Gretchen Rossi Says Tamra's Engagement Is a Sham, Tamra Responds And Gretchen Says It's Not True

TMZ.com:

"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Gretchen Rossi is telling friends ... Tamra Barney's new engagement is based on a money-grubbing lie -- manufactured by show producers desperate for a dramatic finale.


Sources close to Gretchen tell TMZ, producers originally approached Gretchen's BF Slade about proposing -- hoping he'd pop the question in time for the show's big finale this year. We're told producers even attempted to bribe Slade with an exotic proposal destination ... and a FREE RING.


We're told Slade turned the offer down -- convinced the public already hated him enough without a fake proposal -- so producers turned to Tamra and her BF Eddie Judge out of spite.


We're told Tamra and Eddie instantly snatched up the proposal package -- and her whole proposal was then conveniently filmed for the show ... at the same exotic location that was allegedly offered to Slade.


Bravo had no comment.

I hope this does turn out to be true because Tamra has to be the only idiot on the planet who thought she could really be friends again with a lying wench like Gretchen Rossi.

RELATED: UPDATE – RHOC’s Gretchen Rossi Calls Tamra Barney’s Engagement A Scam! Tamra Responds!