Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills had one of the most shocking moments in the franchise's history when Brandi Glanville unearthed an alleged affair she had with Denise Richards. The moment was so surprising production was forced to break the fourth wall, something they never planned on doing. Now, a Bravo executive has come forward to explain why.
RHOBH fans were rocked last season when Brandi came forward with claims of an alleged tryst she had with married housewife Denise Richards. Not only did she allege to have hooked up with Denise, but she also accused the Wild Things star of having an open marriage with her husband, Aaron Phyphers. At the time she was confronted with the allegations, an extremely flabbergasted and upset Denise addressed the show's production during filming in something referred to as breaking the fourth wall. "Bravo, Bravo, f*cking Bravo," she exclaimed. The term is used by characters on the show to signal production to cut. While it's not something typically allowed, Denise was shown using the term on two different occasions.
The network is finally opening up about why they chose to document the experience. Erica Forstadt, the Vice President of Current Production at Bravo, discussed the shocking scene on Bravo TV's The Daily Dish podcast. “The only way to tell a story is to tell its truth,” Forstadt explained. “And I think we had no choice but to break the fourth wall this season with what was happening with Denise and the other women. It was the only way to tell an honest and true narrative.”
Forstadt went on to reveal that Brandi Glanville’s confession was a real moment that production wasn't fully aware of. Forstadt explained the scene with Brandi sharing the allegations with Teddi Mellencamp and Kyle Richards. “The showrunner and I talk all the time,” Forstadt said. “So that night I believe he texted me the information and I immediately called him. That was shocking.”
Shocking it was. Fans couldn't stop talking about the scandal that dragged over into the three-part reunion. Denise responded by issuing out cease-and-desist letters to members of the cast in addition to announcing her exit from the show over the summer. According to Forstadt, they had to tell the true story without confusing fans. “I think [breaking the fourth wall] is incredibly important....with this season, no way we could tell the story without doing what we did.“
Source: The Daily Dish