Tamra Judge Sues Insurance Company For Not Defending Her Against Jim Bellino’s $1 Million Defamation Lawsuit!

According to documents obtained by Radar Online, Tamra Judge is suing her insurance company for not paying for her defense against Jim Bellino. The Real Housewives of Orange County star filed a lawsuit against Encompass Insurance Company on July 10, 2019 alleging breach of contract, among other claims.

According to the affidavit, Judge claimed her policy with Encompass should’ve covered her for any claims of defamation against her.

In her complaint, Judge said she was still under her policy with Encompass when Bellino filed the defamation suit against her, and therefore should pay her legal bills.

“Encompass is obligated to provide a defense for Plaintiff in the Bellino action,” she claims in the affidavit.

Judge claims in court documents that the company failed to defend her, despite their contract. “Defamation is a specifically listed offense for which Encompass stated that it would provide a defense. Nonetheless, Encompass erroneously denied a defense to Plaintiff.”

“Encompass basis for its denial is absurd and based on an exclusion that it knows is (sic) completely inapplicable to the facts of the Bellino action. Encompass at all times looked out for its own interest ahead of that of its policyholder. As a result of Encompass’s bad faith handling of Plaintiff’s claim, and its failure to provide Plaintiff with a defense, Plaintiff is forced to pay for her own defense when Encompass knows fully that the obligation to defend rests with it.”

Judge wants Encompass to cover her regardless. “In addition, Plaintiff has been forced to brig the instant action to get Encompass to do what it is legally obligated to do in the first place, to wit, defend the Bellino action.”

Judge is suing for compensatory, general and punitive damages, as well as attorney’s fees and cost of the suit, reports Radar Online.

As previously reported, Tamra and Shannon appeared on Heather McDonald’s live Juicy Scoop podcast in June 2018. “He was very crusty … I almost sent her a message saying, ‘I’m so sorry,’ but then you sent me that text saying, ‘Do you think that he’s trying to protect her? Do you think that he’s in trouble and she can’t testify against him if he’s in trouble?” Judge said at the time.

Multiple blogs reported that Judge said her “theory” was Jim is “going to jail.” Meanwhile, Beador reportedly claimed “people get paralyzed” at his trampoline park business and the estranged couple “got sued” because of it, according to Us Weekly.

The judge has since dismissed Shannon Beador from the lawsuit. Last month, Bellino filed a lawsuit against Heather McDonald.

Photo Credit: Bravo