Photo Credit: Nicole Weingart - Bravo
Last season on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, new cast member Dorit Kemsley and her husband PK somewhat put Erika Girardi on blast for not wearing underwear. Consquently, panty-gate was born. At the end of season 7 for the show, a confrontation went down involving Girardi, Kemsley and her hubby, which resulted in Girardi being called “inherently cold”. Now, Girardi and Kemsley have both returned to the show with new taglines and a new outlook. Girardi has even poked fun at her being called cold by saying, “Some people call me cold, but that’s not ice. It’s diamonds.” As for Kemsley’s tagline, hers is, “I believe in an excess of everything … except moderation.”
While Kemsley and Girardi clearly got off on the wrong foot, it appears that the two have mended things and have moved on from the panty-fueled feud. Kemsley told the Daily Mail that it’s different now that she’s no longer the new girl in the cast. She feels more aware and confident. She also says that she and Girardi are on a good path, explaining, “I have to say we found our way into a great friendship. We started from scratch this season. And now we both like each other. We have great chats and texts. It’s been really nice to get along.”
Girardi had similar things to say about the relationship, telling Bustle, “I, in life, do not like that level of conflict … We were both ready to move on from it and I’m glad that we have. We’ve actually begun to develop what I consider to be somewhat of a nice friendship … It’s been a lot more fun this year than it was last year. Especially when it’s just Dorit and myself, we have some fun, to be honest. I’ve enjoyed it, I much prefer this Dorit than the other Dorit.” Girardi then added, “I think it’s just that she and I get a chance to be by ourselves and actually get to know each other. We would rather choose to be friendly than not.”
Though Girardi says she and Kemsley are now friends, she also reflected on panty-gate and where their friendship lacks in an interview with TV Insider, saying, “I don’t think what happened served either of us particularly well—it was hurtful on both sides, and we didn’t feel good about it. I was glad she wanted to move forward, and I did too. We laugh a lot. Our friendship is playful and supportive. But she can be hard to follow. Sometimes I have to really pay attention when she’s telling me a story because it’s like, ‘What?'”
When it comes to spoilers on the new season, Girardi dished to Bustle that, “You’ll see some old friendships shift, you’ll see some new friendships blossom, you’ll see people up to their old, tacky ways. You’ll see some new people trying to find their way in the group. I think it’s an interesting shift in personalities, I really do.” Previously, it was revealed that, though Kyle Richards and Kemsley are still friends with Lisa Vanderpump, they do “get into it” a little bit this season.
