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Erika Jayne dished on the “new energy” of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 and revealed that Amanda Frances pissed everyone off during an interview before Christmas.
As she also suggested that Amanda’s behavior could be a problem for the show and offered advice to potential newbies, Erika, 54, spoke of the cast shakeup ahead of the new episodes, explained how the relationships between the women ebb and flow, and defended Kyle Richards, 56, against critics who don’t think she shares enough on the show.
“People like to see new energy. They like to see different reactions. We’re a tight-knit group of people, so of course, new blood is always going to shake things up,” Erika explained during a December 23 interview with Pride.
In addition to Amanda, 40, Rachel Zoe, 54, joined the cast for season 15. But while Rachel had prior ties to the majority of the cast and came in as a friend, Amanda quickly rubbed many the wrong way with her many opinions.
“That can be a problem,” Erika noted. “Because if you do that and you piss everyone off, then what? Friendships ebb and flow, and people go through hard times in their lives, and everybody reacts differently, and sometimes you need a break, but what you do need to have is a point of view, and you need to be able to express that.”
Still, according to Erika, it’s better to come in strong with your opinions than to expect someone else to have your back.
“My advice to anyone coming on would be to have a point of view and don’t be afraid to speak your mind. And don’t look for backup, because it’s not coming,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Erika said she would continue to be an ally and a performer for the gays.
“It’s always for the gays! Who do you think it’s for? All my life, my mentors and teachers have been gay people. To be an ally of the gay community is important. We need to show up for one another!” she declared.
During another interview with Us Weekly, Erika defended Kyle’s decision to keep her love life private.
“I know what Kyle’s been through,” Erika explained. “So watching her take this step and being able to say what was on her heart, I think was very brave of her.”
On a recent episode, Kyle admitted she “fell hard” for someone, allegedly singer Morgan Wade, after her separation from Mauricio Umansky, 55.
“It was very painful for Kyle. You can see the look on my face … There’s so much,” Erika shared, signaling her own past secrecy on the show.
“People really expected me to speak more about what I was going through knowing that, legally, I couldn’t. But that didn’t matter. The thing is — and Kyle said this — if it were just up to her, she’s more than happy to say. There are other people involved here. They’re not on this show, and I think sometimes the viewers forget that,” she noted. “We signed up for this, but they didn’t. You see a part of our lives.”
“We have lives that include other people, and that doesn’t necessarily mean including them on the show,” she added.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.