Erika’s airplane metaphor during the RHOBH reunion left many fans shocked that she didn’t notice the insensitive analogy pointing to Tom’s victims.
During the final part of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 12 reunion, Erika Jayne left viewers cringing after using a poorly planned out airplane analogy while responding to castmates. Erika joined RHOBH season 6 in 2015 and attracted viewers for her incredibly luxurious lifestyle and always-present glam squad. At the time, she was married to Tom Girardi, lawyer and founder of Girardi & Keese, a law firm based in Los Angeles. The firm has now been dissolved after becoming embroiled in controversy for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars meant for victims made ill by the drug Rezulin, for the families of plane crash victims, in addition to other innocent clients of the law firm. Along with Tom, Erika was also named in numerous lawsuits alleging the embezzlement of funds. The couple separated in late 2020 after Erika filed for divorce.
Reddit user u/rymerplans started a thread that pointed out Erika’s extremely callous use of an airplane analogy during the reunion. Erika was responding to Dorit Kemsley, who was explaining that the delivery of many of Erika’s comments regarding the alleged victims of Girardi & Keese came across as cold and dismissive. The “Pretty Mess” singer described to Dorit that the way she was reacting to the legal cases could be likened to the instructions given to airline passengers to first secure their own oxygen masks before helping others in case of emergency; Erika is looking out for herself first, before attempting to help anyone else that is caught up in the legal proceedings. Redditor u/rymerplans disagrees with Erika’s metaphor, and commented, “There’s a difference between putting yourself first, and putting others down.”
Throughout RHOBH season 12, Erika has drawn ire from viewers for how she responded to being asked about the victims of her estranged husband’s law firm. A huge problem many Redditors have with Erika’s analogy is that a major part of the lawsuits facing Girardi & Keese stems from the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash that killed all 189 passengers and crew onboard. When asked about the victims by cast members, Erika was often critical of their claims of wrongdoing and seemed to brush off any potential harm they may have faced due to Girardi & Keese. Most notably, when RHOBH‘s Crystal Kung Minkoff asked about potential victims, Erika responded: “I don’t give a f*** about anyone else but me,” which resulted in gasps of disbelief from the other RHOBH women.
Erika has had some success in the past year with some of the lawsuits she was named in and has had many of them dismissed. Most recently, she won a fraud lawsuit filed by some of Tom’s former colleagues, who alleged that Erika was fully aware of the misallocation of funds that were used to fund her music career and the couple’s lifestyle. A judge ruled that the colleagues had no proof of Erika’s knowledge or participation and only brought forth circumstantial evidence.
Throughout her time on RHOBH, Erika has been known for her straightforward way of speaking to others and for being unafraid to use controversial language. However, Reddit users have agreed that Erika went too far with the use of an airplane analogy during the season 12 reunion. The RHOBH star’s apparent lack of compassion towards the victims and families of victims of Girardi & Keese has left many of her followers at a loss for words and understandably disturbed.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-12 are available on Peacock.
Source: u/rymerplans/Reddit