The last few The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons have shown cast member Erika Jayne embroiled in a legal situation with her now ex-husband, Tom Girardi. The situation has been ugly, involving the families of victims of a plane crash, and huge sums of money which were allegedly embezzled from them. Fans have seen through the cracks since day one.
Erika's situation began with a number of articles appearing in the press, and RHOBH fans were intrigued to see how things would play out on the series, which was filming at the time. Erika's response was criticized by many, who deemed it insensitive. When her fellow castmates probed her for information, she assured them that it was under control, and being taken care of. However, one housewife in particular was hellbent on getting more information, and didn't buy the story from the beginning.
Sutton Stracke's approach to Erika's legal woes was one that surprised the rest of the cast. In season twelve, episode twelve, Erika had drinks with Garcelle Beauvais, calling Sutton a liability because of her unpredictability. Garcelle's response, in her confessional, was that it's the other way around, as Erika is the liability. “Is there a more scandalous woman in America today than Erika Jayne?” Garcelle said. Fans agree, and Reddit user unicorn_sparklesweat started the conversation: “This whole storyline of Erika going through a tough time… how are the producers even okay with it?”
Another Reddit user, Euphoric_Oven_7910, was curious about Sutton's sudden change of tune, saying: "Also annoying that Sutton is not calling Erika out this season and instead is playing nice." This is particularly noteworthy, given Sutton's concern that being around Erika in the midst of her legal issues could be a danger to her. Other fans are noticing Lisa Rinna's allegiance to Erika and their partnership, noting Lisa's history of causing trouble with the other women. "The excuses Rinna and Kyle [Richards] make for her is absolutely appalling," Reddit user LizzyPanhandle says. "There are widows and orphans that are watching."
Some fans even believe that Erika being a liability extends beyond the group of women, saying that her inclusion on the show is sending a dubious message to the show's viewers. Reality television has something of a responsibility in terms of how it decides to portray certain groups, and what it chooses to communicate to its audience. Some angry Redditors, such as Stardust01100100, say that RHOBH diva Erika is nothing but trouble for this reason: "I feel bad as though I’m guilty watching at all when its not ok and it represents a sliver of some of the greatest issues facing us," They added, "We can’t be ok with this or ignore it in the name of ‘entertainment’."
There are many reasons why viewers believe that Erika is a liability to the rest of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast, as well as those tuning in. The other women are automatically seen as being somewhat involved with Erika's legal dramas, considering the fact that they are constantly around her. The way that she has handled their questioning hasn't helped. Viewers also believe that her narrative playing out on screens around the world paints a harmful picture, and presents a scenario that shouldn't be glamorized or made into entertainment.
Sources: unicorn_sparklesweat/Reddit, Euphoric_Oven_7910/Reddit, LizzyPanhandle/Reddit, Stardust01100100/Reddit