Michael Porro/BravoBoy, Lisa Rinna sure has some interesting ideas about when she will and when she won't talk about people who aren't there.
This entire season on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she's had no real issue talking about Yolanda Foster and the questions people apparently keep bringing her over whether her Lyme disease diagnosis is real or not, even though Yo's never been present for those conversations. Early in tonight's episode, she had no problem talking about her altercations with Kim Richards last season, even though Kim was nowhere to be seen to defend herself and Kyle Richards was visibly bothered enough by her comments that she excused herself from the table. But ask her to reveal who brought up the Munchausen's allegation that's haunted this season of the Bravo hit like a poltergeist? That's a step to far, apparently.
It turns out that her summit with Yo a few episode back didn't smooth things over quite as Rinna had hoped. Instead, Yolanda admitted she had to look up the definition of Munchausen's once she was alone and was incensed all over again that someone she considered to be a friend would let someone spread that rumor about her and pass it along to even more people. As Yo told Eileen Davidson, everyone's got something that could be sent there way. "What happened in Amsterdam shocked me, I'm not gonna lie," she said, referring to Rinna's intense reaction to Kim's comment about Harry, prompting her to smash a glass and lunge for Kim. "I could clearly label her unstable or bipolar. I'm not going to do that."
So, when all the ladies sat down to talk it out at Erika Girardi's carnival party, complete with hunky guys playing around shirtless in the pool for their viewing pleasure because why not, Rinna immediately asked why Yo didn't just call her after their meeting if she still had a problem. From there, Yo did not hold back: "Call you if I had another issue? Are you kidding me? After all the s--t you put out in the universe, I have to call you to see if there's an issue?"
Rinna protested that she never said that she thought Yolanda has Munchausen's, rather that someone said it to her and she just told Kyle and Vanderpump about it (on camera, for the world to see). "I don't care. You said it. You put it out in the universe, and it sucks," Yo replied. "You labeled Kim last year, you labeled Brandi, and now you're labeling me." Rinna continued to balk at the notion that it was her who labeled Yolanda, insisting on splitting hairs that repeating an accusation is different than making an accusation—even though it's really not.
"If you have some balls, tell me who said it," Yo demanded.
"I'm not gonna say who said it. I'm not. Because I don't think it's fair to that person. It's not anybody that you know," Rinna replied. So someone who doesn't even know Yolanda is the reason for all of this. Does that make Rinna repeating the baseless accusation worse or better? Because we're thinking worse.
At that point, Erika couldn't help but speak up because she's a rational person and a good friend. "Wait a minute. Be quiet," she shouted. "You're saying it's not fair? This woman is in a lot of pain and now you don't want to cop to who told you? Bulls--t. Why? They're lying."
"Because they're not here," Rinna replied. Like we said, interesting ideas about when she will and when she won't talk about people who aren't there.
"F--k you. They're saying s--t about her," Erika erupted. "Say who told it."
Of course, she didn't. Instead, Rinna and Yo hugged it out. Hug aside, we're certain this issue hasn't been quashed. And clearly neither is Rinna. "I don't know if hugging it out is the right thing to do," she said in the final moments of the episode. "It's like putting a Band-Aid on, but there's still blood gushing all over the place." Great outlook, Rinna.
Spare Parts:
- What a relief to see Erika immediately cop to the fact that she was the one who told Yolanda what Kyle and Vanderpump said about her kids at Kyle's party. After she lied at the end of last week's episode, we felt a little let down by our new fave. But she owned it the very next morning, continuing to prove that she's the coolest.
- How gross was it to see Kathryn and Rinna continue to talk about Kim despite Erika's insistence that they let it go in Kyle's presence and Kyle's very obvious desire to melt into floor? Kathryn's story was tragic, of course, but doesn't give her license to go on and on about whoever she wants.
- That Tom Girardi is a hoot. Between him telling Erika to go to her room and his apt description of Vanderpump as an alligator laying in the sun on the beach, waiting to pounce, he was a welcome presence this week.
- "Thanks for the lunch. What a disaster." Truer words, Kyle. Truer words.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.