Erika Girardi fled a group trip before a bombshell story broke about her embattled husband Tom Girardi and their lavish lifestyle on Wednesday’s episode of RHOBH.
The 50-year-old reality star broke down in tears during a get-away weekend in La Quinta after Garcelle Beauvais, 54, blurted out that Tom, 82, still called Erika daily.
Erika told Garcelle that she had crossed a line by bringing up something that she had shared in confidence.
Tough time: Erika Girardi fled a group trip before a bombshell story broke about her embattled husband Tom Girardi and their lavish lifestyle on Wednesday’s episode of RHOBH
‘This is very hard,’ Erika said with tears running down her face. ‘This is a hard time in my life.’
Lisa Rinna, 57, hugged Erika as she sobbed and said ‘I’m sorry that happened. It’s f***ed up.’
Erika’s over the top emotional reaction during the episode titled ‘Circle Of Distrust’ had the women questioning whether there was more that they weren’t being told about regarding her situation.
After Lisa’s comment, Garcelle grabbed her phone and said ‘I’m leaving.’
Tears flowing: The 50-year-old reality star broke down in tears during a get-away weekend in La Quinta
In a confessional, Garcelle said she was really mad because she didn’t think that Lisa ‘gave her the benefit of the doubt.’ She said Lisa was supposed to be working on building their relationship.
Kathy Hilton, 62, convinced her to stay and Garcelle sat back down with the women. She apologized to Erika who told her it was okay.
‘You don’t need to leave, it is okay,’ Erika told her before she started sobbing.
Hot seat: Garcelle Beauvais, 54, blurted out that Tom Girardi, 82, still called Erika daily prompting Erika to lose it
In a confessional, Kyle Richards, 52, said whatever was happening with Erika it had to be something major because she looks ‘broken.’
Garcelle hugged Erika while apologizing again and Erika repeated that it was okay.
Sutton Stracke, 49, also said in a confessional that she found Erika’s reaction ‘a little much’ and that it made her wonder whether Erika was being honest with them.
Broken down: In a confessional, Kyle Richards, 52, said whatever was happening with Erika it had to be something major because she looks ‘broken’
Erika then decided to go home and told the women she needed to take care of some things.
When Erika walked out, Sutton told Garcelle that she didn’t do anything wrong. Outside, Dorit Kemsley, 44, told Erika that she hated to see her upset like this and that she was sorry for what happened.
‘Me, too,’ Kyle said.
Taking off: Erika then decided to go home and told the women she needed to take care of some things
Lisa told Erika, as they waited with her for her ride, that they knew that she would open up in her own time.
‘So why push it?,’ Lisa said.
After Erika left the housewives returned to the living room of Kyle’s La Quinta house where Lisa said she was so sad over the incident.
Sad situation: After Erika left the housewives returned to the living room of Kyle’s La Quinta house where Lisa said she was so sad over the incident
Garcelle, clearly mad, didn’t even look at her. Lisa asked her why she felt she had to ask Erika about Tom.
Crystal Kung Minkoff, 35, told Garcelle they should go back to their hotel and get ready for dinner.
Once outside while waiting for their ride, Garcelle said she didn’t think that a lot of people were on her side. In a confessional, Garcelle said she had always felt that there was an inner circle to their group that did not include her.
Not happy: Garcelle, clearly mad, didn’t even look at Lisa who sided against her
Inside the house, Lisa told Kyle, Dorit, and Sutton that she didn’t think it was their place to ask Erika questions. Lisa then checked her phone for the latest news and saw that there was a report that Tom’s creditors planned to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition.
Dorit said that if all of Tom’s assets went into this bankruptcy filing that Erika was not going to get a ‘dime.’
The women then changed for dinner.
Legal commentary: Dorit Kemsley said that if all of Tom’s assets went into this bankruptcy filing that Erika was not going to get a ‘dime’
Despite the fact that they were just having dinner at Kyle’s house, the women dressed to the nines. Lisa wore a black Gucci jumpsuit and Dorit wore a Gucci partially see-through outfit. Sutton, wore a red plaid blazer, with a vintage Cartier diamond cuff.
Lisa asked her if it was real.
‘What do you mean?’ Sutton said. ‘ It’s vintage Cartier.’
Dressed up: Despite the fact that they were just having dinner at Kyle’s house, the women dressed to the nines
‘You’re so f***ing rich,’ Lisa said. ‘I forget.’
Garcelle and Crystal walked in and the women complimented each other on their outfits. Kathy asked if anyone had spoken to Erika and Kyle said she texted her. Garcelle said she also sent her a text but did not hear back.
Kyle told her that the next time she sees Erika that she won’t be mean to her, but that she just won’t trust her.
Good times: The women complimented each other on their outfits
‘I get that,’ said Garcelle. ‘But I did not do it intentionally.’
Lisa asked Garcelle if there was anything she could ‘own’ about the situation. Lisa said in a confessional that Garcelle needs to ‘check herself as to why she does what she does.’ She said Garcelle is not someone who has ‘your back.’
Dorit said to Garcelle that she didn’t think that she wanted to hurt Erika, but that she was ‘needling a little bit.’ Garcelle denied it and said she wasn’t going to hurt someone who was at their bottom.
On defense: Garcelle denied going after Erika and said she wasn’t going to hurt someone who was at their bottom
‘That’s not who I am,’ said Garcelle.
Lisa asked to make her understand what happened. Garcelle said she wished she had been told not to say anything because she wouldn’t have, but she wasn’t and she ‘over stepped.’
Garcelle said in a confessional that she didn’t do anything intentional or had anything to own, but just confessed to over-stepping to shut Lisa up.
Over stepped: In a confessional, Garcelle said that she didn’t do anything intentional or had anything to own, but just confessed to over-stepping to shut Lisa up
The women sat down for dinner. Kathy brought up that she had heard that someone at the table said they didn’t see color. She then told them a story where Michael Jackson told her that he didn’t see color and that neither did she.
Sutton, in a confessional, said she was not going to touch that one.
Garcelle tried to explain to Kathy that she wanted her to see color.
Staying out: Sutton, in a confessional, said she was not going to touch that one as the talk turned to race
‘If you don’t see color then you don’t see me,’ said Garcelle.
Kyle tried to explain that Kathy meant that she thought everyone was equal, but Garcelle said that was not true at all because ‘we are not treated equally as you are…we should be but we are not.’
Garcelle asked the women if they ever told their children to be careful when the cops pulled them over. Lisa and Kyle said no. Garcelle said she often worries about her son Oliver being pulled over.
No color: Kathy Hilton told them a story where Michael Jackson told her that he didn’t see color and that neither did she
‘In an instant, he is not my son and he’s just a black man,’ Garcelle said in a confessional. ‘And this world does not see the value in black men.’
Crystal said she was also always taught growing up to protect herself. She said she would be picked on when she was younger. Dorit told the women that she has a lot of people who have worked for her that are multicultural and her children are used to it. Dorit said that some of the people her children loved most are ‘dark-skinned.’
Garcelle asked if black and brown people were the only help at Dorit’s house. Dorit said no and added that her mother’s best friend was black. After dinner, Kyle then asked the women if they would make her life easier by all rinsing their plates and putting them in the dishwasher. Dorit suggested that next time they all go on vacation that they chip in to hire some help.
Good point: Garcelle asked the women if they ever told their children to be careful when the cops pulled them over
‘Kyle what kind of vacation is this,’ Dorit said in a confessional. ‘We dress for dinner, not for dishes.’
In a confessional, Kyle didn’t think it was such a big deal to ask the other housewives to just rinse their one dish. ‘You would think I was asking them to detail my car or something,’ she said.
Later after some of the housewives staying at Kyle’s house had changed into their pajamas, Lisa shared with them that her husband Harry Hamlin gets acrylic nails because he plays guitar. They all laughed when they saw the picture of Harry’s nails.
Then the next morning as the women were still drinking their coffee the alerts kept going off on their phones and it became apparent what made Erika so upset.
The Los Angeles Times had just published a story titled ‘The legal titan and the ‘Real Housewife’: The rise and fall of Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne.’
News story: The Los Angeles Times had just published a story titled ‘The legal titan and the ‘Real Housewife’: The rise and fall of Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne’
‘It’s not good’ Kyle said to Lisa.
Kyle recounted later that she thought it couldn’t get any worse for Erika. She said the article said that Tom stands ‘accused of stealing millions of dollars from vulnerable clients, including Indonesian children orphaned by a plane crash and a burn victim.’
She read that the article also said that Tom ‘has bristled at allegations that he diverted firm assets for lavish living’ but his lawyers admitted in court that Tom had been unable to tell them what happened to the money.
The article: Kyle said the article said that Tom stands ‘accused of stealing millions of dollars from vulnerable clients, including Indonesian children orphaned by a plane crash and a burn victim’
The article also reported that Tom allegedly had improperly funneled more than $20 million to Erika Jayne’s entertainment company.
‘That’s a lot of money,’ Lisa said.
Sutton came downstairs in her pajamas and joined Kyle and Lisa and told them that she had also read that the article used the words ‘Ponzi scheme.’ She said if Tom is found guilty that he is going to jail.
Ponzi claim: Sutton came downstairs in her pajamas and joined Kyle and Lisa and told them that she had also read that the article used the words ‘Ponzi scheme’
They then discussed whether in Bernie Madoff’s case whether his wife was implicated and went to jai. Sutton told them she wasn’t. But, Sutton told them, that tricky part for Erika was if her business was in her name and she accepted these funds.
‘That’s not good,’ Sutton said. ‘If she did receive $20 million from him from the firm then that money should be going back to all the victims.’
Kyle wanted to know what happened to the money and Sutton said she thought it was gone.
Not good: ‘That’s not good,’ Sutton said. ‘If she did receive $20 million from him from the firm then that money should be going back to all the victims’
Sutton said in a confessional that these are not white collar crimes and that these crimes have victims. She said it looked like this was a lot bigger and had been going on a lot longer than they had been told. Kyle and Sutton agreed that Erika knew this article was coming out and was probably the reason behind her leaving.
Lisa said she didn’t believe that Erika knew what Tom was doing. She said in a confessional that in her house when Harry puts contracts on the table that she has just signed them.
Sutton said the problem for Erika was that if her name was on the LLC that she would be held responsible for that LLC. Sutton said in a confessional that ‘if the devil himself puts money in your LLC, you are responsible for it.’
Showing support: Lisa said she didn’t believe that Erika knew what Tom was doing
Dorit said that the picture that was being painted by this article was that Erika and Tom had a very lavish lifestyle and all this money was just an effort to keep it up.
‘The picture that was being painted is very, very different from reality,’ said Kyle.
After reading the report, Dorit said it felt as if they did not know Erika at all and that Erika’s freedom is at stake. Kyle wondered in a confessional what else Erika had been keeping from them.
Back at the La Quinta hotel, Garcelle also discussed the article with Crystal Kung Minkoff, 35. Garcelle said later in a confessional that the article explained why Erika flipped out on her. She said the paper must have called and given Erika a heads up.
The women then packed up and returned to their lives and homes in LA. Dorit was FaceTiming with her husband PK who was with Boy George and even the famous singer asked about Erika.
‘Just thank God it’s not your drama, that is all I have got to say,’ Boy George said. ‘That’s the good news.’
Popular topic: Dorit was FaceTiming with her husband PK who was with Boy George and even the famous singer asked about Erika
Kyle called Dorit to discuss. Kyle said in a confessional that the thought that Erika knew something and was covering for Tom crept into her head. She told Dorit that Sutton wanted to set up a meeting without Erika. Dorit agreed to hold the meeting at her house.
Kyle said in a confessional that she was shocked when she opened up her phone in the morning and saw pictures of the alleged mistress and texts from Tom leaked by Erika on Instagram. Kyle said she thought Erika was posting pictures because people thought her divorce was a hoax.
Lisa said she had spoken to Erika that morning and she told her that her divorce lawyer told her to take the photos down. Sutton arrived and told the women that she thought they had all been placed in a bad position.
Alleged mistress: Kyle said in a confessional that she was shocked when she opened up her phone in the morning and saw pictures of the alleged mistress and texts from Tom leaked by Erika on Instagram
‘I left yesterday very concerned,’ Sutton said. ‘My alarms and red flags started flying everywhere. What have we gotten ourselves into?’
Sutton told them she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to be around Erika during this time.
The show ended with a ‘To Be Continued’ message.
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills will return next Wednesday on Bravo.
Stay tuned: The show ended with a ‘To Be Continued’ message