“He inspects every grain of rice” – RHOC’s Emily Simpson reveals heartbreaking struggle with son Luke’s rare eating disorder as she films Season 19 while watching him battle food aversion so extreme he refuses anything but plain white rice - suong

Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson is getting candid about a deeply personal struggle: her son Luke’s eating disorder.

At first, Emily thought 10-year-old Luke was just a typical picky eater. But when he began refusing food entirely, she sought help from a therapist — where Luke was diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

ARFID is a mental health disorder where individuals avoid or restrict food intake, often due to sensory sensitivities.

For Luke, that means intense aversions to texture, color, and smell. Emily revealed that he currently only eats white rice — and even inspects each grain before taking a bite.

In an exclusive interview with People, Emily shared how difficult it was to film RHOC Season 19 while navigating Luke’s diagnosis. Still, she found a silver lining in opening up publicly:

“My reason for continuing on and navigating this truly challenging time (in real time and on camera) was because I knew l’d get more answers, support and feedback than any therapist or doctor could provide,” Emily said.

“The Bravo fans are incredible and caring people, and I wasn’t wrong.”

Sending love and strength to Emily, Luke, and their entire family as they continue this journey.