Once again, Erika Jayne was front and center on an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Wednesday’s episode of this popular franchise picked up after Jayne’s fellow castmates talked all about her last week at Sutton Stracke’s house, wondering whether or not they could trust her.
Just how closely involved, they continue to wonder, was Erika in estranged husband Tom’s alleged embezzlement scam, during which he’s accused of stealing millions from past legal clients?
After Stracke shared “gossip” regarding why one of Tom’s partners left his law firm 10 years ago, Garcelle Beauvais asked Sutton whether she believed Erika had been telling the truth.
(Jayne, of course, has denied all involvement in any illegal activities.)
“No, I think she has lied to us,” Sutton said, later noting that she was having “a hard time” being Erika’s friend lately due to the discrepancies in what had previously been told to the cast about this whole financial ordeal.
Lisa Rinna argued that there was “no proof to not believe Erika at this point” and that she believed her longtime friend was “telling us the truth.”
Kyle Richards agreed.
“There cannot be a blind support, because I personally have known her for five years, and I’m telling you, everything I believed about Erika’s life is actually the diametrical opposite,” Dorit said.
“She didn’t portray that they had anything but a happy, loving marriage.
“When she talked about him, she talked about the man that was there for the little people.”
Cut to the women finally deciding to actually talk to Erika about the scandal. What a novel idea, right?!?
“The reason I wanted to talk to everybody was to see where we all were on this,” Sutton said, as Erika chimed in and asked:
“So, it’s like a committee. Do we support Erika or do we not?”
After the women debated among themselves just what they believed and just which so-called experts they had talked to about Jayne’s possibly pending legal woes, Sutton stated that she was just “protecting” herself by seeking answers.
“Protecting yourself how? Darling, how are you involved in any of this?” Erika fired back.
Kyle then mentioned how Sutton was “worried” about her reputation, resulting in Erika reacting in irritated shock:
“You guys, are you really that afraid of me?”
Sutton proceeded to bring up the allegation regarding Tom funneling millions into his then-wife’s company, which prompted Kyle to question whether Erika had any part in it.
“What do you think?” Erika said, leading Kyle to reply, “As your friend, I don’t think you did.”
Erika said that “no one knows the answer” about what happened except for Tom.
Asked by Sutton if she had discussions with her legal team about how to navigate through everything, Erika said she had not. She was on her own here.
Dorit, in turn, said that they shouldn’t ask “uncomfortable” questions like that — which is obviously hilarious because producers clearly want the cast to do so.
“I think what has happened to Tom here is that he’s not mentally capable, and he’s in sole control of his firm.
“And I think that it got away from him,” Erika said about her ex, who has since been diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
She addedd:
“I think that we’re dealing with a man who is [at a] diminished capacity in control, and not doing the right thing.
“Because if he stole the money, I’d like to know where it is. You know, that’s the truth.”
Garcelle later emphasized that “the victims are the most important thing” and that Erika would “always be okay.”
Erika concurred.
“Yeah, the victims need to be taken care of,” she said.
On Erika’s way out, she received a hug and a present from Sutton.
“You really know what people are made of when there are tough situations around. You can smell the cowards two miles away,” Erika said in a confessional about the confrontation.
“I don’t know if the rats are leaving the ship or if I’m leaving the rats.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Bravo