Former RHOC Star Lauri Peterson's Son Josh Waring Passes Away at Age 35

Real Housewives of Orange County alum Lauri Peterson is grieving the loss of her son, Josh Waring, an original cast member of the Bravo series. Lauri sadly announced on April 6 that her 35-year-old son, Josh, passed away on Easter Sunday. The pain of loss is indescribable; it hurts to the core. Josh fought daily for most of his adulthood, but on Sunday, the battle became overwhelming. The 63-year-old mentioned that Josh's childhood was full of intellect, humor, pranks, sports, reading, friendships, and a passion for music.

Despite facing adult hardships, Josh maintained his sense of humor, optimism, kindness, and love for his family. He passionately defended the vulnerable and found joy, pride, and purpose in watching his daughter Kennady grow. Lauri, who had adopted Kennady as a baby with George Peterson, did not disclose the cause of Josh's death. Her son had long fought drug addiction and legal issues, which were featured on the early seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2006.

Lauri last appeared in 2013 and Josh served time in prison multiple times. In 2020, he was released after four years in prison for pleading guilty to felony assault with a firearm, police chase, and assault causing serious injury. Initially, he was charged with attempted murder for shooting a man in 2016 outside a sober living home, as reported by the Orange County Register. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to drug charges and was sentenced to two years in prison. He failed to report to his probation officer, leading to a warrant for his arrest in January. The month after, Josh was arrested for allegedly assaulting a hospital security guard. He was released from custody in March, according to jail records.

Lauri expressed gratitude to everyone who has helped Josh and supported her throughout her journey. She also appreciated those who shared their stories of living with substance abuse and parents who shared their experiences of losing children to this illness. Josh is survived by his mom, daughter, sisters Ashley and Sophie. Lauri expressed her love for him and will miss him deeply. "I'll always be your Mama Bear & Mama Dukes. When the clock hits 11:11, call me to make a wish! What do I wish for now? My heart is with you, hoping for your peace. Heaven gained an amazing angel, and you finally found your freedom, sweet boy." Love forever, Mom. J.M. Waring 12/20/88-3/31/24. Lauri Peterson, former cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County, is mourning the death of her son Josh Waring. He was 35. "My sweet Josh left this earth Easter Sunday," Lauri wrote on Instagram April 6 with family photos. Losing someone is an indescribable pain. Josh fought daily for most of his adult life, but last Sunday proved too much. The 63-year-old explained, "Josh's childhood was filled with intellect, humor, athleticism, and a love for music." Even through adult hardships, Josh remained humorous, optimistic, kind to others, defended the defenseless, and deeply loved his family. His daughter, Kennady, brought him immense joy, pride, and purpose. Laurie, who adopted Kennady with her husband George Peterson over a decade ago, did not disclose the cause of Josh's passing. Her son battled addiction and legal turmoil for years and his struggles were showcased on the early seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County, starting in 2006. Lauri last appeared in 2013; Josh served prison time multiple times. In 2020, he was released after four years in prison for felony assault with a firearm, leading a police chase, and assaulting with great bodily injury. He was initially charged with attempted murder in the 2016 shooting outside a sober living home, per Orange County Register. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to felony drug charges and was sentenced to two years in prison. He failed to report to his probation officer and a warrant was issued for his arrest in January. Josh was arrested the next month.