How Erika Jayne Won Me Back in 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

When Erika Jayne joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2015 during Season 6, she wasn’t exactly a household name. She wasn’t an actress like Denise Richards or a major business mogul like Lisa 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.” But she wasn’t a natural fit with her castmates. There was conflict early on, like when she famously clashed with Kathryn Edwards over the c-word or 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 reason she’s easily swayed between being a fan favorite to a full-blown villain. And now that we’re in Season 14 of RHOBH, 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 when her 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” breakdown in Season 7, when Erika snapped at Eileen Davidson in Hong Kong during 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 that Erika 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 like Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, and even Dorit Kemsley made their personal lives a key part of their storylines, Erika never got very personal. It always felt like she was hiding something – and it turns out, she was.

Erika’s ultimate fall from grace came in 2020. Everything changed when her husband, Tom, was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from plane crash victims. The huge scandal instantly made Erika the villain of RHOBH by 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. The timing of their divorce was suspicious – she announced it just before the lawsuit against Tom went public. She also showed a shocking lack of remorse. Rather than having sympathy for the victims and acknowledging the harm her husband caused, she appeared defensive and hostile on RHOBH. And let’s not forget the $750,000 diamond earring scandal in 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 when Garcelle Beauvais asked 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 was Housewife villainy 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 have helped 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 was formally indicted on fraud charges for embezzling $18 million from clients. He’s awaiting trial, and if convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. But Erika wasn’t standing by his side. The two were declared 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, the courts 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). It seems like the experience really changed her – and given how insane it was, how couldn’t it? We’re seeing a new side of her on RHOBH. 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 being vulnerable, 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 binging Real 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 it refreshing to see Erika forming genuine friendships after 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. But Erika’s support for Kyle during her marriage struggles feels real and genuine, and it may be because Erika can now relate after going through her own messy divorce. She's also proven 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 her Vegas Residency. Fans love a good 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 is showing 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. It makes 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.