Season 11 ofThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsis finally addressingthe widely-publicized divorcebetweenErika Girardiand her husband,Tom Girardi.
On Wednesday’s episode of the hit Bravo series, which filmed theRHOBHladies four days after they returned home from theirdrama-filled Lake Tahoe trip, some cast members received a text from Erika, 49, on the morning ofthe 2020 presidential election.
In the message, she disclosed that she had filed for divorce.
“Ladies, I truly consider you my close friends,” Erika’s text began. “And this is why I’m reaching out to tell you that I filed for divorce this morning.”
“Thank you for supporting me. This will be tough,” the singer added.
Erika and Tom Girardi.Steve Eichner/AP
After reading the text aloud,Dorit Kemsleysaid: “Oh my God.”
Kyle Richardsthen hopped on a FaceTime call with Dorit, 44, andLisa Rinnato discuss the shocking text. After one of the Housewives asked “what is going on” with Erika, Dorit said: “Did you have any idea?”
Both Kyle, 52, and Lisa, 57, said they weren’t aware of Erika’s plans to divorce. “We were just in Tahoe [with her],” Kyle said. “And not one peep about anything.”
Tom and Erika Girardi on RHOBH.
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Lisa chimed in, “Zero! Zero, zip, zilch, nothing.”
Dorit, for her part, was stunned that the split came after more than two decades of marriage.
“It’s Erika,” Lisa justified. “So whatever is going on, she had to do it like this. She couldn’t tell anybody.”
Earlier on in the episode, Erika gave an update about Tom, 82, toGarcelle Beauvaisafter the actress asked if they had been in contact.
“We spoke this morning,” Erika said as Garcelle, 54, replied, “Good. And he’s good?”
After Erika said that her husband was at the office of his Los Angeles-based law firm, Girardi & Keese, Garcelle was shocked.
But Erika explained, “Honey, that’s a workhorse,” and added: “He’s dedicated his life to being a lawyer.” Said Erika: “God bless him for that, because that’s who he is.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.John Tsiavis/Bravo
“This is not a step taken lightly or easily. I have great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we built together,” she continued. “It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved. I request others give us that privacy as well.”
Since the filing of their divorce,Tomhas been entangled in multiplelawsuits, including one with Erika wherethey’ve been accused of embezzling money. (Erika previously declined to comment on the case, and Tom did not respond to PEOPLE’s prior request for comment.)
PEOPLEexclusively revealedon June 2 that the duo’s legal scandals will be explored in an upcoming ABC News Originals documentary, titledThe Housewife and the Hustler.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsairs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.
source: people.com
