Cat

Which production company does RHOD? The show looks visually gorgeous. The houses alone are magnificent. D'Andra in a long white dress going into her mother's mansion clearly referenced Scarlett O'Hara in front of Tara; Tiffany sitting in the gazebo in the garden with Mama Dee and D'Andra was breath-taking. There is a lightness and breathability to the show without Leeanne. At the same time, I found myself looking around for her, wishing she would pop up every now and then. Leeanne left the show without proper closure -- and I say this as no fan of hers. But having Brandi around confirms for me that the xenophobia charge levelled at Leeanne was merely a means to an end for Bravo to get rid of her. Her attitude last season and the way she sucked the air out of every conversation was enough for Bravo to decide that her time on the show was running out. Kary is still the same, whiny mean girl, desperate for relevance. She's thrown her lot behind trashpot Brandi, forgetting that it totally contradicts her no-excuses stance with Leeanne last season. She looks and sounds like a total moron. I am anticipating her downfall this season. Trashpot... I can't. Scrunching up your face real hard and farting out one dry tear is not remorse. I don't care that she had to 'go away' for 'help' to come to terms with doing the slant-eye racist gesture on social media. F*ck off with that BS. I hate the way the other women were trying to pressure Tiffany into blowing off Brandi's racist episode. "But she's SO FUNNY!" So? And she is? I've never found her remotely amusing. This is some contrived redemption BS. I am stunned Bravo thought Brandi Redmond was worth this kind of whitewashing. Tiffany is great so far and it's funny you call her Asian Kenya -- she actually reminds me a bit of Garcelle. So I may call her Asian Garcelle. She gave a speech about how Covid really does exist at the lunch, and seriously, was I the only one who felt some of the Fox News-watching HWs... pause somewhat-disbelievingly? The lack of masks on this show was giving me secondhand stress, like, I know this was filmed in the spring, we knew less then than we do now. But the visors aren't cutting it for me, lol. Good to see Kameron and her family back. Random note, but I found her dog trainer seriously, seriously SO HOT. (Even though he wasn't wearing a mask LOL). I have been hoping for a Sutton-Garcelle friendship ever since their lunch together last season where Garcelle asked all the nosy questions! I especially love that they've been hanging out together off-the-clock. That happens less on BH (unless you are Kyle trying to cultivate a new minion). I am really looking forward to these two next season. And I couldn't agree more regarding Gizelle and Robyn. I find both of them to be lazy Real Housewives. Their SLs are basic and recycled, and even their pot-stirring is lazy. They'd rather somebody else do the heavy lifting, both on the show and in their real lives, it would seem. I can't understand why Bravo picked Gizelle as their 'unproblematic' face of the network, 'educating' Gina on OC about BLM and whatnot. As for new HWs on RHOP, I always wondered if Star Jones might be a good fit.

@Taoboi Thank you for reminding me about Tinsley's contribution to RHONY. I was a bit of a Jules fan and only belatedly 'got' Tinsley's charm. Her departure episode on RHONY and triumphant return to Reunion to confront Dorinda made me realize, Wow, we lost a good one here. And we shouldn't have. Maybe RHoChicago?? Also I can't believe I forgot to mention the much-desired departure of Terri! To think, it was Twitter uncovering her multi-level paid-starvation programme that brought her down! Welp. I'll take it. She eagerly volunteered to run Denise over with a giant bus and then backed it up and ran over her again and again, so I'm shedding no tears. She finally thought she was a part of The Coven as a peer instead of a lackey! Oh sweetie. Wonder if Kyle is still calling you every day? Terri's dismissal must have been a bitter pill to swallow, and I honestly worry how she and her stencil-eyebrowed husband are going to pay for that new house in Encino next door to the Umanskys. Another noteworthy comeuppance was RHOBH's Brandi. Now, I actually feel sorry for Brandi for this one. She never got over being fired from RHOBH (even though it was exacting a toll on her psyche) and has doggedly tried to get back on the show. Her desperation, plus likely a lot of booze & pills, have aged this former beauty beyond recognition. She was a hollow shell of her former self this season (reflective of the state of BH itself, I would say). All that was left was the performative vulgarity as she desperately tried to drag Denise down into the mud and claw her way back up. Sadly, Brandi will only ever be Valley-dwelling trash to the BH cast. They and Bravo use and discard her repeatedly. For months before BH even aired, she tirelessly teased the season's big SL and her key role in it. She said she'd be attending Reunion to expose Denise. Then she said she'd be doing a one-on-one interview with Andy about the allegations. Then Andy flatly announced that Bravo would not be filming anything with her. It is brutal watching her on that hamster wheel. I forgot to mention that Best Husband of 2020 is Joe Gorga, RHONJ. He is hilarious, shady, a drama queen, with terribly distorted and outdated views about women -- but overall he is immense fun to watch and is a RH in his own right. Going to watch RHOD now -- but @NothinButAttitude got me scared. I seriously CANNOT deal with Brandi Redmond's pity party about being a racist b!tch. If ever a comeuppance was needed, it's on this one. Why is Bravo working so hard to save her job? This is the lowest-rated RH franchise and she doesn't even stand out next to Kameron, Stephanie or the Simmons women! OK, thoughts later.

Thanks @Gray Bunny ! I love lists like these. ***THE BEST & WORST OF 2020*** Best Show RHOP punches far above its weight, belying its ratings (which may be some kind of Nielsen/Bravo conspiracy to make RHOA feel better about itself). This is due largely to the kismet chemistry between its core cast. IMO RHOP was Best Show of 2019 as well. The level of intensity and anger this season has been such that the show could be in danger of burning itself out. Already we have lost Monique, who carried much of the drama. The righteous anger levelled at Andy, Gizelle and Bravo after Reunion makes me wonder if the show will be able to repeat the magic of its first 5 seasons. Nevertheless, it was addictive, compulsive drama this year, and The Unmasking of Gizelle which will go down as one of the most anticipated takedowns in RH history. Most Entertaining Show RHONY. This year was not golden for RHONY, but the enjoyment I get from watching is still there. There are moments when it easily rivals Emmy-winning comedy. Again, this is due to the cast, most of whom have known each other forever. As long as Bravo maintains a familiar core group (Sonja, Luann and yes, even that monster Ramona), I am looking forward to next season's shake-up. Show You Love to Hate RHOBH is That Show. After LVP chose to jump rather than be pushed, I wasn't sure I could handle a RHOBH with The Coven crowing in triumph. And they won another round in S11 by chasing F*cking Denise Richards away. However, someone, somewhere in the bowels of Bravo seems to understand that we want to see some viable opposition. Some karma. There is a reason they replayed Season 1 BH during this year's brief mid-season hiatus -- so we could be reminded of Kyle Richards' machinations from the very beginning. They also gave us Best New Housewife Garcelle Beauvais, RHOBH, and Best Friend of the Housewives Sutton Stracke, RHOBH. As @DaytimeFan said, BH is a journey into the dark heart of ruinous consumerism (it used to be a journey into the dark heart of dirty Hollywood secrets which made it an amazing watch back in the day). The additions of Garcelle and Sutton may not quite be the antidote, but they are a breath of fresh air and emotional authenticity amid all the performative spending and petty fakery. Show That's Heating Up RHOSLC took a while to get its claws into me. Who would have thought Mormon Country could deliver... this? Mary, the childlike, fragile bird of a cult leader. Whitney the Darla-voiced truth-teller. Femme fatale Meredith Marks. I even enjoy thirstay Jen Shah who thought she was going to be her franchise's LVP. This is what makes this show such a tasty treat -- the fact that someone as normal, self-deprecating, unbothered and funny as Heather Gay could swipe that crown. Show That's Cooling Off RHOA. It's been like that for a while. And it's not the cast's fault. Once upon a time, the cast gave us everything. Flirtation, divorce, pillow fights, epic shade and the best humor. But somewhere along the way -- and after too much Bravo interference IMO -- we lost the authentic real-life stories. We got a lot of self-production (Kenya) and meaningless filler (everybody else). Part of it is due to the change in production team after S9. IMO, losing Carlos King, who knew the women and this franchise like the back of his hand, was a loss. And losing a black EP was a loss. I'm not sure the current crew is as intimately tuned in to the women. As a result, the last few seasons have felt very surface, like something has been lost in translation. ATL is also starting to do that BH thing where they focus heavily on lewks in order to make up for the lack of organic drama. The women are still amazing, they just need to be handled better. Show That's in Trouble RHOC. Actually, this season is not as bad as I expected. But this comes on the heels of at least three very iffy seasons. And this is definitely the B Team. Firing the two engines of pot-stirring drama and building a show around Kelly "THIN THE HERD" Dodd was a mistake all of us foresaw a year ago. Gina is by far the best HW here, and God knows we weren't saying that about her in 2019. Braunwyn is giving us everything, but Lord, she exhausts me. It's hard to watch somebody so pampered and privileged be so depressive. Yes, she may finally be living her truth, but I wonder if it's more a case of being bored stiff by her dullard husband. And then we have Shannon. Can we finally agree that Shannon is an awful person and insanely jealous that her daughters have Covid because they are stealing her thunder? I still like Emily and Shane. It's salvageable, but it cannot afford another lost season. We've had too many of those. Outstanding Scene Stealer Sonja and Luann, RHONY. I could listen to them shoot the breeze all day long. Plus they have heart, and that is something sorely missing on many shows. Queen Bee OG Karen Huger, RHOP. What can I say? I love her. Worst OG Kyle Richards, RHOBH. Obvs. Housewife Most Due for a Comeuppance Lisa Rinna, RHOBH. She's keeping her sh*t locked tight, though. No crazy spending. Harry stuck in a cabin in Canada. Deflection wielded like a murderous weapon. I expect her to go down with the BH ship at this point. Biggest Fall from Grace 1. Erika & Tom Girardi (RHOBH) OWN this category. This is MAJOR. Far, far bigger than anything the Giudices were caught doing. They looted the settlement accounts of burn-victim clients and Indonesian widows. The number of lawsuits are mounting by the week. The scale of the lawsuits amount to millions and millions of siphoned dollars. It is an epic house of cards which is falling in slow motion. And the coldness, the hubris! All this was done to fund Erika Jayne's career -- on the Real Housewives. 2. Andy Cohen. The baby shower Kyle threw for him (and Rinna took credit for, lol) went to his head. "Dance for your master, monkeys!" screamed Rinna at one point during the shower. And now he is picking his faves to be the representative faces of Bravo -- and shielding them by gaslighting their rivals at Reunion. This is sheer interference (and much more besides) and is likely the beginning of a very slippery slope for Cohen. 3. Gizelle, RHOP. She may have survived that Reunion. Just. But the unmasking was five long years in the making. It was glorious. Her Iciness was unable to keep her hatred in check at certain points. Exposed, unmasked -- we can't unsee it now, and something has indelibly shifted when it comes to Gizelle's attempt to dominate RHOP. Best New Housewife I got nothing. On the Edge of Being Over-Hyped Leah McSweeeney, RHONY. Most Annoying New Housewife Wendy Osefo, RHOP. You could have been great, but you had zero sense of humor about yourself. You should be thanking T'Challa and La Dame for guaranteeing you another season. RH Shows I'm Most Looking Forward to in 2021 -RHOD and RHONJ. Some days, I just want to be entertained. I think NJ is an unsung hero at times. The problem with NJ is, when it is good, it is great, but when it is bad, it is AWFUL. -RHONY's shake-up. -The Fall of the House of Girardi on RHOBH. -RHOP Season 6. Can't get here soon enough.

I am really excited for RHOD too! The taglines are solid, and D'Andra's (or LEEAndra's perhaps I should call her after her 8th plastic surgery) is the best. The only tagline that pisses me off is Brandi's, because it is clear that Bravo is contriving some kind of redemption SL for her. She doesn't sound all that sorry in either her tagline or the trailer TBH. Looking forward to Dr. Tiffany Moon. Her little-girl vocal fry bothers me a bit (Tinsley's bothered me, too), but the scene with her, Mama Dee and D'Andra bringing up Brandi's video got me excited about watching. I think this will be an easy, breezy season and I'm good with that. Hoping to do my best/worst of 2020 later today...

Well, that is disappointing. Nevertheless, I respect Monique for prioritising her family and herself with this decision. They were not playing when Andy tried to distract them with small talk or gaslighting. They exposed Andy just as surely as they exposed Gizelle. @Gray Bunny ITA -- Andy keeps trying to make Gizelle happen and it is an utter flop. There is nothing fun or redeemable about her. An attempt to rebuild the franchise around her is a big mistake. The audience has her number since S1 and all they want to see is her comeuppance. Not a helping hand from Andy Cohen.

This reunion was stressful to watch. What is clear is that the group can no longer hold. It is all too toxic and Karen's plea at the end to Gizelle and Candiace was to keep the group together. A plea Candiace received but Gizelle refused to. Does anyone truly wonder why Gizelle is alone? Is there anything remotely redeeming about her whatsoever? The coldness emanating from her, the hatred, the bitterness... for many guys, it just ain't worth it. The way she treated Chris Samuels was THE WORST. At one point he was trying to get her to understand why questioning his son's paternity was so hurtful, and she refused to acknowledge him and spat out: 'Get that motherf*cker outta here." Nice language, Anointed One. A hypocrite who hid behind religious piety and a pretty face to cover up a whole lot of ugly. She is worse than S3/S4 Jill Zarin as far as I'm concerned. Toxic and hateful, I wouldn't mind if she never returned to RHOP. People give Robyn a lot of leeway, but I think she has the same bully instincts as Gizelle. She loves a gang up and will happily kick someone when they are down. The only moment I warmed to her was her interaction with Ray, and she and Candiace actually seemed happy for Karen. Even though she had just dissed Karen's Embezzled pics minutes before. She rode Monique harder than all of them this season, excluding Candiace. It was in her interest and her delight to bring Monique down. Next. You guys said it all re: Andy. Of ALL the HWs to cape for, he chose that empty, cruel shell of a human, Gizelle. His picker is so off. Kyle, Kim Z, Giz -- he adores these underwhelming, uninspiring women when he should be staying strictly unbiased. But no, he loves having his ass kissed too much to do that. He is so emmeshed in the RHs that he is going to bring the whole franchise down if he's not careful. The gaslighting of Monique was worse than how he treated Carole Radziwill. She no longer talks to him, and Bethenny tears into him on her podcast every other week, so.... the knives are out. Monique says she quit? I'm still thinking she is holding out for a better offer from Bravo. We will see tonight. Chris Samuels is DONE though. It is total bullshit that Michael, Juan and Pastor Holy Whore did not show up. Bravo should have waved their wives' contracts in their faces. Pregnant Ashley left defending Michael's cowardly ass? What a weakling. I understand why Candiace felt she couldn't accept Monique's apology, because it had been over a year. (I also felt for Monique talking about her father putting his finger against her forehead and that being a trigger). This is Candiace's choice. However, she is going to let her rage and anger of Monique poison her very existence if she keeps holding onto this. Monique recognised that her assault if Candiace may not have been about Candiace at all. When will Candiace recognise that her rage is tied up with her issues regarding Dorothy?

Whichever side you might fall on with regards to any of the RH shows, I hope everybody on this amazing thread has a safe, peaceful Christmas this year.

Most of these OC looks are a hot mess! Gina is the best -- In fact, I thought that was actually Braunwyn at first glance. Kelly, I hate to say, looks good too. Elizabeth is cosplaying Barbra Streisand in Bob Mackie winning an Oscar for Funny Girl. Shannon is cosplaying Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Coming to America 2 trailer and looks like Garcelle is in it at 0.15 ! ☺️

The annoyance on Chris Samuel's face when Andy tried to soften him up with some Last Dance talk. And then that little smile at the end. Yes! Gizelle and Robyn looked scared, and they'd better be.

I would have. K might have coughed on the card before she sealed it! Yep. The true sniper from the side. Season 1, the tabs were full of stories about Camille, and she was quickly termed the 'most hated housewife in history.' Ironic, given what we saw on screen. Camille was egoistical, out of touch and likely in denial about what was happening with Kelsey -- but most hated housewife? Nothing she did really justified that moniker. I can't imagine who might have been behind some of those rumors! *ahem*

Oh @Gray Bunnyspeaking of the real Kyle, the blogs wanted to let us know today that Kyle sent LVP a condolence card regarding Giggy! Wonder where they got that info.

That Gizelle takedown ended too soon! Andy shut it down quick, but the damage has been done. As @Cheap21's avatar illustrates, Gizelle has been completely unmasked. The coldness, the spite -- it's all there on her face. She can no longer hide her shenanigans behind a smile and a joke about Big Boy. Karen mentioned that Candiace called her, very upset, after the Plotting Dinner with Robyn and Gizelle. Because C knew Gizelle's scheme to bring down Monique was toxic and crossed a line. I'd like to think that Candiace, in that moment, saw the GEBs for what they are -- utterly ruthless and without empathy. I also imagine she was upset because she knew the lazy-ass GEBs were expecting Candiace to do all the work and she would be left holding the bag when things turned bad. It was a small moment. Once again, I can't believe Candiace caped so hard for that cold b*tch Gizelle. Meanwhile, Karen is the one who threw her a damn lifeline with that mention! The gaslighting of Monique was something else. I couldn't believe Andy jumped in behind the GEBs calling Monique emotionless. What I saw was Monique utterly focused. She knew this might be the last chance to get her proof out there. But cold, empty, emotionless? No. There is emotion driving Monique's fight to be heard, even though the GEBs, Candiace and Andy want to shut her down. Wendy has zero sense of humor. And her wide-eyed 'omg shocked' face is cringe.

I'd be cool with Robyn staying and having to stand on her own two feet, instead of being a bully's sidekick. Also the Michael lust for Juan is one for the ages, and I confess i want to see how that plays out for both couples concerned! I think Gizelle is saying anything to deflect attention from her own wrongdoings and keep Candiace in a place where she feels victimised by Monique and Karen. Quite frankly I have no clue why Candiace is suddenly caping for Giz at reunion. That ice-cold beeyotch has never cared one iota for Candy and has never lifted a finger to help her. Ever.

Seems like she didn't want to poke the good Judge too much, so she deleted the post. But she had it up long enough to give the impression that this divorce is about cheating, and not what it looks increasingly like, which is about money and siphoning away assets! And TT's comments section on this story has been a treasure trove of information. The texts Erika published are taken on a 3G phone (4G was introduced in 2009). As a result, someone has dated these texts as far back as July 2005! So basically Erika trotted them out as a deflection tactic. Dead cat on a table, as legendary political spin doctor Lynton Crosby would call it. Honestly, if they sold the Pasedena house, a lot of their debts (though not all) would be satisfied. IA. This is very exciting to watch in some ways, but we are at peak toxicity here. This group cannot hold. Gizelle has been unmasked, and her deep hatred of Monique and Karen is evident for all to see. No way we can pretend next season that they are friends again. Unpopular as this may be, but I think we could lose Gizelle. Yes, I know Andy considers her the kween of Potomac and some kind of compelling figure, but I don't. Not sure Andy ever had his finger on the pulse of Potomac anyway, judging by the cheering on social media regarding Gizelle finally getting exposed. IMO we could do without Giz or her minion Robyn (even though I will miss looking at Juan, and of course Michael Darby will be devastated). Keep Candiace, Ashley and Wendy, they still have story to tell. Keep Karen. Monique... it would be interesting to see if we could ever have a Candiace-Monique sit-down, just the two of them, without everyone else involved.

Erika's post is cold, calculated, emotionless. The rumor that Tom had a mistress has been around since she joined the show. They had an arrangement: she gave him some great years, the marriage became in name only, she moved out a few years ago to live in the city and hang with Mikey, he does whatever he wants. This is just a deflection tactic to make it appear like it isn't all about the money, when everything that pushed her to expose this woman and her texts is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. Also extra cold to name the woman so her stans can go attack the chick on social media. More deflection. Gizelle looks like the biggest liar on earth here. She can barely defend herself. Her hatred and disdain of Monique is dripping off the screen. What an awful person. She and Candiace aren't even *remorseful* for what they did (which is the stick they used to beat Monique with all season). Candiace seriously needs to STFU denying this sh*t -- did she forget her Instagram Live where she was high as a kite and spilled the beans on the plot to bring up Chase's paternity? Its on YouTube and very easy to find. She is confirming verbatim what Monique said in this clip. She looks an epic fool screaming at Mo that she's a liar.

Seems like the moment they wanted to launch EJ, that's when the Ponzi scheme you explained so well in a previous post (i.e. paying Client A with Client B's funds --> paying Client B with Client C's trust. And so on) accelerated. That vicious cycle becomes almost impossible to exit. When Client C loses and there is no Client D to cover Client B's settlement which you have 'borrowed' against... the sh*t hits the fan. Seems like shuttering EJ in 2015 was an attempt to regulate the financials and get Girardi Keese's house in order -- but then Erika landed RHOBH and there was even more pressure to keep up appearances, to keep Erika Jayne going with bigger and better 'opportunities.' After Erika joined BH, her impact on the show was very noticeable. Suddenly, everybody's wealth was being called into question next to the Girardis, who were setting the bar high. Suddenly everybody got glam squads to go to The Coffee Bean. New wardrobes, new glam, new face-lifts, new teeth, new Lamborghinis, new bigger houses (hello, Kyle, Dorit, Terri). The pressure was on to spend more more more, just to keep up with the Girardis and each other. BH had to be That Show which showed the pinnacle of wealth, and Erika's presence triggered the race of who could exhibit the most conspicuous consumption. Erika and Bravo laid down the gauntlet of competition, and if you came up short, it became a stick with which to beat you. It also became filler in place of actual SLs, authentic emotions and feelings. Which sort of sums up Erika on the show -- emotionally closed off, always dressed up as a character, watching silently, waiting to pounce on the smallest outward imperfection. It wouldn't be the first time somebody overextended themselves on the RHs to pretend they are richer than they actually are. But that LA Times article really shows how far the Girardis have fallen. Tom was one of the top lawyers in the country! And he was already wealthy! What a crazy house of cards. It's like, they couldn't make do with California Wealthy, so they had to spend like they were Oil-Oligarch Wealthy. Did Bravo/RHOBH encourage this behaviour, or did they come on and change RHOBH themselves with this behaviour?

He cares about nobody but himself. Certainly not his daughters, nor his ex-wife, who he has now publicly humiliated for a second time (and during her worst week ever). He married a pretty woman who would look good as First Lady, who was Texan political pedigree, and all that was expected to burnish his image. Honestly, Gizelle should never have involved him in the show. It makes her look like she desperately needed him to help her out.

Dear Lord! Not 24 minutes of Jamal Bryant getting high off the sound of his own voice! Gizelle was already exposed on Sunday night! Why is he piping up now? This narcissist can't even maintain a dignified silence for the sake of his three daughters! He should have said: "I have no comment, except that I love mah fambly and am busy caring for my flock during Covid times." But no. Big Mouth fires up the Zoom and PONTIFICATES for half a day about defending his good name, his daughters wearing church promotional hoodies, and Chris Samuels allegedly having CTE! He needs to stop jeopardizing his ex-wife's job prospects.

There is a coldness to Gizelle, a deep reserve, which turns men off. She is so Vanessa Williams-looking but, paired with her outward coldness, it must come across as haughty arrogance. I also think that she has dated for security (money) and not necessarily for love or physical attraction. Perhaps she was attracted to Jamal Bryant back in the day, but she got burned and publicly humiliated. (And I just realised that she has now been publicly humiliated a second time. I'm not sure she will ever forgive Monique and Karen for that). So she is being defensive and even strategic with the men she chooses. Sherman was nothing special in the looks/personality department, but she latched on -- despite his messy personal life, despite the fact that she knew his ex-wife Kyndall -- because of the lifestyle he might provide. There are a few times when Gizelle warms up around men. One is with Kal, who is clearly her most loyal friend and confident, and I enjoy their closeness. The other is with Juan Dixon. I'm not saying she has a thing for Juan (like Michael Darby), but I am saying that she lights up when a beautiful man confides in her as a peer and asks for her advice. I sort of wish a hot dude would come along and give her a new lease of life.

@Cheap21 omg your avatar

@Money @Chris B Well damn. I wish we could upvote people's posts around here!

I've seen it. It's MAJOR. Potentially bigger than Teresa & Joe Giudice's case. (Though the reason the Giudice case was so newsworthy is because the Feds got in on it). RealityTea has the summary on what happened at yesterday's ruling -- https://www.realitytea.com/2020/12/14/tom-girardi-contempt/ . What stood out to me were the judge's words, which RealityTea quoted: Judge Thomas Durkin reportedly said the “simple way to cure all of this” is to pay at least four clients that are allegedly owed $500,000. “These are widows and orphans. Half a million dollars for any one of these families is a significant amount of money. Life-changing, given the tragedy they went through,” the judge explained. So $2 million in total. Given the Girardi's possessions, including more than one home, this sum is doable for the Girardis. They could offload a holiday home somewhere or one of the private planes? Liquidate some stock/share portfolios. I mean, if push came to shove, Tom could ask Erika to give up some of the Cartier Panthere jewellery we saw onscreen (the expensive Panthere rings currently retail for US$15,000. A Panthere necklace is priced at $75,000). Didn't he give her a small Marc Chagall painting her second season on the show? That has to be worth $$$$. What shocks me is how easy it could have been for Tom to pay out $2 million but he chose not to. He instead moved some money around before Erika filed for divorce on November 3rd. $2 million! Erika has flashed much more cash on the show, surely. (Thinking back to Erika and her VT/reunion appearances, all that grandstanding looks extra gross given how relatively paltry a sum the judge is demanding here). Tom's lawyer said in this hearing that Girardi Keese only had $15,000 in their bank accounts. In the initial suit filed by Edelson PC (which can be found here and makes for fascinating reading if you have time for 30 pages: https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/documents/292/78143/Edelson-Girardi-complaint.pdf ), there was reference to Tom transferring 'loans' in the $ millions to Erika's company EJ Global prior to the divorce. This comes after Girardi Keese took out litigation loans for company purposes. So the company was heavily in debt. The Edelson suit says the Lion Air settlement was used in part to pay off these litigation loans, and also alleges that the settlements and the loans funded the Girardis lifestyle. The connection between the depleted accounts and the transfers is probably why the judge ruled to freeze all Girardi assets (cue the memes about the assets being not just deliberately frozen, they are INHERENTLY FROZEN (c) PK). If Tom is moving money around in an attempt to hide it, then it is likely that other creditors and lawsuits may be coming. If it was a case of just $2 million to 4 families, then this would be a no-brainer pay-out. But moving those assets signifies to me that the Girardis are worried about losing absolutely everything. Oh! And yesterday's hearing gave a small glimpse into what might be Tom's defense. The lawyer brought up his age and perhaps making decisions while not being in perfectly sound mind. Judging by what we've seen on screen, Tom has always seemed sharp as a tack so I'm not sure how true that is. But it does stun me how Tom could have gotten himself into this mess. I know greed is real, but he always seemed smart, in control and clear-sighted. I don't think Erika is ruling him and forcing him to make these decisions, but that is what this 'old/confused' defense might make it sound like. Anyway, he risks being disbarred, publicly shamed, losing all his money, and going to jail at his advanced years. It's a major shock. I always liked Tom on the show and thought he was an OK guy considering. Out of all the couples on BH, I honestly never thought this would happen to the Girardis (the Kemsleys, maybe).

Thank you for situating the belittling of Monique in its proper context. Robyn, Candiace and Gizelle would TOTALLY have ridden that rumor about Monique's baby not being Chris Samuels' all the way to reunion if they could have.

Because this wasn't Tom's idea. It was her's. She wanted to become this kind of Kardashian/Gaga-Pokerface-Era hybrid. I didn't realise she doesn't have an actual record deal! Although rumor is she is seeing Scooter Braun, perhaps to fix that. However, if the divorce isn't real... then neither is that. I am watching RHOA S7 right now -- the Claudia season -- and this is where Nene's VTs stop being real and start sounding rehearsed, stolen from drag queen reads. I now realise that Erika does the same thing. She frontloads everything into her VTs where she recites a script 'the gays will love' and sips her champs performatively.