Erika Jayne has been under a heavy magnifying glass on this season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, concerning what she says about her soon-to-be ex-husband Tom Girardi, his alleged embezzlement crimes, and the lawsuits they are facing. And to be frank, a lot of spectators aren't liking what they're seeing and hearing. Many have, in fact, accused the reality star of showing no remorse on-camera for the victims involved in the legal cases and only worrying about herself. Now Sutton Stracke is weighing in on those criticisms of her co-star.
In the last few episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi’s legal matters are finally coming into public knowledge. The most damning of which being that Girardi allegedly embezzled millions meant for “orphans and widows” of a plane crash settlement. But for the most part, Erika Jayne has only shared her personal struggles – leading to the accusations that she doesn't have remorse or empathy for others. When asked if she agreed with the public's perception of Erika Jayne on Watch What Happens Live, Sutton Stracke revealed:
It’s so hard because knowing now what I didn’t know then, I would have, maybe, played it a different way.
Sutton Stracke seems to be implying that she would have shown more remorse herself for the victims if she was in Erika Jayne’s shoes at that time. Of late, many viewers have similarly commented that Erika Jayne should be doing a lot of things differently – like not pumping her own gas or not flying on a private jet amidst the allegations. Even ex-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Camille Grammer had some thoughts about Erika Jayne’s running mascara when she was seen crying during an episode.
However, it should be noted that likely Erika Jayne can't speak directly about the case and its victims on the show without potentially perjuring herself. The legal matter is still ongoing but very serious. Last week, the opposing counsel in the Chapter 7 bankruptcy case claimed that Erika Jayne had received more than $25 million in luxury items and payments from Tom Girardi’s law firm that should’ve been meant for victims and creditors. The development came on top of a judge ruling that Girardi’s victims could sue Erika Jayne for what they are owed.
Still, Erika Jayne apparently has an ally where Sutton Stracke is concerned. She said that she loves Erika Jayne and that the details in Wednesday’s episode were only “confusing” to her because there was so much going on. Namely, Erika Jayne revealed that Tom Girardi’s 2017 car accident left him unconscious for 12 hours, implying that he was not mentally well, and that he had cheated on her in the past.
It's interesting, though, that Sutton Stracke is seemingly on good terms with Erika Jayne, given the most recent teaser trailer for the rest of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season. From the looks of it, Stracke had called Erika Jayne a liar, which led Erika Jayne to “promise” that she would come after her.
There are obviously a lot of outside opinions on Erika Jayne and her involvement in Girardi’s supposed embezzling. But it will ultimately have to be decided in a court of law, not the court of Bravo and public perception.
