When Erika Jayne joinedThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsin 2015 during Season 6, she wasn’t exactly a household name. She wasn’t anactress likeDenise Richardsor a majorbusiness mogul likeLisa Vanderpump. Rather, she was the wife of a high-powered, extremely wealthy lawyer,Tom Girardi, and she had a campy, glamorous personality that quickly stole the show.
From the start, viewers like myself were fascinated by Erika’s wealth and IDGAF attitude. She had mystery, money, and a larger-than-life persona that screamed “Real Housewives.” Butshe wasn’t a natural fit with her castmates. There was conflict early on, like when she famouslyclashed withKathryn Edwardsover the c-wordor when Lisa accused her of being calculated. Erika gained a reputation for being icy, detached, and hard to read, but it added to the intrigue and drama. That’s part of the reasonshe’s easily swayed between being a fan favorite to a full-blown villain. And now that we’re in Season 14 ofRHOBH, it seems like she’s back to being a fan favorite – at least for me.
When Did Erika Become the Show’s Villain?
I loved Erika for her “cool girl” persona, but I think things started to shift in the public’s perception whenher coolness started coming across as coldness. There were some major moments involving other castmates where Erika was clearly in the wrong, and the villain label was already starting to take shape, even in the earlier seasons.
Think of the infamous“You don’t know what I deal with every night” breakdowninSeason 7, whenErika snapped atEileen Davidsonin Hong Kongduring a rant about how tough her life was. Though it was supposed to be a vulnerable moment, to me, it made Erika seem closed off and unapproachable. Her diva-like attitude suddenly turned into mean-girl territory.
As the seasons went on, it became more noticeable thatErika rarely opened up about her personal life. She seemed untouchable and unrelatable, which made me – and I’m sure other viewers – lose interest in comparison to her co-stars. Whereas other Housewives likeKyle Richards, Lisa Rinna,andevenDorit Kemsleymade their personal lives a key part of their storylines, Erika never got very personal. It alwaysfelt like she was hiding something– and it turns out, she was.
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Erika’s ultimate fall from grace came in 2020. Everything changed when her husband,Tom, was accused of embezzling millionsof dollars from plane crash victims. The huge scandal instantly made Erika the villain ofRHOBHby default – even if she wasn’t legally implicated at first.
I remember watching everything unfold, and it wasn’t hard to see why she was guilty by association. Thetiming of their divorce was suspicious– she announced it just before the lawsuit against Tom went public. She alsoshowed a shocking lack of remorse. Rather than having sympathy for the victims and acknowledging the harm her husband caused, she appeared defensive and hostile onRHOBH. And let’s not forget the$750,000 diamond earring scandalin Season 12, when she refused to give up the jewelry even though it was bought with stolen money until a judge ordered her to.
Perhaps her lowest moment came whenGarcelle Beauvaisasked her about the victims, and Erika replied,“I don’t give a f** about anybody else but me.”This wasn’t just bad optics – this wasHousewifevillainy at its peak. There was a time when it seemed like Erika would never escape the shadow of her husband’s legal troubles. But there have been some major developments in recent years that havehelped her distance herself from the scandal– and her villain label.
Why Erika is Having a Redemption Arc in Season 14
In 2021, Tom was disbarred and placed under a conservatorship after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He wasformally indicted on fraud chargesfor embezzling $18 million from clients. He’s awaiting trial, and if convicted, he couldspend the rest of his life in prison. But Erika wasn’t standing by his side. The two weredeclared legally separated in 2020,and she’s done her best to distance herself from him. She was never charged with a crime in connection to Tom’s fraud. While she was named in several lawsuits that claimed she benefited from the stolen money,several have been dismissed due to lack of evidence. But spoiler alert – she did have to return the earrings. However, thecourts never held her personally responsible for the fraud.
I’m glad that Erika has that weight off her shoulders, but that’s not why she became my fan favorite (again). Itseems like the experience really changed her– and given how insane it was, how couldn’t it?We’re seeing a new side of her onRHOBH. She’s still the Erika Jayne I loved when she debuted in 2015 – sharp-tongued, dramatic, and wildly opinionated. But this season, she’s doing something she never did before –she’s beingvulnerable, funny, and surprisingly self-aware.
For example,take her weight loss. Her dramatic transformation was immediately noticeable, but instead of brushing it off, she’s leaning into the conversation.She even openly joked about Ozempic,showing she can poke fun at herself, something I can’t remember seeing her do before in the last decade of bingingReal Housewives.
Erika Is Forming Genuine Friendships
It also helps her be chummy with her co-stars. Don’t worry – there’s no lack of drama this season. But I find itrefreshing to see Erika forming genuine friendshipsafter being such a lone wolf. That may have been a defense mechanism in the past, as she didn’t want people to see the cracks in her personal life – or more specifically, her husband’s crimes. ButErika’ssupport for Kyle during her marriage strugglesfeels real and genuine, and it may be because Erika can now relate after going through her own messy divorce. She’s alsoproven herself to be quite the mediator, not hesitating to intervene in Dorit and Kyle’s ongoing feud in the current season.
But I think the main thing that’s returned Erika to my good graces is herVegas Residency. Fans love agood comeback story,and her Vegas production is exactly that. While she flaunted her wealth with no self-awareness in the past, this time around, Erika isshowing hustle and vulnerability. Without her millionaire husband to rely on, she has to work hard to get what she wants – and to stay relevant on the show. And frankly, I love seeing her journey. I may even buy a ticket to Vegas to support her myself.
We also need to commend Erika for owning her past instead of running from it. Rather than lashing out when asked about Tom and the lawsuit,she’s not afraid to acknowledge that she handled things badly.And that’s something I’m not sure if I’d even be able to do on national television. Itmakes her feel more human, and it’s exactly why I’m warming up to her again. Erika didn’t do a full 180-degree change – she’s still the same spicy (and well-accessorized) Housewife I’ve loved from the start. But she’s learned to wield her persona in a way that’s entertaining rather than off-putting.I’m all for Erika’s redemption arc – she deserves it.
