesting the case be dismissed.
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