S11.E11: Ice Queen of the Desert

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, sistermagpie said:

 

What seems so strange to me is it's not like I can believe that Erika he was genuinely unburdening herself to Garcelle and Crystal and accidentally got caught on the mic because why would she trust those two with something that went against the story she was trying to put across? She's got no real good reason to think that Garcelle or Crystal--two women she doesn't seem to know all that well--are going to keep a secret any more private than the camera people would, so what's she supposed to have been caught in, you know? 

Like, yes, she would have been wise to not be talking about any of this stuff on camera whether or not a particular clip was going to be on TV, but it doesn't make much sense for her to be saying it to any of these women off-camera either! What exactly was she up to in telling them that?

I think it was a genuine mistake.  She went on the show with a mission - to sell the cover story she and Tom concocted.  But because it’s so convoluted, as well as just plain untruthful, it’s hard to keep things straight.  

As everyone knows, Erika has always been really guarded and private, and would only disclose things when asked/pushed.  But this season, notice how she talks about her situation incessantly, even volunteers information, and is often steering conversations back to her.  Again, her mission this season was to look for any opportunity to sell her story, and I’m sure she thought she had it memorized.  But unless you’re a trained spy, I guess it’s pretty hard not to slip up!  Cuz that’s what happened, IMO.  

[sistermagpie]

9 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

I think it was a genuine mistake.  She went on the show with a mission - to sell the cover story she and Tom concocted.  But because it’s so convoluted, as well as just plain untruthful, it’s hard to keep things straight.  

As everyone knows, Erika has always been really guarded and private, and would only disclose things when asked/pushed.  But this season, notice how she talks about her situation incessantly, even volunteers information, and is often steering conversations back to her.  Again, her mission this season was to look for any opportunity to sell her story, and I’m sure she thought she had it memorized.  But unless you’re a trained spy, I guess it’s pretty hard not to slip up!  Cuz that’s what happened, IMO.  

Oh, I believe it was a mistake. I'm just not clear on what exactly the mistake was. Like why in that moment did she think it would be good to tell that story to Garcelle and Crystal - iow, tell it to anybody? And if it just seemed fine to say at the time, did she think things through after that and eralize it was a bad thing to say?

[LotusFlower]

22 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Oh, I believe it was a mistake. I'm just not clear on what exactly the mistake was. Like why in that moment did she think it would be good to tell that story to Garcelle and Crystal - iow, tell it to anybody? And if it just seemed fine to say at the time, did she think things through after that and eralize it was a bad thing to say?

I don’t think she thought they were still filming, so she and Garcelle and Crystal were just shooting the shit, and it just slipped out.  And yes, of course she thought it through afterwards and realized her mistake- that’s why she told Crystal not to repeat it, and it’s why she went ballistic towards Garcelle.  It was a huge screw-up because it gives credence to the rumor that the divorce filing is a sham.  

 

[swankie]

A clear sign Erika is lying is when she said Tom was still doing something or other and she quickly added, "Or so I've heard."  I think she forgets sometimes that she's being filmed which also makes it weird that she got so mad at Garcelle for repeating that Tom still calls her when she said it on camera to begin with.

I never liked Erika, so I can't say I'm sorry to see her going through this.  But then I never feel sorry for uber rich people who end up losing their ill gotten gains.  

[Jennifersdc]

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

A couple of years ago, I lost my debit card and instead of getting a temporary one, I decided to just go get some dough until I had the new real card (it was a weekend, so the temp would have taken almost as long to get to me). When I walked inside the bank to make the withdrawal, I totally forgot HOW—it had been so long since I’d done it! HAHA, I WAS ERIKA JAYNE FOR A MINUTE!

Also, a teller called me out on it; she had seen others do the same!

I do shit like that too.

I’m still 99.5% sure this bitch knew how to bank. 

[Erh3d]

On 8/5/2021 at 3:49 PM, RealHousewife said:

I think Garcelle is genuinely much nicer than most of the women in this franchise. On BH, I think she's the nicest of all of them all. Garcelle's also said it's really important for her not to be labeled the angry black woman. It's sad she has to worry about it in 2021. She might also be questioning herself since the other women were kind of coddling Erika, and even once Erika left, no one defended her other than Crystal. I felt awful for her. It reminded me of when Erika went off on Eileen. 

Exactly. Kathy's upbringing was not the most normal as we know, and she married Rick when she was 20 years old in 1979. Erika is 50 now and married Tom in 2000. She would have been either 30 or close to it, had been previously married, was a mother and worked different jobs throughout the years. She also had a more humble upbringing than Kathy and said her mom treated her like a little adult and wanted her to be able to handle things. How is she clueless about banking? She's trying to portray herself as a Courtney Stodden situation or something. The math and everything else about her life doesn't add up to what she's saying now. 

Agree with all of this. I love Garcelle and think she is the nicest, most genuine. 
 

Erika has always portrayed her earlier life as “street”. But she doesn’t know how to use a debit card? Mmmkay. 

[RoseAllDay]

7 hours ago, swankie said:

A clear sign Erika is lying is when she said Tom was still doing something or other and she quickly added, "Or so I've heard."  I think she forgets sometimes that she's being filmed which also makes it weird that she got so mad at Garcelle for repeating that Tom still calls her when she said it on camera to begin with.

I never liked Erika, so I can't say I'm sorry to see her going through this.  But then I never feel sorry for uber rich people who end up losing their ill gotten gains.  

“Or so I’ve heard” is another term for “hearsay”. It also serves as a cover when things are made up out of whole cloth. She got mad at Garcelle because Garcelle’s been paying attention. Erika does not like being called on her shit.

I just wonder how bad/interesting things will get going forward, given that she doesn’t know when to stop talking. The possibilities are as endless as Erika’s imagination.

[kristen111]

On 8/5/2021 at 5:32 PM, RoseAllDay said:

You don’t chase (or marry) a man like Tom Girardi out of love or attraction. I’m certain Erika didn’t. She’s angry that the money and glam lifestyle are coming to an end. So Tom is taking the brunt.

Unbelievable what a person would do for a buck.  I wouldn’t kiss that frog for all the money in the world.  I love Love.   Erika is a hard, hard woman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HotHW]

On 8/5/2021 at 10:30 AM, sistermagpie said:

 

LOL! Referring something that Erika had already said perfectly casually to another person in the room as well, without even going into any details about it, is hardly being insensitive. The fact that Erika pretended that Garcelle was being intrusive--that she'd "gotten it out of her" even the first time was obviously not about Garcelle actually being too pushy here. If she really wanted both of them to not mention she should have made a point of telling both of them that.

Iirc, she didn't even mention her son. She used an expression that had son or child in it. Like she said something like, "She just made a little joke and you're acting like she killed your child..." which is a thing people say to describing someone having a reaction that's wildly OTT. Then Erika started ranting as if Eileen had actually suggested Erika's son would be killed, which she eventually tried to obliquely tie to the BLM movement. Basically suggesting that it was cruel to use the words "child" and "killed" in the same sentence because her son was a cop and that's the most dangerous profession in the world (it's actually not at all) "especially now" (referring to the protests meaning people were out to kill cops).

My comment was in regards to Garcelle and her questions. What friend sits on a rock and says "so, all this legal shit, is that why you divorced him, and oh BTW, were you a part of it too?"

Garcelle asks asshole questions (that the rest of the ladies had the common sense to avoid asking and only mumbled to themselves), and then announces to the room the answers she got, and then sheds tears when the friend she just threw under the bus gets upset. GTFOH. 

And then Garcelle flips the tables and clutches her pearls when the group talks about Denise's shenanigans (when Denise too was clearly lying).

Garcelle can dish it out but certainly cant take it. 

[WhatAmIWatching]

2 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

Unbelievable what a person would do for a buck.  I wouldn’t kiss that frog for all the money in the world.  I love Love.   Erika is a hard, hard woman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can see it. He was a lot younger when they got together, and from all reports was extremely charismatic. (How else could he have wrapped judges and the calif bar around his little finger for so many years?)

Being a part of his world and having some of his reflected sun shine on her probably felt wonderful after a life of being nobody special. 
 

It's not my personal jam, but I can understand it.

[HotHW]

1 hour ago, Erh3d said:

Agree with all of this. I love Garcelle and think she is the nicest, most genuine. 
 

Erika has always portrayed her earlier life as “street”. But she doesn’t know how to use a debit card? Mmmkay. 

I don't find Garcelle genuine. Shes desperate for a job and a story line (of which she has none), so she is going around inserting herself into things that don't involve her. I dont ser why she expected anyone to coddle her after what went down when she basically brought up (out of the blue) a story that was told to her, that could potential hurt her coworker. Never mind the fact that Ericka brought it up first, Garcelle did not have her back in that scene. And she knew it. She's a snake trying to be relevant just like the rest of them. 

And she wasn't worried about being labeled anything last year when she was busy stirring the pot...guess that's her story line this year. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by HotHW
Autocorrect

[biakbiak]

8 minutes ago, HotHW said:

Shes desperate for a job and a story line (of which she has none),

She’s barely on because she has a daily job other than this one and then also still books fairly regular acting gigs. I mean none of the women other than lying and possible criminal Erika have had an actual storyline this season. Some for several seasons. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by biakbiak

[HotHW]

9 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

Oh, I believe it was a mistake. I'm just not clear on what exactly the mistake was. Like why in that moment did she think it would be good to tell that story to Garcelle and Crystal - iow, tell it to anybody? And if it just seemed fine to say at the time, did she think things through after that and eralize it was a bad thing to say?

She found herself in a shitty situation. Imagine if she said nothing. Her castmates (well at least one of them) would have either pushed for more answers or at the very least let her hang out to dry. Making her look worse than she already doesn. She knew production would not cut the scene, so what do you do? You tell more stories obviously.

This Garcelle shit is the same reason I found sympathy for the HW on the other coast. Her BFF sits on camera asking "so are you going to jail, so are you worried, so did you know what your husband was doing" and then cries when the criminal doesn't answer or lies about it. WTF do you expect these people to do? This isn't little husband cheating scandals, these people are facing years in jail, and you as their friends are sitting there basically trying to get them to incriminate themselves on tv. Granted, yes they could have left the show when the shit hit the fan, but I dont think either of them thought their coworkers would actively try to make their situations worse. 

[biakbiak]

8 hours ago, HotHW said:

Her BFF sits on camera asking "so are you going to jail, so are you worried, so did you know what your husband was doing" and then cries when the criminal doesn't answer or lies about it. WTF do you expect these people to do?

Erika and Garcelle are coworkers on a reality show and have never been close, certainly not BFFs. By the way Erika was deposed  for at least one of the lawsuits before they were public and before she filed for divorce so Garcelle was exactly right that she knew about at least some of this shit before she filed.

Edited August 7, 2021 by biakbiak

[kristen111]

2 minutes ago, WhatAmIWatching said:

I can see it. He was a lot younger when they got together, and from all reports was extremely charismatic. (How else could he have wrapped judges and the calif bar around his little finger for so many years?)

Being a part of his world and having some of his reflected sun shine on her probably felt wonderful after a life of being nobody special. 
 

It's not my personal jam, but I can understand it.

Yes.  After the Vanderbilt thing, I didn’t watch all the time.  I’m wondering what makes Erika a star who thinks she’s so great.  All I saw was her being lifted up by her boys and doing provocative splits, etc and singing if you call it that.  Her best seller book was horrible, and maybe Tom pulled some strings to get her in Chicago, after everyone else was in.  She seems more of a stripper than a singer or actress or whatever the heck her act is.  She really believes she’s a star, or am I missing something?  Tom was probably a very good lawyer in his day until he became greedy.  They were so over the top with everything.  On other people’s expense and hardships.  Now she’s on t.v. Screwing it all up.  You would think she would be lying low.

[65mickey]

12 minutes ago, HotHW said:

I don't find Garcelle genuine. Shes desperate for a job and a story line (of which she has none), so she is going around inserting herself into things that don't involve her. I dont ser why she expected anyone to coddle her after what went down when she basically brought up (out of the blue) a story that was told to her, that could potential hurt her coworker. Never mind the fact that Ericka brought it up first, Garcelle did not have her back in that scene. And she knew it. She's a snake trying to be relevant just like the rest of them. 

And she wasn't worried about being labeled anything last year when she was busy stirring the pot...guess that's her story line this year. 

How did Garcelle stir the pot last year?  

It doesn't matter when Erkia brought it up or to whom she borught it up to. The fact that she said earlier this season that she hadn't heard from Tom since the day that she dropped him off at the firm and then she said he calls her every day is a huge red flag that she is lying. Guess what will happen when Tom's attorneys or the attorneys for those poor individuals that Tom was representing subpoena all of the footage including what was cut and not shown?  Erika most likely thinks that the producers destroyed all evidence of her admitting that she talks to Tom. But we know from last year's RHNYC that there was footage of Dorinda losing her mind that was not shown during the season but it was shown at the reunion. I am convinced that when Erika was in the bathroom sobbing that there was someone from production in there with her and she was pleading for them to edit out certain things she said during that walk back to the car that she most definitely did not want to get out. 

[Cosmocrush]

11 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

 But this season, notice how she talks about her situation incessantly, even volunteers information, and is often steering conversations back to her.

I cannot believe what a selfish bummer she has been.  They had to wait until she left before they could have any fun and even then we only got to hear about that and see a brief flashback.  At every event it's All About Erika All the Time.  🤑

The only exception might be when Sutton decided to top Erika and talk about her father's Christmas season suicide.  Fun!🙄

Edited August 7, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, Cosmocrush said:

I cannot believe what a selfish bummer she has been.  They had to wait until she left before they could have any fun and even then we only got to hear about that and see a brief flashback. 

I mean this isn’t even new behavior, they had a dance party and fun after she left Teddi’s beach house to go back to the hotel a few seasons ago. Do you know how much you suck the fun out of a group when you are the wet blanket at an event TEDDI organized!!!

Edited August 7, 2021 by biakbiak

[hoodooznoodooz]

9 hours ago, swankie said:

A clear sign Erika is lying is when she 

is discussing her relationship with Tom Girardi, past, present and future.

[RoseAllDay]

4 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I mean this isn’t even new behavior, they had a dance party and fun after she left Teddi’s beach house to go back to the hotel a few seasons ago. Do you know how much you suck the fun out of a group when you are the wet blanket at an event TEDDI organized!!!

She also jumped on Teddi — the host — pretty hard as I recall, in Teddi’s home.

Here’s the thing: She thinks she’s just better than everybody else. Period. That’s why I’m finding it damn hard to have any sympathy for her. She hardly ever stays with the group; always makes a point to arrive late (not fashionably late, just rudely late); always has the most over-the-top get-ups (thinking of the red latex body suit and Barbie hairdo when she almost got run over by the bike 😂); and can’t give anybody else the time of day (unless they’re listening to her). I’ve known people like that and they are insufferable.

She’s the very definition of pride going before a fall. 

And about Garcelle — yes, she can be a little abrupt and nosy (thinking here of her asking Sutton how she got her money), but Erika has made all of this everybody else’s business. Erika could maybe have reduced her role on the show when all of this started going down, which I assume was just after the start of filming. I can’t believe any attorney would be good with what she’s been saying the past few weeks. But she likes the attention and victim playing a bit too much.

Speaking of victims — the way that she is including herself here as a dupe of Tom’s (without mentioning them at all) is an absolute insult to everyone he apparently defrauded. I know others have said it, just want to cosign.

 

[Persnickety1]

15 hours ago, Jennifersdc said:

I’m guessing coke on the golf course? Like Richie Aprile from The Sopranos and the garbage routes…hehe…

ETA to add - the Village Idiot is actually very nice. Unlike Village Idiot #2.

I could never decide whether they began running coke out of that golf course or if my sister's ex and his friends were just flat-out embezzling from the golf course, or a little of both.  The club had been run by my sister's ex's two best friends, then the parents (owners) decided to sign it over to the sons.  That's when the money started falling from the sky.  I think it might have been both because if my sister's ex was hauling in that much cash, I can only imagine how much the 2 sons were hauling in.  (ETA:  The sudden interest in getting his pilot's license and then flying around the country to small airports made me lean towards him being the one transporting the drugs, thus the high amount of cash he was being paid).

Also, her ex's best friend was some higher up at the IRS and would coach them on how to file, what to file, what to pay cash for, what to write checks/use a credit card for, etc., to fly under the IRS radar and avoid being flagged.  I'm also pretty sure the IRS guy is the one who coached him in how to switch around titles, assets and cash.  Once that was all in place, the ex filed for divorce.

It wasn't my sister's first affair (he'd taken her back 3-4 times before previously).  She immediately took her share of the house equity and used it to pay off her new beau's child support and other mountains of debt.  Making it even all the more tawdry, he was rumored to be a pedophile.  When my sister's best friends who knew about this dude's past tried to talk to her about it, her response was to tell them, "You're both just jealous because I'm happy!" and threw them out of her house.  

My sister doesn't have the brains or common sense to try to pull off a huge sham like the Girardis, but she did excel at willful ignorance like Erika.  

Erika might not have known exactly where that money was coming from, but she's a hustler.  I believe she had to have known it wasn't above board.  Like my sister, she just chose to blindly forge ahead because, as my sister said, "I'm getting what I want."  

At least my sister's ex's never-ending windfall didn't involve stealing from widows, orphans and burn victims.   I don't think...

Edited August 7, 2021 by Persnickety1

[Cosmocrush]

1 hour ago, HotHW said:

WTF do you expect these people to do? This isn't little husband cheating scandals, these people are facing years in jail, and you as their friends are sitting there basically trying to get them to incriminate themselves on tv. Granted, yes they could have left the show when the shit hit the fan, but I dont think either of them thought their coworkers would actively try to make their situations worse.

Where Erika is concerned I think these women are far closer to coworkers than friends.  And I can't think of a single example of Erika wanting it any other way until now. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[sistermagpie]

12 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

I don’t think she thought they were still filming, so she and Garcelle and Crystal were just shooting the shit, and it just slipped out.  And yes, of course she thought it through afterwards and realized her mistake- that’s why she told Crystal not to repeat it, and it’s why she went ballistic towards Garcelle.  It was a huge screw-up because it gives credence to the rumor that the divorce filing is a sham.  

 

 

10 hours ago, swankie said:

A clear sign Erika is lying is when she said Tom was still doing something or other and she quickly added, "Or so I've heard."  I think she forgets sometimes that she's being filmed which also makes it weird that she got so mad at Garcelle for repeating that Tom still calls her when she said it on camera to begin with.

I never liked Erika, so I can't say I'm sorry to see her going through this.  But then I never feel sorry for uber rich people who end up losing their ill gotten gains.  

So we're assuming that the truth is that she talks to Tom still. (I'm just trying to put together in my own head what I think is actually going on vs. what she's saying etc.--not trying to poke holes in what you're saying) For instance, there's the suggestion that she and Tom sort of worked out the divorce together because that would somehow be beneficial. But in her story here he's begging her to come home, contradicting the story of how he's not speaking to her/planning his attack, but suporting the story that he's an old man lost in the throes of dementia.

So I wonder what the truth is there--like, it's possible that he is in a mental decline now. Maybe facing all of this stress at the age he is now has sent him into a breakdown and he really does want her back and she's the one steering the "you're supposed to hate me now" ship. Or he's just saying he misses her and she gave some version of that to Garcelle and Crystal because she was on a roll about the real pain of a loved one having dementia (which Crystal knows about). 

All we really know for sure is that she's told two stories that seem to contradict each other and she's not good at clarifying.

3 hours ago, HotHW said:

Garcelle asks asshole questions (that the rest of the ladies had the common sense to avoid asking and only mumbled to themselves), and then announces to the room the answers she got, and then sheds tears when the friend she just threw under the bus gets upset. GTFOH. 

Seems weird to say it's common sense not to ask her these questions when it's their job to do that. Seems more like the other ladies have just decided it's better for them to play the part of 100% sympathetic friends while Garcelle, not having any particular history with Erika, has always just commented on the logic. She does ask blunt questions, but that's also why it seems unlikely to me that Erika would feel so close to her she'd accidentally reveal a secret as opposed to making a strategic mistake.

Quote

And then Garcelle flips the tables and clutches her pearls when the group talks about Denise's shenanigans (when Denise too was clearly lying).

Garcelle can dish it out but certainly cant take it. 

But this situation's a little more complicated, imo, just because of what's being repeated. That is, Erika mentioned to Garcelle that another hard thing for her is that her husband with dementia, whom she left because he was mean to her, now calls her everyday as if she just abandoned him and he's hurt. This isn't a terrible thing for Garcelle repeat solely because Erika just doesn't want to talk about it/it's painful, or it was something she didn't want Kyle, Kathy, Dorit, Sutton or Rinna to hear, but because it casts doubt on a story she's using to protect herself legally. Which Garcelle either knows and so is trying to make sure she gets in trouble or doesn't know and is genuinely, in this instance, acting like a person who is just repeating something that didn't seem to be a big secret, since Erika just mentioned it to two casual acquaintences. 

But either way you read Garcelle's actions (that she understood why she shouldn't repeat it or she didn't) it isn't about her not being impolite or a bad friend, it's about her not helping Erika protect herself legally by lying. 

3 hours ago, HotHW said:

She found herself in a shitty situation. Imagine if she said nothing. Her castmates (well at least one of them) would have either pushed for more answers or at the very least let her hang out to dry. Making her look worse than she already doesn. She knew production would not cut the scene, so what do you do? You tell more stories obviously.

Said nothing about what? I'm not clear what this is referring to. 

Quote

This Garcelle shit is the same reason I found sympathy for the HW on the other coast. Her BFF sits on camera asking "so are you going to jail, so are you worried, so did you know what your husband was doing" and then cries when the criminal doesn't answer or lies about it. WTF do you expect these people to do? This isn't little husband cheating scandals, these people are facing years in jail, and you as their friends are sitting there basically trying to get them to incriminate themselves on tv. Granted, yes they could have left the show when the shit hit the fan, but I dont think either of them thought their coworkers would actively try to make their situations worse. 

It just seems like you're assuming that Garcelle knew just as much detail about Erika's situation as Erika did, and that's not necessarily the case. It's not impossible that Garcelle took Erika's story about how sad it was for her that Tom was calling her every day as *supporting* the exact narrative Erika's been pushing. In which case it's no difference than referring to the new details about the car accident. Garcelle may not have been throwing her under a bus at all.

Making her situation worse is literally Erika's co-workers job, to an extent, in that they are there to get her to talk about whatever scandal is going on in her life. I suspect any good lawyer would have ordered her to quit the show. Erika had already said what she did on tape. If it was going to come up as part of a legal thing, that's what would be brought up not Garcelle asking about it later.

Edited August 7, 2021 by sistermagpie
Clarification

[kristen111]

I just can’t wait until they go to court and see or read all about it.  When will that be?

[eleanorofaquitaine]

My sense is that Garcelle was probably prompted by production to bring this up on camera. I don't think she's the great skeptic that many here do.  That being said, I also don't think she was trying to hurt Erika or anything and I think she was right to calmly respond to Erika's attack.

Ultimately, Erika wouldn't be in the position of having to keep her story straight if she wasn't on the show. So while I think that Garcelle was carrying production's water a little bit, the ultimate blame lies with Erika for continuing to present an inauthentic self to the viewers, IMO.

[WhatAmIWatching]

4 hours ago, HotHW said:

She found herself in a shitty situation. Imagine if she said nothing. Her castmates (well at least one of them) would have either pushed for more answers or at the very least let her hang out to dry. Making her look worse than she already doesn. She knew production would not cut the scene, so what do you do? You tell more stories obviously.

This Garcelle shit is the same reason I found sympathy for the HW on the other coast. Her BFF sits on camera asking "so are you going to jail, so are you worried, so did you know what your husband was doing" and then cries when the criminal doesn't answer or lies about it. WTF do you expect these people to do? This isn't little husband cheating scandals, these people are facing years in jail, and you as their friends are sitting there basically trying to get them to incriminate themselves on tv. Granted, yes they could have left the show when the shit hit the fan, but I dont think either of them thought their coworkers would actively try to make their situations worse. 

In my own life, I prefer people like Garcelle, who ask me point blank to my face what they want to know, instead of gossiping behind my back. I like straightforward, even blunt, people.

Erika had a lot of choices!
-She didn't have to join this season. 
-She could've said "For legal reasons, I can't give you many/any details"
-She didn't have to talk about specifics, she could've been vague. It was already well covered in the news and tabloids. 

Erika is getting in her own way. She's been contradicting herself since the first episode, long before Garcelle started asking questions. She put herself in this shitty situation.

It's not Garcelle's place to make things easier for her. Besides, how is she to know what is off limits for discussion if Erika hasn't made those boundaries clear? If indeed production is telling her to poke the bear, then she's basically just doing her job.

 

Eta: I'm one of the few who has always enjoyed Erika, and I do have compassion of sorts for her life being destroyed IF she indeed didn't know what Tom was doing. BUT! she knows NOW and how she's conducted herself on social media makes me sick to my stomach. She has attorneys. They could've crafted a PR sounding blurb, that doesn't admit any guilt or responsibility, to express compassion and sadness for the victims. OR she could've kept silent. Instead she's antagonistic and self-pitying, and it's gross. Yeah, she can suck it.

Edited August 7, 2021 by WhatAmIWatching

[LotusFlower]

2 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

So we're assuming that the truth is that she talks to Tom still. (I'm just trying to put together in my own head what I think is actually going on vs. what she's saying etc.--not trying to poke holes in what you're saying) For instance, there's the suggestion that she and Tom sort of worked out the divorce together because that would somehow be beneficial. But in her story here he's begging her to come home, contradicting the story of how he's not speaking to her/planning his attack, but suporting the story that he's an old man lost in the throes of dementia.

So I wonder what the truth is there--like, it's possible that he is in a mental decline now. Maybe facing all of this stress at the age he is now has sent him into a breakdown and he really does want her back and she's the one steering the "you're supposed to hate me now" ship. Or he's just saying he misses her and she gave some version of that to Garcelle and Crystal because she was on a roll about the real pain of a loved one having dementia (which Crystal knows about). 

All we really know for sure is that she's told two stories that seem to contradict each other and she's not good at clarifying.

I think the truth is a lot less complicated than what you’re suggesting.  I think the simple truth is this: Tom does not have dementia.  Tom has embezzled money from his law firm to Erika and/or her businesses for years, with Erika’s knowledge and complicity, in order to fund their extravagant lifestyle.  When he finally got caught, they concocted a plan, involving a fake divorce filing, to hide the assets.  
 

This theory explains a lot, imho.  It explains:

a) why the divorce filing was so abrupt and out-of-the-blue;

b) why Erika never gave any indication that there was trouble in her marriage, and even spoke in a supportive manner about him just a few days before filing;

c) why Erika’s evolving stories about Tom’s “accident” make no sense;

d) why there’s no evidence of Tom’s mental decline in any RHOBH footage;

e) why Erika is still able to afford a swanky $10k/month home;

f) why Tom is still calling her and saying he misses her;

g) why Erika freaked out with both Garcelle and the producers over the hot mic moment revealing their communication (because it obviously gives credence to the sham divorce story);

h) and lastly, it explains why this declaration of a divorce is such a head scratcher.  Not even Erika pretended that their union was a marriage of love - it was obviously an arrangement that benefited both of them.  I’m sure Erika felt love towards him, and even said she would be with him til his dying days, so what changed?  She also revealed that they didn’t have a pre-nup because what’s the point?  He’s too skilled a lawyer to let her get away with anything, so what changed?  And lastly, when someone asked her why she didn’t leave sooner, she replied: “where would I go?”  Exactly.  So what changed?  Answer: nothing.  It’s all fake.  

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by LotusFlower

[amarante]

2 hours ago, kristen111 said:

I just can’t wait until they go to court and see or read all about it.  When will that be?

Probably not for a long time because there will be extensive discovery prior to actual court trial. And even then the cases might be settled.

so far there hasn’t been any mention of criminal proceedings. It is likely those would be done through a plea deal.

Erika is going to be deposed for the civil cases. She is the deep pockets now because she is the one who has the ability to make money in the future to satisfy the judgments and restitution. They also will dig into what assets she has which is why she looked a bit ill when Sutton brought up the ability of forensic accountants to find where the money is even if hidden.

Depositions are a strategic tool as they aren’t solely to gather information because a good lawyer already knows the answers to the questions. They are used to evaluate how someone would deal with testifying at trial - whether they would be a good witness. And of course in this case, all of her prior inconsistent statements would be used as she would be asked about them and asked whether they were true and since she would be under oath she would have to tell the truth or risk perjury. That would influence each side in terms of whether to settle. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by amarante

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I don't think that the divorce filing is fake. I think Erika is being dishonest about the reasons behind it but I think she really went ahead and filed for divorce. 

[Shannah Banana]

42 minutes ago, amarante said:

They also will dig into what assets she has which is why she looked a bit ill when Sutton brought up the ability of forensic accountants to find where the money is even if hidden.

That moment in time is what convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Erika is hiding assets.  I suspected she was, but that 'look' totally convinced me.  Body language speaks volumes.  Too bad, so sad.

[sistermagpie]

1 minute ago, LotusFlower said:

I think the truth is a lot less complicated than what you’re suggesting.  I think the simple truth is this: Tom does not have dementia.  Tom has embezzled money from his law firm to Erika and/or her businesses for years, with Erika’s knowledge and complicity, in order to fund their extravagant lifestyle.  When he finally got caught, they concocted a plan, involving a fake divorce filing, to hide the assets.  
 

This theory explains a lot, imho.  It explains:

a) why the divorce filing was so abrupt and out-of-the-blue;

b) why Erika never gave any indication that there was trouble in her marriage, and even spoke in a supportive manner about him just a few days before filing;

c) why Erika’s evolving stories about Tom’s “accident” make no sense;

d) why there’s no evidence of Tom’s mental decline in any RHOBH footage;

e) why Erika is still able to afford a swanky $10k/month home;

f) why Tom is still calling her and saying he misses her;

g) why Erika freaked out with both Garcelle and the producers over the hot mic moment revealing their communication (because it obviously gives credence to the sham divorce story);

Etc., etc....!

 

To be honest, that's what it seems like is going on too. The only thing that surprises me in it is that Tom would actually be calling Erika and Erika would say that he did, even as a "woe is me with my sad, demented husband" story by accident. Just because it seems like they really wouldn't have that kind of contact because it would be bad for them. That's what makes me wonder if Tom is slipping at last. Because I would have thought both of them would able to stick to the no contact story easier than this!

[amarante]

1 hour ago, sistermagpie said:

To be honest, that's what it seems like is going on too. The only thing that surprises me in it is that Tom would actually be calling Erika and Erika would say that he did, even as a "woe is me with my sad, demented husband" story by accident. Just because it seems like they really wouldn't have that kind of contact because it would be bad for them. That's what makes me wonder if Tom is slipping at last. Because I would have thought both of them would able to stick to the no contact story easier than this!

People are almost never as smart as they think they are - I watch a lot of the Dateline type of true crime stuff as there are enough cases of very "smart" people who thought they could outsmart the police but make a few critical errors.

I think Erika and Tom fall into the category of having lied so long and so successfully that they didn't think it would catch up with them. They both suffer the fate of many people with hubris - the "gods" ultimately punish them. 

Tom played the game successfully for so many years I don't think it entered his mind that it would catch up with him until the Ponzi scheme started to crumble and he was left with his pants down.

I think Erika has so successfully created an artificial persona which is in essence lying to everyone around her and has done it for years. Most people accepted whatever she said at face value. Those who didn't probably shrugged and didn't think it worth it to expose her lies. I mean in my life, I have encountered people and what they say doesn't pass my "sniff test" - something about it triggers my instincts but it is not something I am going to pursue because their lies don't impact me in any way.

I don't think Erika has friends at all - in the early years she was on the show she would state that repeatedly. I can't think of a single scene in which she was shown with a "friend".  I doubt whether she was actually friends with any of the people she met when she was *playing* the part of Mrs. Tom Girardi. The closest we have seen to friends are her glam squad and I don't think anyone would call them her friends.

I think Tom and Erika concocted a scheme to attempt to save some of the assets through a "well timed" divorce. I am sure that the legal documents have been filed because date of separation is an important deadline in California because it is used to separate separate property from joint property just as date of marriage does. 

It was not that long in "real time" between the filing of the divorce (which was Election Day in early November) and the disclosure in Palm Springs which was a few days before the very long expose in the LA Times which was highlighted in the previews for next week which was on December 17. I think it not at all unlikely that until the expose really exposed everything both Tom and Erika thought it would blow over because he had been getting away with his fraud for about 20 years.

It is really difficult to lie consistently especially when one is dealing with fragmented situations. As we have watched the show this season the reality is that the information was coming out in bits and pieces and Erika was attempting to deal with putting out little fires because it hadn't yet exploded into a massive fire storm. 

ETA - Also in terms of timing, I am wondering what will happen to the support of the other housewives when the show starts to catch up with real time events as it will do in the next episode based on the preview. I think they are contractually not supposed to reveal any of the story lines except very obliquely and they could also not be reacting in "real time" to events that haven't yet occurred on the show in terms of their knowledge. 

These women (and their husbands) are not naive and it certainly is NOT a good look moving forward to fervently support someone who steals from widows and orphans (Tom) and someone who at best (Erika) feels no remorse and in fact flaunts it like the widows and orphans earrings she was wearing in the cartoon she posted on Instagram. 

Of course I could be completely wrong and the rest of the cast are venal (which we already knew) AND stupid and will continue to support her which is a terrible PR move. After all they went to the birthday party where they all wore the bathing suits; they wished her a Happy Birthday and I think there was some dinner fairly recently when they called themselves something and tacitly expressed solidarity. 

Really we won't know until the reunion what side of the fence they are going to land on.

Edited August 7, 2021 by amarante

[LotusFlower]

41 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

To be honest, that's what it seems like is going on too. The only thing that surprises me in it is that Tom would actually be calling Erika and Erika would say that he did, even as a "woe is me with my sad, demented husband" story by accident. Just because it seems like they really wouldn't have that kind of contact because it would be bad for them. That's what makes me wonder if Tom is slipping at last. Because I would have thought both of them would able to stick to the no contact story easier than this!

If the divorce story is fake, then why wouldn’t they still talk to each other, and want to talk to each other?  I don’t understand the legal strategy behind filing for divorce (ie. why being divorced helps them legally and/or financially, or how it helps them hide assets), but it must be about protecting Erika since she’s made such a big deal about not seeing or hearing from him since she “walked out.”  If this detail is crucial, I guess their phone records could be subpoenaed, but maybe they’re using burner phones?  
 

Anyway, if my theory is correct, then the only way I can think to answer your question as to why they would both make this mistake (calling each other and Erika saying it out loud) is that this is a really, really convoluted scheme, and most people aren’t criminal masterminds.  Mistakes are bound to happen.  

[LotusFlower]

2 minutes ago, amarante said:

People are almost never as smart as they think they are - I watch a lot of the Dateline type of time crime stuff as there are enough cases of very "smart" people who thought they could outsmart the police but make a few critical errors.

I think Erika and Tom fall into the category of having lied so long and so successfully that they didn't think it would catch up with them. They both suffer the fate of many people with hubris - the "gods" ultimately punish them. 

Tom played the game successfully for so many years I don't think it entered his mind that it would catch up with him until the Ponzi scheme started to crumble and he was left with his pants down.

I think Erika has so successfully created an artificial persona which is in essence lying to everyone around her and has done it for years. Most people accepted whatever she said at face value. Those who didn't probably shrugged and didn't think it worth it to expose her lies. I mean in my life, I have encountered people and what they say doesn't pass my "sniff test" - something about it triggers my instincts but it is not something I am going to pursue because their lies don't impact me in any way.

I don't think Erika has friends at all - in the early years she was on the show she would state that repeatedly. I can't think of a single scene in which she was shown with a "friend".  I doubt whether she was actually friends with any of the people she met when she was *playing* the part of Mrs. Tom Girardi. The closest we have seen to friends are her glam squad and I don't think anyone would call them her friends.

I think Tom and Erika concocted a scheme to attempt to save some of the assets through a "well timed" divorce. I am sure that the legal documents have been filed because date of separation is an important deadline in California because it is used to separate separate property from joint property just as date of marriage does. 

It was not that long in "real time" between the filing of the divorce (which was Election Day in early November) and the disclosure in Palm Springs which was a few days before the very long expose in the LA Times which was highlighted in the previews for next week which was on December 17. I think it not at all unlikely that until the expose really exposed everything both Tom and Erika thought it would blow over because he had been getting away with his fraud for about 20 years.

It is really difficult to lie consistently especially when one is dealing with fragmented situations. As we have watched the show this season the reality is that the information was coming out in bits and pieces and Erika was attempting to deal with putting out little fires because it hadn't yet exploded into a massive fire. 

Brilliant!  ITA.  

[sistermagpie]

4 minutes ago, amarante said:

People are almost never as smart as they think they are - I watch a lot of the Dateline type of time crime stuff as there are enough cases of very "smart" people who thought they could outsmart the police but make a few critical errors.

I think Erika and Tom fall into the category of having lied so long and so successfully that they didn't think it would catch up with them. They both suffer the fate of many people with hubris - the "gods" ultimately punish them. 

Tom played the game successfully for so many years I don't think it entered his mind that it would catch up with him until the Ponzi scheme started to crumble and he was left with his pants down.

I think Erika has so successfully created an artificial persona which is in essence lying to everyone around her and has done it for years. Most people accepted whatever she said at face value. Those who didn't probably shrugged and didn't think it worth it to expose her lies. I mean in my life, I have encountered people and what they say doesn't pass my "sniff test" - something about it triggers my instincts but it is not something I am going to pursue because their lies don't impact me in any way.

I don't think Erika has friends at all - in the early years she was on the show she would state that repeatedly. I can't think of a single scene in which she was shown with a "friend".  I doubt whether she was actually friends with any of the people she met when she was *playing* the part of Mrs. Tom Girardi. The closest we have seen to friends are her glam squad and I don't think anyone would call them her friends.

I think Tom and Erika concocted a scheme to attempt to save some of the assets through a "well timed" divorce. I am sure that the legal documents have been filed because date of separation is an important deadline in California because it is used to separate separate property from joint property just as date of marriage does. 

It was not that long in "real time" between the filing of the divorce (which was Election Day in early November) and the disclosure in Palm Springs which was a few days before the very long expose in the LA Times which was highlighted in the previews for next week which was on December 17. I think it not at all unlikely that until the expose really exposed everything both Tom and Erika thought it would blow over because he had been getting away with his fraud for about 20 years.

It is really difficult to lie consistently especially when one is dealing with fragmented situations. As we have watched the show this season the reality is that the information was coming out in bits and pieces and Erika was attempting to deal with putting out little fires because it hadn't yet exploded into a massive fire. 

 

4 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

If the divorce story is fake, then why wouldn’t they still talk to each other, and want to talk to each other?  I don’t understand the legal strategy behind filing for divorce (ie. why being divorced helps them legally and/or financially, or how it helps them hide assets), but it must be about protecting Erika since she’s made such a big deal about not seeing or hearing from him since she “walked out.”  If this detail is crucial, I guess their phone records could be subpoenaed, but maybe they’re using burner phones?  
 

Anyway, if my theory is correct, then the only way I can think to answer your question as to why they would both make this mistake (calling each other and Erika saying it out loud) is that this is a really, really convoluted scheme, and most people aren’t criminal masterminds.  Mistakes are bound to happen.  

This does make a lot of sense. Especially the part of them getting away with it for so long, mostly because Tom was so powerful. There were rumors about it, but the right people didn't care.

I mean, there's also the fact that they were both spending money so publicly that it raises the question of where they're getting it. And if Tom was really taking money out of client's settlement accounts and using it to fund his wife's pretend pop star career, well, I don't know why I'd doubt that they could be so dumb once the spotlight was on them since that's a pretty obvious crime too!

It also goes along with Erika's story about the car accident that was so bizarre and seemed like something she might have been making up on the fly but could be easily checked. 

[RoseAllDay]

2 hours ago, amarante said:

Probably not for a long time because there will be extensive discovery prior to actual court trial. And even then the cases might be settled.

so far there hasn’t been any mention of criminal proceedings. It is likely those would be done through a plea deal.

Erika is going to be deposed for the civil cases. She is the deep pockets now because she is the one who has the ability to make money in the future to satisfy the judgments and restitution. They also will dig into what assets she has which is why she looked a bit ill when Sutton brought up the ability of forensic accountants to find where the money is even if hidden.

Depositions are a strategic tool as they aren’t solely to gather information because a good lawyer already knows the answers to the questions. They are used to evaluate how someone would deal with testifying at trial - whether they would be a good witness. And of course in this case, all of her prior inconsistent statements would be used as she would be asked about them and asked whether they were true and since she would be under oath she would have to tell the truth or risk perjury. That would influence each side in terms of whether to settle. 

And if Tom dies in the meantime, which really isn’t out of the question given his sad shape, that complicates things. 

[LotusFlower]

9 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

 

This does make a lot of sense. Especially the part of them getting away with it for so long, mostly because Tom was so powerful. There were rumors about it, but the right people didn't care.

I mean, there's also the fact that they were both spending money so publicly that it raises the question of where they're getting it. And if Tom was really taking money out of client's settlement accounts and using it to fund his wife's pretend pop star career, well, I don't know why I'd doubt that they could be so dumb once the spotlight was on them since that's a pretty obvious crime too!

It also goes along with Erika's story about the car accident that was so bizarre and seemed like something she might have been making up on the fly but could be easily checked. 

Their extravagant lifestyle was always a big red flag to me.  Sure, lawyers can be rich, even super rich, but they lived a billionaire lifestyle, which never made sense.  Why wasn’t it a red flag to others?  Why didn’t any HW’s question how Tom could own a private plane and Erika could afford a $40k a month glam squad?  They flaunted money, and nobody batted an eye.  I guess they were too busy getting to the bottom of more important things, like Denise’s sex life.

[hoodooznoodooz]

5 hours ago, RoseAllDay said:

She also jumped on Teddi — the host — pretty hard as I recall, in Teddi’s home.

Here’s the thing: She thinks she’s just better than everybody else. Period. That’s why I’m finding it damn hard to have any sympathy for her. She hardly ever stays with the group; always makes a point to arrive late (not fashionably late, just rudely late); always has the most over-the-top get-ups (thinking of the red latex body suit and Barbie hairdo when she almost got run over by the bike 😂); and can’t give anybody else the time of day (unless they’re listening to her). I’ve known people like that and they are insufferable.

She’s the very definition of pride going before a fall. 

And about Garcelle — yes, she can be a little abrupt and nosy (thinking here of her asking Sutton how she got her money), but Erika has made all of this everybody else’s business. Erika could maybe have reduced her role on the show when all of this started going down, which I assume was just after the start of filming. I can’t believe any attorney would be good with what she’s been saying the past few weeks. But she likes the attention and victim playing a bit too much.

Speaking of victims — the way that she is including herself here as a dupe of Tom’s (without mentioning them at all) is an absolute insult to everyone he apparently defrauded. I know others have said it, just want to cosign.

 

THIS

THIS

THIS

Thank you!! So satisfying to read this.

[hoodooznoodooz]

5 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

 

So we're assuming that the truth is that she talks to Tom still. (I'm just trying to put together in my own head what I think is actually going on vs. what she's saying etc.--not trying to poke holes in what you're saying) For instance, there's the suggestion that she and Tom sort of worked out the divorce together because that would somehow be beneficial. But in her story here he's begging her to come home, contradicting the story of how he's not speaking to her/planning his attack, but suporting the story that he's an old man lost in the throes of dementia.

So I wonder what the truth is there--like, it's possible that he is in a mental decline now. Maybe facing all of this stress at the age he is now has sent him into a breakdown and he really does want her back and she's the one steering the "you're supposed to hate me now" ship. Or he's just saying he misses her and she gave some version of that to Garcelle and Crystal because she was on a roll about the real pain of a loved one having dementia (which Crystal knows about). 

All we really know for sure is that she's told two stories that seem to contradict each other and she's not good at clarifying.

Seems weird to say it's common sense not to ask her these questions when it's their job to do that. Seems more like the other ladies have just decided it's better for them to play the part of 100% sympathetic friends while Garcelle, not having any particular history with Erika, has always just commented on the logic. She does ask blunt questions, but that's also why it seems unlikely to me that Erika would feel so close to her she'd accidentally reveal a secret as opposed to making a strategic mistake.

But this situation's a little more complicated, imo, just because of what's being repeated. That is, Erika mentioned to Garcelle that another hard thing for her is that her husband with dementia, whom she left because he was mean to her, now calls her everyday as if she just abandoned him and he's hurt. This isn't a terrible thing for Garcelle repeat solely because Erika just doesn't want to talk about it/it's painful, or it was something she didn't want Kyle, Kathy, Dorit, Sutton or Rinna to hear, but because it casts doubt on a story she's using to protect herself legally. Which Garcelle either knows and so is trying to make sure she gets in trouble or doesn't know and is genuinely, in this instance, acting like a person who is just repeating something that didn't seem to be a big secret, since Erika just mentioned it to two casual acquaintences. 

But either way you read Garcelle's actions (that she understood why she shouldn't repeat it or she didn't) it isn't about her not being impolite or a bad friend, it's about her not helping Erika protect herself legally by lying. 

Said nothing about what? I'm not clear what this is referring to. 

It just seems like you're assuming that Garcelle knew just as much detail about Erika's situation as Erika did, and that's not necessarily the case. It's not impossible that Garcelle took Erika's story about how sad it was for her that Tom was calling her every day as *supporting* the exact narrative Erika's been pushing. In which case it's no difference than referring to the new details about the car accident. Garcelle may not have been throwing her under a bus at all.

Making her situation worse is literally Erika's co-workers job, to an extent, in that they are there to get her to talk about whatever scandal is going on in her life. I suspect any good lawyer would have ordered her to quit the show. Erika had already said what she did on tape. If it was going to come up as part of a legal thing, that's what would be brought up not Garcelle asking about it later.

Superb arguments and opinions!!

[kristen111]

20 hours ago, WhatAmIWatching said:

I feel so validated! I don't social media so didn't know about Rinna's vague posting until after my post.
 If I had a mic stuck to my back and big secrets to hide, you can bet your bippy that I would be extra mindful and hyper aware every time I opened my mouth! At least I now know for certain that I'm smarter than Erika, just in case my husband ever decides to bilk hundreds of millions from somewhere. I'll be able to do a better job at covering our butts. 😂 

She knows how this show works, I don't know why she'd expect they'd treat her any differently than any other HW.  I wonder if they paid lip service that none of what she said would be aired? Crossing my fingers the deleted scenes or reunion show her screeching at the producers!

I doubt she’ll be at the reunion.  She’ll find some excuse not to go on.  It’s been done before.  But then, you know Bravo.  Anything to make more money, and Andy is probably salivating at the idea already.

[hoodooznoodooz]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

People are almost never as smart as they think they are - I watch a lot of the Dateline type of true crime stuff as there are enough cases of very "smart" people who thought they could outsmart the police but make a few critical errors.

I think Erika and Tom fall into the category of having lied so long and so successfully that they didn't think it would catch up with them. They both suffer the fate of many people with hubris - the "gods" ultimately punish them. 

Tom played the game successfully for so many years I don't think it entered his mind that it would catch up with him until the Ponzi scheme started to crumble and he was left with his pants down.

I think Erika has so successfully created an artificial persona which is in essence lying to everyone around her and has done it for years. Most people accepted whatever she said at face value. Those who didn't probably shrugged and didn't think it worth it to expose her lies. I mean in my life, I have encountered people and what they say doesn't pass my "sniff test" - something about it triggers my instincts but it is not something I am going to pursue because their lies don't impact me in any way.

I don't think Erika has friends at all - in the early years she was on the show she would state that repeatedly. I can't think of a single scene in which she was shown with a "friend".  I doubt whether she was actually friends with any of the people she met when she was *playing* the part of Mrs. Tom Girardi. The closest we have seen to friends are her glam squad and I don't think anyone would call them her friends.

I think Tom and Erika concocted a scheme to attempt to save some of the assets through a "well timed" divorce. I am sure that the legal documents have been filed because date of separation is an important deadline in California because it is used to separate separate property from joint property just as date of marriage does. 

It was not that long in "real time" between the filing of the divorce (which was Election Day in early November) and the disclosure in Palm Springs which was a few days before the very long expose in the LA Times which was highlighted in the previews for next week which was on December 17. I think it not at all unlikely that until the expose really exposed everything both Tom and Erika thought it would blow over because he had been getting away with his fraud for about 20 years.

It is really difficult to lie consistently especially when one is dealing with fragmented situations. As we have watched the show this season the reality is that the information was coming out in bits and pieces and Erika was attempting to deal with putting out little fires because it hadn't yet exploded into a massive fire storm. 

ETA - Also in terms of timing, I am wondering what will happen to the support of the other housewives when the show starts to catch up with real time events as it will do in the next episode based on the preview. I think they are contractually not supposed to reveal any of the story lines except very obliquely and they could also not be reacting in "real time" to events that haven't yet occurred on the show in terms of their knowledge. 

These women (and their husbands) are not naive and it certainly is NOT a good look moving forward to fervently support someone who steals from widows and orphans (Tom) and someone who at best (Erika) feels no remorse and in fact flaunts it like the widows and orphans earrings she was wearing in the cartoon she posted on Instagram. 

Of course I could be completely wrong and the rest of the cast are venal (which we already knew) AND stupid and will continue to support her which is a terrible PR move. After all they went to the birthday party where they all wore the bathing suits; they wished her a Happy Birthday and I think there was some dinner fairly recently when they called themselves something and tacitly expressed solidarity. 

Really we won't know until the reunion what side of the fence they are going to land on.

You guys are outdoing yourselves with these fantastic insights. Thank you.

Do you have a link to photos of the bolded reference? I would love to take a look.

[LotusFlower]

24 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

I doubt she’ll be at the reunion.  She’ll find some excuse not to go on.  It’s been done before.  But then, you know Bravo.  Anything to make more money, and Andy is probably salivating at the idea already.

She said that she WILL be at the reunion only yesterday on Twitter. 

[kristen111]

On 8/5/2021 at 2:46 AM, endure said:

🗯besides hasn’t Tom forgot all about her by now with his dementia? And wasn’t he stealing 💰for years, not just since the head bang!

I’m lost here.  How do we know Tom has dementia and had an accident?  Did Erika say that, his lawyers, a hospital, a doctor?  Truly, was he diagnosed, and by whom.  Maybe I missed something.  She said he had an accident and wound up down a hill.  That was the last I read of it.

[65mickey]

31 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

She said that she WILL be at the reunion only yesterday on Twitter. 

If she goes to the reunion she has lawyers who are dumber that she.  I have not one iota of sympathy for either Tom or Erika. They used money that belonged to others,  victims of very tragic circumstances to live a lavish and ridiculous life style.  They are horrible peopl who deserve everything that is coming to them.  

[LotusFlower]

1 minute ago, 65mickey said:

If she goes to the reunion she has lawyers who are dumber that she.  I have not one iota of sympathy for either Tom or Erika. They used money that belonged to others,  victims of very tragic circumstances to live a lavish and ridiculous life style.  They are horrible peopl who deserve everything that is coming to them.  

I’m pretty sure I read a couple months ago that her lawyers quit.  I don’t know whether she hired anyone new. 

[sistermagpie]

38 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

I’m lost here.  How do we know Tom has dementia and had an accident?  Did Erika say that, his lawyers, a hospital, a doctor?  Truly, was he diagnosed, and by whom.  Maybe I missed something.  She said he had an accident and wound up down a hill.  That was the last I read of it.

Erika says stuff and implies stuff. That seems about it. I tink somebody on his team was asking for him to be evaluated or something? But no, there's nothing official at all, despite Erika's stories about lawyers calling her in tears about how they have to do something about him. LOL!

Like I said, I do think it's certainly possible that this situation has taken a toll on his mental strain. Because this guy was known for his "good guy" reputation. Even while he was ripping people off he was claiming to be their champion, saying he was a good guy and didn't want them to be mad at him. It's possible that having himself so publicly outed as a creep might break him a little. (Or not--I have no idea what his real mental state is, but it seems to be all the rage for older predators with long careers in evil to shuffle into court in slippers, suddenly leaning on walkers.)

But of course, none of that matters or means he wasn't completely functional when he was doing this stuff for all those years. He seems like he was a better liar than Erika and yet those people knew they were being lied to too!

49 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

She said that she WILL be at the reunion only yesterday on Twitter. 

Of course, she can say that up until five minutes before the reunion and still have something suddenly come up!

[biakbiak]

57 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

Did Erika say that, his lawyers, a hospital, a doctor?  Truly,

Oops moving it to Erika’s thread. Though Erika herself has alluded to it several times at this point in the show. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by biakbiak

[kristen111]

I am just so confused at this point and will say no more.  Only that the rest of them hugging and kissing her ass is pathetic.  Especially when Erika didn’t give any one of them the time of day as I recall.  All those idiots running up to her makes me sick.  Kyle and Rinna especially.

 

 

 

 

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, kristen111 said:

I’m lost here.  How do we know Tom has dementia and had an accident?  Did Erika say that, his lawyers, a hospital, a doctor?  Truly, was he diagnosed, and by whom.  Maybe I missed something.  She said he had an accident and wound up down a hill.  That was the last I read of it.

I’ll add that Tom’s lawyers are also claiming that he has dementia.  

[kristen111]

12 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

I’ll add that Tom’s lawyers are also claiming that he has dementia.  

Of course they are.  It adds to their defense.