The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Recap: Cult of No Personality

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This weekend’s episode of Rich Women Doing Things showed the women living up to the show’s name! They spent time in the Hamptons, flirted with musicians their own age, and then joked about younger men being interested in them – even pretending to be 26 themselves. They also took a stroll through a Beverly Hills park, despite it being more of a drive-by destination, and acknowledged the need for privacy there. The conversation took a turn when they discussed wanting to sleep with Brad Pitt, with one woman surprisingly saying she wasn’t interested. Finally, they talked about choosing not to get plastic surgery, and how that surprisingly made them feel less confident.

The drama really kicked off when Denise Richards, who had recently finished plastic surgery – a breast lift and a facelift – met up with Sutton and Erika for dinner. This meeting happened shortly after news broke about the alleged abuse she experienced in her marriage. The conversation surprisingly began with Denise discussing her surgeries. It’s important to know that she needed a new breast lift because her implants ruptured while filming Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. While the facelift was an elective procedure, the breast surgery was medically necessary. This whole scene is incredibly compelling and one of the most interesting we’ve seen in a while.

Denise explained that she had the surgeries after realizing her marriage couldn’t be saved. She was barely able to walk afterward and needed her husband’s help, even with basic tasks like using the restroom. When she refused to give him her phone, he physically assaulted her, hitting her in the head. She lightheartedly remarked that portraying her husband as a ‘saint’ was ironic, and her son, Charlie, found the comment amusing.

What’s surprising about this moment is Denise’s attempt to stay positive. She’s making jokes and acting like everything’s fine, even after a shocking photo appeared on screen—a photo that made everyone gasp. But that’s classic Denise. Throughout the show, she always remained remarkably calm, leaving the other women unsure how to react – they even resorted to accusations and sent her back to an abusive situation. She’s confident she’ll get through this, knowing that dwelling on it won’t help. There’s no single ‘right’ way to respond to something like this. What’s truly impressive is her refusal to play the victim, her ability to brush off things that would devastate most people. It’s a skill she’s likely honed to survive in Hollywood as a seasoned actress, reality TV personality, and content creator – by not letting things overwhelm her, as long as she’s healthy and has the support of her daughters.

Erika also shared that she experienced abuse from someone she briefly dated after her divorce from Tom. While she hasn’t gone into specific details yet (expect more next week), she quickly addressed the situation after it happened three times. Erika handled it in her typical, direct manner – some might see it as cold, but she’s facing it head-on and speaking plainly. This is how Erika often presents herself publicly, remaining very guarded. She then questioned how shameful it is to be a mother to a police officer and have to call 911, only to then have to warn her son about the situation before someone else does.

The reactions we see from these women don’t tell the whole story. They’re masking a lot of hidden pain, fear, and the lasting damage caused by truly awful men. Sutton’s response likely mirrors how many of us feel – shocked that strong, resilient women like Denise and Erika could experience abuse. The truth is, abuse can happen to anyone, and it’s not something anyone chooses or can always prevent, simply because there are too many terrible men in the world. It’s just a matter of bad luck to encounter one. But speaking out, exposing the problem, and letting other women know they can escape and rebuild their lives is incredibly important. If a show like Housewives can bring attention to these issues, that’s a positive thing.

It would have been good if the show had explored its own role in the situation more deeply. However, it did show the women expressing their surprise at what happened and their disapproval of how Denise’s ex-partner spoke to them. The show also included footage of him threatening to harm her – saying he would “crush her hand” – as they left a party at Kyle’s house. Knowing what we now know, that moment feels especially disturbing.

Sutton’s reaction to Erika’s news was telling – she seemed genuinely worried and surprised, and also hurt that she hadn’t been told sooner, implying she would have offered support. This season, Erika, Dorit, and others have commented on how much more relaxed and enjoyable Sutton is. Erika specifically attributes this to Sutton drinking less vodka. It seems everyone, including me, is liking this new, more approachable side of Sutton – maybe she should be known as ‘Sutton Dry’ now!

Honestly, the recent trip with Kyle, Dorit, and Rachel to the Hamptons wasn’t very exciting. Everyone was getting along too well – it was kind of boring. If I wanted to watch people just be nice, I’d watch a carousel! And it’s strange they were in the Hamptons and didn’t even check in with the Summer House crew to get the scoop on Jesse and Erika Jayne. Instead, they were just rehashing Erika’s legal issues, which isn’t entertaining. Summer should be lighthearted and fun, not filled with talk of lawsuits. It’s just not a good vibe.

It’s amusing how much people dislike Amanda, and honestly, that’s a big part of why we watch. She recently hosted a “manifestation dinner” – though it felt more like a daytime lunch with journaling – and she’s annoyed that the other women didn’t want to participate in the exercise. I get why – nobody wants to be assigned homework at a dinner party! It’s not school. She also discussed her ongoing conflict with Dorit, suggesting Dorit is jealous because Amanda is young, successful, and financially independent, while Dorit relied on a man financially and it didn’t work out. That’s a bold claim, and I can’t wait to see Dorit’s response at the reunion.

Amanda had Erika over for lunch, and she explained she invited her because Erika is always asking about her work and her beliefs about manifesting things. But that’s the issue – this isn’t a sales pitch! We’re tired of hearing about Amanda’s business and manifestation techniques. As Boz pointed out earlier, Amanda seems to define herself by her job, so she assumes sharing details about work will help people connect with her. However, that doesn’t build genuine relationships. It might work with customers, but these women aren’t clients – they’re just trying to be friends.

Erika arrived and encouraged Amanda to share her experience. “We want to hear about the cult,” Erika said, and we were all eager to listen. Amanda began to tell her story, and it turned out the cult wasn’t what anyone expected. It wasn’t based on strange beliefs about aliens or the end of the world, or even bizarre practices like using silver to ‘fix’ the earth. It was simply a Christian cult—what Amanda described as the most uninteresting kind. Of course, that’s a joke; all cults are harmful, and Amanda’s story definitely sounded like a truly damaging one. The pastor had cut her off from her family, controlled her life completely, exploited her financially, and demanded all her attention and efforts be focused solely on him. Thankfully, she eventually realized what was happening and escaped. Though, it feels odd to thank God for getting out of a cult when religious beliefs are often at the root of them. Perhaps we should be grateful for science instead? Yes, let’s thank science!

After Amanda shared her story, Erika explained that the other women didn’t want her insights or advice; they simply wanted to connect with her. They wanted to understand her experiences and feel what she felt. Erika walked Amanda to her car, giving her a warm goodbye kiss before she left. Back inside, Amanda looked around her entryway, noticing the children’s toys scattered on the floor. Sunlight streamed in, and she could see the open doors to her children’s rooms, each one representing a part of their lives. This reminded her of her time in the cult, and how the pastor had systematically shut those doors, isolating her and controlling her world. Now, she had freedom, love, and the messy reality of adult life. But she also remembered the strange comfort of that confinement, the feeling of safety that came with having no choices at all.

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2026-02-20 05:55