During The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 12 reunion, Lisa Rinna’s erratic behavior was a big topic of discussion. Lisa found herself on the receiving end of scrutiny from her fellow housewives, Andy Cohen, and fans when she was confronted for terrorizing Sutton Stracke, slandering Kathy Hilton, and bullying Garcelle. Many of Lisa’s antics this season have RHOBH fans asking that she be put on pause. Lisa echoed the same sentiment, explaining how tough the season was for her due to her mother’s ing.
Lisa has been a polarizing cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ensemble since she made her debut in season 5. Never backing down from a confrontation, Lisa often instigates the most explosive conflicts on the show, and season 12 was no exception. After the girls' trip to Aspen, Lisa made damning accusations against fan-favorite Kathy. Lisa insisted that dealing with her mother’s death and her fiasco with Kathy left her "traumatized." She went on to suggest that witnessing Kathy's tantrum frightened her, but many viewers of the show questioned her and rejected any notion that she was a victim this season.
Lisa’s 'Mean Girl' Behavior Exposed
There were a few notable instances where Lisa’s treatment of other housewives sent shockwaves across the franchise. After Sutton claimed Lisa did not show appreciation for her invitation to Elton John’s event, Lisa launched attacks against Sutton on the show. Lisa also cursed out Sutton at Dorit’s charity event after the two previously met privately to make amends. The tense interaction left a lot of viewers confused. After her outburst, Lisa apologized for her behavior and blamed it on her grief. Garcelle’s book, Love Me As I Am, also became a casualty of Lisa’s cruelty this season. During the reunion, it was revealed that Erika did not throw Garcelle’s book in the trash — Lisa did. To make matters worse, Lisa sent shared the image with the Fox Force Five, before Erika posted it on her social media. Andy Cohen also confronted Lisa about her online activity, where she bad-mouthed the show, the network, and her fellow housewives. Again, Lisa used grieving as justification, but that wasn’t enough to make up for her behavior.
Kathy Claps Back At Lisa
In part 3 of the reunion, Lisa and Kathy's RHOBH feud raged on. Kathy refuted Lisa's allegations against her, and also took Lisa to task for not only her behavior towards Sutton and herself but toward previous housewives who exited the show on of Lisa's slander (including her sister, Kim Richards). Every time Lisa would try to bring up Kathy's Aspen "meltdown," Kathy speculated Lisa's motives were fueled by her contract renegotiations. Kathy also added that Lisa previously agreed with Kathy's comments about Kyle on the night in question, claiming that Lisa said, "I get it! I get it! You're preaching to the choir." In the end, Lisa failed to produce any proof of Kathy's rant.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 12 reunion failed to redeem Lisa in the court of public opinion. The moments Lisa spent grieving her loss with family were some of the most touching she's ever had in the franchise, but they were overshadowed by the vitriol she unleashed on her fellow housewives. The reunion was Lisa's reckoning. If she returns to the franchise next season, it's imperative for her to reassess her behavior and repair her relationships with the housewives she’s scorned.