She wasnt anactress likeDenise Richardsor a majorbusiness mogul likeLisa Vanderpump.
From the start, viewers like myself were fascinated by Erikas wealth and IDGAF attitude.
She had mystery, money, and a larger-than-life persona that screamed Real Housewives.
Image via BRAVO
Butshe wasnt a natural fit with her castmates.
Thats part of the reasonshes easily swayed between being a fan favorite to a full-blown villain.
When Did Erika Become the Shows Villain?
Her diva-like attitude suddenly turned into mean-girl territory.
As the seasons went on, it became more noticeable thatErika rarely opened up about her personal life.
It alwaysfelt like she was hiding something and it turns out, she was.
I definitely think it needs a cast shakeup.
Erikas ultimate fall from grace came in 2020.
Everything changed when her husband,Tom, was accused of embezzling millionsof dollars from plane crash victims.
The huge scandal instantly made Erika the villain ofRHOBHby default even if she wasnt legally implicated at first.
I remember watching everything unfold, and it wasnt hard to see why she was guilty by association.
Thetiming of their divorce was suspicious she announced it just before the lawsuit against Tom went public.
She alsoshowed a shocking lack of remorse.
There was a time when it seemed like Erika would never escape the shadow of her husbands legal troubles.
He wasformally indicted on fraud chargesfor embezzling $18 million from clients.
Hes awaiting trial, and if convicted, he couldspend the rest of his life in prison.
But Erika wasnt standing by his side.
The two weredeclared legally separated in 2020,and shes done her best to distance herself from him.
She was never charged with a crime in connection to Toms fraud.
But spoiler alert she did have to return the earrings.
However, thecourts never held her personally responsible for the fraud.
Shes still the Erika Jayne I loved when she debuted in 2015 sharp-tongued, dramatic, and wildly opinionated.
But this season, shes doing something she never did before shes beingvulnerable, funny, and surprisingly self-aware.
For example,take her weight loss.
Erika Is Forming Genuine Friendships
It also helps her be chummy with her co-stars.
Dont worry theres no lack of drama this season.
But I find itrefreshing to see Erika forming genuine friendshipsafter being such a lone wolf.
But I think the main thing thats returned Erika to my good graces is herVegas Residency.
Fans love agood comeback story,and her Vegas production is exactly that.
And frankly, I love seeing her journey.
I may even buy a ticket to Vegas to support her myself.
We also need to commend Erika for owning her past instead of running from it.
Itmakes her feel more human, and its exactly why Im warming up to her again.
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