Credit: Sara De Boer/Milla Cochran/Startraksphoto
Erika Jayne feels fans have been overly critical of her due to the “sensationalized headlines” they’ve read about her in recent years.
As her legal drama continues to be spotlighted on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and in the press, Erika is speaking out about her struggles while offering an update on her ongoing feud with Sutton Stracke, who has been quite vocal about the claims against her.
“It’s not a good place to be, and I feel like the court of public opinion is also hard to navigate because people don’t have all of the facts, and they tend to gravitate towards sensationalized headlines,” Erika explained to Entertainment Tonight on June 22. “I think people have sort of dehumanized me into this place.”
According to Erika, she believes that many are wrongly convinced she doesn’t care about the many allegations being made against her and her estranged husband, Thomas Girardi, which include claims of embezzling money from orphans and widows of plane crash victims.
“[That’s] not the case. I’m fighting literally for my life,” she explained.
And while it hasn’t been a great couple of years for Erika, with many lawsuits filed against her, including one for a whopping $25 million, she believes there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Some of the immediate pressure has been lifted, and time has gone on,” she declared. “I’m going to keep smiling.”
As for her relationship with Sutton, Erika said it is currently “fragile,” but noted that she’s hopeful for a positive turn in the future.
“We’re not going to be forced into kumbaya. [We have to] work that out at our own… timing, not everyone else’s,” she noted.
Although things were downright toxic between Erika and Sutton throughout the 11th season last year, they were seen bonding over dating apps on this week’s episode of RHOBH.
“I think that she’s got you know big balls to be on the app,” Erika confessed of Sutton.
Erika then said that her own dating process includes an intense vetting, “almost like a presidential candidate,” and clarified that she’s way more focused on herself than dating at the moment.
“I think that going to therapy and really doing the work and looking at yourself and talking about it and confronting it is the best thing I can do for myself,” she shared.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 12 airs Wednesday nights at 8/7c on Bravo.
