Erika Jayne's Redemption Arc In Bet It All On Blonde Is What We've Been Missing On RHOBH
"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" fans are no strangers to seeing Erika Jayne snarl and snap at her castmates since she joined the show in Season 6, but the "Pretty Mess" singer ramped up her icy demeanor after her legal issues began. As the lawsuits unfolded, the other housewives, along with the rest of America, had no idea what Jayne's part in Tom Girardi's fraud scheme was. Naturally, many questioned her innocence, given her wildly lavish spending habits, but Jayne didn't help matters with her defensive attitude. When Sutton Stracke found herself on the end of Jayne's vitriol, the boutique owner told her to take it down a notch. What she got was a literal growl from her castmate, who threatened her with, "Or what? Or what?"
Jayne kept up her defenses over the next few years, even blatantly wearing the famous $750,000 earrings she was ordered to give up in an episode of "RHOBH." She didn't do herself any favors by not appearing remorseful for Girardi's victims. We can't forget the time Crystal Kung Minkoff asked how Jayne felt toward his misled clients, and she snapped, "I don't give a f**k about anybody else but me." Although fans did see a softer Jayne in "RHOBH" Season 13, it wasn't until her two-part documentary "Bet It All on Blonde" that really showcased her vulnerable side, and it's what we have been waiting to see on "RHOBH" for three seasons.
Erika Jayne finally showing compassion for Tom Girardi's victims will have fans on her side
The way Erika Jayne spoke about Tom Girardi's former clients in "Bet It All on Blonde" is a far cry from that jaw-dropping comment to Crystal Kung Minkoff in Season 12 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." In the first episode of her two-part documentary, she shared, "None of this should have happened. I feel terrible about the clients and that they did not receive what they were entitled to receive. These people [have] been wronged, harmed. They want answers from a law firm that they put their trust in." These are the words she should have said to Minkoff, and it would have saved her years of backlash from the public believing she was cold and heartless.
Jayne has also been dubbed a "gold digger" for marrying a wealthy man 33 years her senior. In "RHOBH," we saw her enjoying the perks of Girardi's fortune, such as having her own chapel installed in their mansion, which made her highly unrelatable. She finally drums up compassion by explaining in "Bet It All on Blonde" that she grew up without a dad and witnessed her only father figure, her stepdad, cheat on her mother. Sadly, the fallout from Girardi's confusing situation closed the door on her being able to trust anyone completely. Jayne's history explains a lot of her contentious behavior, and it's that she's covering up decades of broken trust — but the way she treats her longtime friend Mikey Minden is surprisingly much gentler than what we've seen in "RHOBH."
Erika Girardi's vulnerable side in Bet It All on Blonde has us finally rooting for her
We've all seen what happens when Erika Jayne is backed into a corner — the claws come out and insults start flying. We kept waiting for her to snap at Mikey Minden when he got frustrated with her, but the Jayne that we witnessed in "Bet It All on Blonde" was a turn from what she's been showing in "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Even after being berated by her creative director during rehearsals, it's she who calms him down. That would have never flown with her in "RHOBH," and it's because Jayne has more at stake with her residency than the reality show. While we love the parties and glam, it's the fighting that draws in the ratings. Jayne needs to show that side of her to get that Bravo paycheck. If she snaps at Minden and he quits, her show and her lifelong dream are gone.
This is the realest we've ever seen Jayne. In "RHOBH," we get stone-cold Erika, who was even accused of staging the mascara-running scene with Kyle Richards to garner sympathy. It's not surprising that fans didn't believe her tears. In Jayne's documentary, she doesn't have to fight others when she's fighting herself to pull off a show. It's heartbreaking to see her unable to tap that sexiness she's known for but lost due to the trauma of the last few years. Jayne has lost all the anger from "RHOBH," and it hits home when she states, "I have to show up for myself."