The stars of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are expected to fall in and out of fans' favor throughout their run on the show, but here's how new main cast member Sutton Stracke went from villain to fan-favorite in just one season. Even though the central scandals of RHOBH season 11 have been Erika Jayne's legal troubles, Sutton has managed to be one of the season's most talked-about housewives - for better and for worse. From her emotionally turbulent feud with Crystal Minkoff to leading the criticism of Erika's story, this is how Sutton rose from season 11's antagonist to the victor of Beverly Hills.
Over the 11 seasons of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, many original fan-favorites stayed on the series long enough for fans to turn on them. For instance, Lisa Vanderpump was a national treasure until "Puppygate" on season 10 exposed her to be a manipulator. The support Lisa worked a decade to amass fell apart due to one miscalculated plot with Teddi Mellencamp. In turn, original cast member Camille Grammer also had an interesting trajectory as she was absolutely despised back on RHOBH season 1. After some time away, however, season 1 OG housewife Camille Grammer garnered a sizable fanbase that eagerly awaits the cameos she makes every other season.
The impression Sutton has made on fans has been extraordinarily unpredictable and fast-moving. At the beginning of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 11, Sutton was unpopular with viewers because of an argument with her new co-star Crystal. When Crystal attempted to help Kyle Richards understand Garcelle Beauvais' point about racial bias as a fellow person of color, Sutton interjected. Sutton made outdated claims, claiming that she "doesn't see color." Sutton was ignorant in regards to Crystal's perspective and came off as awkward after violating Crystal's privacy. Fans viewed Sutton as antagonistic during her squabble with Crystal, but after they put their issues behind them, Sutton officially initiated her comeback.
When news of Erika Jayne's divorce broke, all of the stars and fans from Real Housewives of Beverly Hill felt sympathy for her. When it broke that Erika's ex-husband Tom Girardi had allegedly stolen millions of dollars from his clients, compassion for Erika slowly waned. The press then reported new claims that tens of millions of dollars stolen by Tom allegedly went to Erika's company. This triggered an alarm for Sutton, who was the first person to voice her skepticism of Erika's side of the story. While most of the group had gone along with Erika's story in an attempt to be supportive, Sutton had already been straightforward with her skepticism. Even though fans might not agree that Sutton was right for calling out Erika without any proof of wrongdoing, certain fans appreciated Sutton's bold dissension.
Sutton's racially insensitive argument with Crystal made her a villain at the beginning of the season. However, by apologetically standing her ground against Erika, Sutton has won back the favor of some fans. While she hasn't always had the most popular (or politically correct) opinions, Sutton has never shied away from voicing her own thoughts. With just half of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 11 left, viewers will have to wait and see if Sutton finishes the season off as a hero or a villain.