RHOC Alum Lauri Peterson Suffers Tragic Loss Of Son Josh, 35

The following article mentions substance abuse.

A few "Real Housewives" stars have lost children over the years, and now an OG member of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" cast, Lauri Peterson, has joined this tragic club. On April 6, she took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news that her son Josh Waring died on Easter Sunday.

In her post, Peterson didn't disclose Josh's cause of death, but she did mention her son's long struggle with drug addiction. "Not everyone understands those suffering from substance abuse disorder, but I am forever grateful for your understanding and the impact you made on his life," she wrote. She praised Josh for maintaining his positive attitude even during low points in his life, and the grieving mother also reflected on some of her happier times with Josh before he fell victim to substance abuse. "Josh's childhood was filled with deep intellect, humor, pranks, athletics, snowboarding, body boarding mountain hikes, reading, friends and his love for music," she wrote. Josh leaves behind a daughter named Kennady. His father is Lauri's ex-husband Phillip Waring.

Among those expressing their condolences were Gretchen Rossi, another "RHOC" alum who has lost a child. "Oh Laurie, my heart breaks for you so much. I know how much you fought for him and always wanted nothing but the best for him," she wrote in the comments section of Peterson's post. In fact, Peterson decided to leave "RHOC" out of concern for her son.

After Lauri Peterson exited "The Real Housewives of Orange County" in 2008, she told The Orange County Register that her son's substance use issues had influenced her decision. He'd been arrested for possession of heroin, which made Peterson decide to prioritize him over the show. "I was traumatized by Josh's arrest. I truly was completely emotionally unavailable. I was crying continually, and I wasn't helping my son," she said. She argued that her family's participation in the show had nothing to do with Josh Waring's substance use issues and revealed that he had wanted to keep appearing on "RHOC" with her at the time.

In the years that followed, Waring had multiple brushes with the law. In 2016, he was jailed for attempted murder and spent the next four years behind bars. As reported by The Blast, he reached a plea deal and was released in 2020. A year prior, OC Weekly reported that Waring had organized a hunger strike protesting the Orange County Sheriff's Department's alleged unlawful surveillance and mistreatment of inmates. His attorney believed that jail officials were engaging "in a scheme to severely injure or kill" Waring because he was drawing attention to their alleged corruption.

Following his release, Waring added several arrests for drug-related charges to his record, according to The Orange County Register. In February 2024, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a security guard and given a 90-day jail sentence for violating his release terms.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).