‘RHOBH’ Star Erika Jayne Was ‘Shocked’ By How Emotional She Became Over Dorit Kemsley’s Divorce

Once upon a time at BravoCon 2022, Erika Jayne called brutal Dorit Kemsley and PK Kemsley as the next Bravo couple heading to Splitsville, which then caused tension between the two women The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills returned last year for season 13. Since then, however, the tides have turned and Jayne was – to our surprise – the first in their Dorit group of friends to open up about her headline-making divorce during the season 14 premiere.

Before the news came out publicly, Dorit opened up about her marital problems in an emotional conversation with Jayne, who immediately broke down in tears.

“I’ve been so used to bad news for the last four years,” Jayne told DECIDER in a recent Zoom interview, referencing her own highly publicized divorce. “When she told me they were breaking up, it literally took my breath away. And I started crying because – and I said it, ‘I don’t want this for you.’ Because I know how hard it is and how painful it is.”

Jayne added that even she was “shocked” by how much Dorit’s news “bothered” her, noting, “This is an entertainment show. But you know, we’re human and we feel pain and it hurts. And something like this just hurts.”

The reality star also gushed about newcomers Jennifer Tilly and Bozoma Saint John, teasing whether we’ll get to see more of her life as an artist in this season of RHOBH. Watch our full interview with Jayne below.

DECIDER: I’m very excited about this season. How are you feeling as you enter your ninth season? Which side of Erika will we see this year?

ERIKA JAYNE: I had a great time (during) my nine seasons The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I have been given many opportunities, even in difficult times. And yes, I think it’s beautiful.

Obviously last season ended with an epic performance from you and that was followed up by the Bet everything on blonde documentary. Will we get to see more of that part of your life this season?

We actually do that. And it’s in the first episode. I’m making a video for a song I released called ‘Dominos’. And it’s a really cool scene. And so, yes, the answer is yes. More music, more creation, more fun.

You reacted very emotionally when Dorit revealed her divorce to you. Were you surprised that you were the first person she opened up to? And what was going through your mind at that moment?

It’s painful. These things are painful. I was shocked at myself that I – I don’t like bad news, as you can see. I’m thinking, what are you trying to tell me? Because I’ve been so used to bad news for four years. And when she told me they were breaking up, it literally took my breath away. And I started crying because – and I said it, “I don’t want this for you.” Because I know how hard it is and how painful it is. And I didn’t even have kids, you know? So here she has two little ones. And you just don’t want your friend to experience things like this. I mean, I’m grateful that she told me and she felt comfortable enough to tell me, but this sucks – what Kyle is going through in public, what I went through, what Dorit is going through right now. It’s very difficult. It’s not easy to do this. It’s not easy to end the marriage, however you want to say it, on television and then be criticized, picked apart and judged, it’s very difficult.

Something like that is hard for anyone, let alone someone doing it with the whole world participating.

Yes, of course. The problem is that our lives are entertainment, right? This is an entertainment program. But you know, we’re human and we feel pain and it hurts. And something like this just hurts. And it just upset me. And I was kind of shocked that it bothered me so much.

In the premiere, we see you go from hanging out with Dorit to hanging out with Kyle – and I think you did a good job of staying neutral, for the record. As someone who is friends with both of them, do you think they will be able to solve their problems?

I think they’re definitely in a better place than where they started. Now, that’s what I’m saying today. Don’t know. Here’s the funny thing: when you’re doing interviews and promotion for the season, who knows what someone will say that will make them angry again? So I think they’ve worked through a lot of their stuff. Where they are now is definitely better than where they started, but the rest is up to them.

Sutton previously teased that this season’s Dorit vs. everyone is and called her the one causing the most drama. Do you agree with that assessment?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Sutton Stracke – to say someone else is causing all the drama, she’s causing enough. I mean, Dorit definitely lets us all have it multiple times, but fair enough. She is also going through a terrible time in her life. But Sutton causes plenty of her own drama.

You rightly checked out Denise Richards after she strangely came before you last season. Where do you stand with her now? And did you have to put someone else in his place this season?

Well, I saw Denise recently, and I’ll leave it there so you can watch that when it happens. Yes, I had to let someone know how I felt this season. You know, I’m as open as I can be. So yes, the answer is yes. I don’t know if it’s as good as the dinner party, because that was like space. That was the most bizarre shit I’ve ever had – I was really confused. I was literally like, “What are you doing right now?” It made for great television and off you go. I don’t think she knew what she was doing either, but that’s okay too.

I think the whole world was in confusion.

It’s one of those things that I’ll be forever – it’s funny, I was scrolling and it came up the other day and I thought, my face is just – if you could have heard my internal conversation, there’s a moment to which I actually said, “Wait a minute, is this real?” That’s literally what I was thinking inside. Like, ‘Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I know we’re high now, right? Like, we had a THC dinner and I know it’s a little weird in my life, but is this really happening? The answer was yes.

You remained close friends with Lisa Rinna after she left the show — and she recently posted a photo seemingly teasing a comeback. Can you say something about that? Would you like to have her on the show again in the future?

I’d love to see Lisa come back. She’s not coming back. And I’m actually going to see her tonight. We are good friends. Tonight we are going to see Sting at The Wiltern with our friend Diana. So you know, we’re all good friends. We still hang out. And I think that’s one of the good things about being on a show like this, is that you make real connections. But you have to invest in that. You have to cherish those relationships.

Sutton has been vouching for Jennifer Tilly to participate in the show for a few years now. How do you think she did in her first season? Because I know a lot of people are excited to see her on the show.

You should be, because Jennifer is truly one of these people: she’s fascinating. I look at her while we’re filming – I just look at her. She has such a bright mind and (she’s) very interesting. And she brings a lot. She’s really cool.

She’s always a hoot Watch what’s happening live.

She is very entertaining. She has one of the best jewelry collections I’ve ever seen – (she) puts all our jewelry to shame. She’s legit. Great fashion, great collector, but a nice person. And she has a really cool story about herself. It’s just really neat. She’s really special.

What else can you tease about the rest of this season?

I’m glad everyone can meet the new girl (Bozoma Saint John). I think she’s great. I think she has a great personal story. I think she comes into the group, fits right in, speaks her mind and is very charming, very charismatic, and has a great personal story. And you know, I’m excited to see the group grow in different directions.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesday nights at 8PM ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.