Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Reunion: Erika Jayne claps back at critics ...

Erika Jayne hit out at critics calling for her to be fired as she appeared on part one of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills season 11 reunion on Bravo on Wednesday.  

The 50-year-old reality star was grilled by host Andy Cohen, 53, about her involvement in her estranged husband Tom Girardi's embezzlement scandal and asked for her thoughts on people clamoring for her dismissal.

'Why should I be fired?,' Erika sharply replied. 'Why are you presuming that I've done something? Why aren't we letting the legal process play out?'

She added: 'You've heard one side... and a lot of bulls*** on that side. Give me a chance to defend myself. Watch me. I'm ready for the challenge. Watch me do it.'

Erika has been embroiled in an embezzlement scandal involving her 82-year-old estranged husband and disgraced lawyer Tom. They were both named as defendants in a federal lawsuit filed in December alleging they stole funds meant for the families, including widows and orphans, of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash.

Tom had his California license to practice law revoked in March 2021 after the Los Angeles Times reported that he had been sued more than 100 times. He also had been the subject of numerous bar complaints alleging financial malfeasance involving millions of dollars owed to clients, including female cancer victims and a burn victim.

Andy asked Erika if her lawyers ever advised her to quit the show and she said they did.

'And then I said, ''No, because I have nothing to hide.'' And they said, ''Well, you know that this s*** can get flipped around on you.'' Everything can be parsed, twisted, turned and yes, possibly turned against you. Whether it is true or not, it almost doesn't even matter at this point,' Erika said.

Andy asked Erika if she ever thought about quitting the show and she admitted that she considered it.

'But I'm not a quitter and I wanted to honor my commitment. I wasn't going to run away from what's coming at me,' Erika said.

Andy pointed out that without her estranged husband's income the show was now her main job and asked her how much that factored into her decision. She said that didn't factor into her decision then but that it was more a consideration now.

The one-hour episode was the first of four reunion shows for a turbulent season 11 that was dominated by Erika's divorce and subsequent legal troubles.

Andy at the start of the reunion asked Erika if she was ready to finally address her situation and Erika said she was happy to share what she could.

'This is the toughest part of my life,' Erika said.

'I could imagine,' Andy replied.

Two weeks before the reunion, Lisa Rinna, 57, visited Erika at her house and asked her if she was going to show up at the reunion. She told her people had said that she wasn't.

'I'm going,' Erika told her. 'I'm not a f***ing quitter.'

Erika told her that she had a dream that they were at the reunion and that there were going to be some shots fired and shots taken.

'There are going to be some winners and some losers,' said Erika.

'Well, that's life baby,' Lisa responded.

On the day of the reunion, the housewives arrived and went to their respective trailers to get ready.

When Kyle Richards, 52, was in hair and make up, Andy stopped by and said that in 11 years of doing these shows that this one felt as if the stakes were higher.

'For some people more than others obviously,' Kyle said.

Andy asked her how it was going to go with her and Erika and she asked him if he had seen the stories online that Erika wasn't talking to her. Andy asked Kyle if that was true and she said it was.

He then visited with Sutton Stracke, 49, and asked her if she was nervous about seeing Erika. She said yes because Erika said she hated her.

Once on the reunion stage, Andy said hello to all the women.

'Hey Erika what's new,' Andy asked Erika

'A lot, a lot is new,' said Erika, wearing a plunging pink long sleeve silk dress accessorized with large diamond studs and a cross necklace.

He asked her how she felt and if she was looking forward to or dreading this show. She said she was actually looking forward to it.

'I'm looking forward to closing this chapter and moving on,' Erika said.

Andy noted that she was in a highly unusual situation with so much transpiring.

'I'm happy to say everything that I can say. Please understand there are some things I cannot answer. But I will do my best to give every part of the story that I can,' Erika said.

Erika told him that she was finding out things in real time herself.

'I don't have all the answers and still do not have all the answers to this day,' Erika said.

Andy asked her what she thought were the biggest misconceptions about her. She said there was a lot of talk of her being cold and not having empathy.

'The truth is that I do,' she said. 'But I'm in an almost impossible situation. Anyone that has been wronged, I want them to be made whole.'

Andy asked Erika if she was talking about the victims and she said she was talking about the 'alleged victims of all of Tom's alleged misdoings.'

He then followed up by asking her what it was like watching the show back and she told him it was really hard. He then asked her feelings about the other women as she watched their reactions play out.

'Disappointment, anger, sadness,' said Erika. 'And then some hope and some love and support.'

Andy then brought up how Sutton spoke to an attorney about Erika's case during filming.

Sutton, wearing a blue strapless dress with long dangling pearls and gold earrings, clarified to Andy that she didn't speak to her attorney but to her friend who was an attorney.