By Mark Gray
1:49pm PST, Nov 9, 2023
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It doesn't get much more real than this.
TMZ reported that "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Shannon Beador was arrested on Sept. 17 for "clipping" a house while driving under the influence with her dog in the car.
She was not seriously injured during the accident, which went down near her ex-boyfriend John Janssen's home in Newport Beach, California.
More than a month later, Shannon was formally hit with two charges: On Oct. 27, TMZ reported that the Orange County District Attorney had formally charged Shannon with one count of DUI and one count of hit-and-run, which are both misdemeanors.
Law enforcement sources told the webloid that Shannon's blood alcohol content was .24% after the crash — that's three times the legal limit.
On Nov. 2, a judge handed down Shannon's sentence…
Keep reading for all the details on her sentence, what happened, why animal control got involved and more…
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After Shannon Beador's attorney entered her plea of no contest to one count of DUI and one count of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more — one count of hit-and-run with property damage was dismissed — an Orange County, California, judge on Nov. 2 sentenced the Bravo star to 36 months of informal probation, fines, fees, 40 hours of community service and a nine-month alcohol program, TMZ reported.
Legal docs obtained by the webloid showed that Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer had tried to convince the judge to not let her off so easy — the D.A. was pushing for 30 days in jail too — but the judge didn't go for it.
Keep reading to see what the D.A. had to say about the sentence, which he didn't support…
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Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer was not happy with the sentence a judge gave Shannon Beador.
"Driving under the influence must have consequences. When a judge gives someone who not only drove with a blood alcohol level of .24 — three times the legal limit — but then ran away from the scene of a DUI collision a slap on the wrist, you are sending a message that DUIs are not serious crimes that demand accountability," Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer told TMZ in a statement on Nov. 2.
"Judge London clearly felt otherwise and not only gave her a court offer, but dismissed the hit and run charge in the interest of justice," the D.A. added. "This is not justice. We as a society need to wake up and address the very real — and often deadly — consequences of driving under the influence."
Keep reading for more on what happened…
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DailyMail.com reported on Sept. 20 that the night of the incident, Shannon Beador had dinner and drinks with friends at a restaurant in Newport Beach, California, that's close to the neighborhood where both she and ex-boyfriend John Janssen live. After dinner, she ended up driving near John's home, which is where she lost control of her vehicle. (It's unclear what Shannon was doing near John's home or if they saw each other before she crashed into his neighbor's house mere yards away.)
"Shannon is obsessed with John, she can't get over him and she was humiliated when he dumped her last November. She now lives a stone's throw from him, literally down the street from him. It's obvious she was at his house or passing by it on the night she was arrested. The area where she crashed her car is not on the route from the restaurant to her house," a source said.
After Shannon left the scene of the accident, her troubling behavior continued…
Keep reading to learn what Shannon was doing when police discovered her…
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On Sept. 17, Shannon Beador was driving in Newport Beach, California, when she lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a house. She then quickly steered her car back into the road and drove away.
Citing police sources, TMZ reported that following the accident, Shannon parked her car in the middle of the road and got out with her dog. She "tried to act like she was taking a walk when police arrived," TMZ reported. Police, who received a 911 call about Shannon, weren't buying it and arrested her for DUI.
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Shannon Beador's DUI arrest has both bark and bite. Because the "Real Housewives of Orange County" star was with her dog, Archie, during her DUI hit-and-run incident, the Newport Beach Police Department's animal control unit is getting involved, Page Six reported.
"We don't have animal endangering laws like you would with children but we do have animal cruelty laws, so he's going to look into that a little bit further," Sgt. Steve Oberon of the NBPD told the New York Post's gossip column.
When police detained Shannon, she asked that Archie be "dropped off at someone's house to take care of [him] while she was dealing with her situation," the officer said. (According to Page Six, that "someone" was Shannon's ex, John Janssen.)
Neither Shannon nor Archie were injured during the accident, and she has not lost custody of him as a result of the incident.
An insider told Page Six that "Shannon has not been contacted by Animal Control" and that "Archie is fine and is currently with Shannon."
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Shannon Beador was looking into treatment options following her DUI arrest, TMZ reported on Sept. 21, but nearly a week later, she had yet to pick one. "She really wants to get the help she thinks she needs," TMZ wrote, citing sources.
On Oct. 9, TMZ reported that the Bravo reality star enrolled in an outpatient behavioral wellness program that has an alcohol component.
In addition, her lawyer was in contact with the owner of the home that she clipped as Shannon has offered to pay to repair the damage. The reality TV star wants to "help make things right," TMZ's report noted.
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Shannon Beador was booked into an Orange County jail for hit-and-run and DUI alcohol, which are both misdemeanors. She was released without bond.
Police took possession of her car, which is part of their investigation because of the accident.
Bravo cameras were not following Shannon before, during or after the incident.
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"I spent quite a bit of time with Shannon [Beador] yesterday. She is extremely apologetic and remorseful. 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," her lawyer, Michael Fell, said in a statement on Sept. 18.
In California, misdemeanors are punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of $1,000, NBC reported.
Shannon was formally hit with two charges in late October. TMZ reported that the Orange County District Attorney had formally charged the reality star with one count of DUI and one count of hit-and-run. Law enforcement sources told the webloid that Shannon's blood alcohol content was .24% after the crash, which is three times the limit.
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In late 2022, Shannon Beador's three-and-a-half-year romance with John Janssen came to an end. She candidly admitted she was "blindsided" by the split.
"I've never loved anyone more in my life. … I was hopeful this was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I wanted it to work out. I've never loved anyone like I've loved John. But clearly, he didn't feel the same way," she later said on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."
Following Shannon's accident, John insisted to DailyMail.com that he and the reality star have not reconciled romantically: "We are friends, I care about her," he said before shooting down rumors that they had a fight the night of the incident.
John has been seen visiting Shannon in the days since she was arrested.
This isn't the first time the former couple has made headlines since they split…
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Over the summer of 2023, Shannon Beador was reportedly removed from a tiki bar in Costa Mesa, California, after "screaming" at ex-boyfriend John Janssen's daughter.
Page Six reported that the reality TV star was hanging out with her ex and his family when things took a turn.
A witness claimed Shannon was "wasted" and "had to be held back and removed by security." John said the incident was much less interesting than reported, telling Page Six, "Yes, there was an argument, but it was at the end of the night, the lights were up, and everyone was being asked to leave."
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Shannon Beador is seeking treatment after her arrest, pal Jeff Lewis revealed.
"I am happy to say that she is gonna be entering counseling this week, so I'm happy about that," the "Flipping Out" star said on his SiriusXM show, "Jeff Lewis Live."
The "Real Housewives of Orange County" star is "embarrassed" over the situation, he added. "I don't think Shannon is an alcoholic," he said. "I think as her close friend, I think she's going through a lot of personal struggles right now, and I think that she probably has been leaning on alcohol, but I don't believe she's an alcoholic."
Jeff insisted he's never known his friend to drink and drive.
"I'm not justifying it, I'm not condoning it, I just am telling you what I know," he shared.
