The Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson has revealed that her son Luke has been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
During Thursday’s season 19 premiere episode, Simpson, 49, said her twins, 10, are “very tiny” for their age. Luke “has always been a picky eater,” she said, but said that during the last year, it got to the point where “he doesn’t eat at all.”
She took her son to a therapist, where he received a diagnosis of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
“Food in general disgusts him,” Simpson said. “He doesn’t process the idea of eating like we do.”
Simpson, who also shares daughter Annabelle and Luke’s twin Keller with husband Shane, said she’ll offer Luke different food options, but he’ll turn them down. “He doesn’t eat anything, but he’s starving,” she said.
“I’m worried that he’s not getting the nutrition he needs,” Simpson said through tears in a confessional. “I’m worried that he’s the weird kid at school who doesn’t eat and everybody’s going to make fun of him.”
“I want my child to be happy,” she continued. “That’s it.”
“He’ll be fine, ‘cause now we’re on top of it,” Simpson’s husband, Shane, said.
Later in the episode, Simpson revealed that Luke might also have Autism spectrum disorder.
Speaking to castmate Gina Kirschenheiter, she said Luke’s therapist told her “the eating disorder is very common with Autism.” Simpson said her son will be going to a specialist for “intense testing” to see “where he lies.”
“Then I just felt like the worst mom because there’s all these things, like sound bothers him, smells bother him, textures bother him, and it’s like, did I just ignore them?” Simpson wondered.
“I can’t even explain to you how emotionally tapped out I am,” she continued to Kirschenheiter, whose own daughter has sensory issues.
Meanwhile, another castmate, Tamra Judge, has opened up about the intense backlash she received after claiming she was on the Autism spectrum.
Judge sparked controversy in October when she said on her podcast that she was “on the spectrum,” referring to Autism spectrum disorder, after just one therapy session and no formal diagnosis. Her therapist told her at the time that many of the symptoms she was experiencing “were all signs of being on the spectrum.”
Speaking to her therapist on Thursday’s premiere episode of the 19th season of the hit Bravo show, Judge said: “I know when you mentioned that to me, I had gone home and went on my podcast, and I misspoke. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I just got annihilated, you know, publicly annihilated,” she continued. “I had a really s****y last year. It was very hurtful. People think I don’t have feelings, and it’s not true. I’m tired of being called a horrible human being because I’m not.”
During the televised therapy session, Judge acknowledged to her therapist that she was having intrusive thoughts and sensory issues. Her therapist then explained how Judge’s unprocessed trauma can mimic the symptoms of Autism spectrum disorder.
“It’s hard to say until you get an assessment,” the therapist confirmed.
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