Erika Jayne joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills back in 2015 and has been embroiled in a hefty share of the kind of chaos that makes reality TV so captivating. That chaos probably isn’t always the most fun to live and re-live, but most would assume that reality stars know what kind of mess they’re signing up for.
Real Housewives of New York former star Bethenny Frankel has been challenging that notion with her “reality reckoning” push for unionization and residual payments for reality show cast members. Some of the troubling stories that Bethenny says she’s heard from reality personalities include showrunners plying cast members with alcohol, depriving them of food and sleep, and denying them mental health treatment.
Apparently, a considerable number of stars have joined forces with Bethenny. It doesn’t seem like Erika Jayne will be one of them, judging from her recent comments on it.
Erika’s not sure what pushed Bethenny into action
Erika appeared on Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave’s podcast, Two Ts in a Pod last week. She had a lot to say when asked about Bethenny’s cause. Erika said that although she agrees with some of the reckoning’s components, she’s not sure why Bethenny’s biting the hand that’s fed her very well.
“She’s interesting to me. I think in some ways I agree with her on some things and on other things I’m like, ‘If you hated reality TV and if it was so bad, why would we continue the conversation?’ She’s made enough money to do her own thing and that’s great … You did really well and you have reality TV to thank for that.”
However, Jayne did say she agreed that Bravo stars should get paid residuals. “Do I think we need residuals? I do. I think that we could get a better deal,” she said.
Erika says she was never forced to do anything on RHOBH
When Teddi asked Erika about the concerning accusations Bethenny is alleging, Erika emphatically denied that producers ever forced her to do anything for the show. She then further asserted that she’s a grown woman who makes her own decisions.
“She’s making it seem like we were all forced to do things.” Jayne replied, “I’m an adult woman. I make choices. I’ve never had a producer say to me, ‘Hey you need to go chew somebody up’ or ‘Hey, you need to drink some more’ or something like that.”
She also shared that Andy Cohen once emphasized that to Camille Grammer when she tried to call out production during filming of the RHOBH Season 9 reunion.
“She blamed production and Andy [Cohen] said, ‘Hold on a second, you have free will.’ And that is true.”
It’s no surprise that Erika isn’t totally Team Bethenny team given their awkward interaction on a RHOBH cast trip to the Hamptons, but no doubt she’ll be first in line if residuals start happening. It’s Xxpen$ive to be her!
TELL US – IS ERIKA RIGHT ABOUT REALITY STARS HAVING FREE WILL TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES DURING FILMING, OR ARE THERE EXPLOITATIVE CONDITIONS THAT THE “REALITY RECKONING” IS RIGHTFULLY ADDRESSING?
