‘RHOBH’: Bravo Won’t Pay for a Huge Erika Jayne ‘Housewives Expense’
Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills made having a “glam squad” the norm on the series, but it was also one big expense Bravo won’t shoulder. While some cast members had a makeup artist or hairstylist help them prepare for a big night on the show, Jayne took the concept to an entirely new level with some cast members following suit.
‘Housewives’ are financially responsible for their own glam squads
Housewives aficionado Brian Moylan addressed what Bravo pays for on the show – and what producers won’t cover financially. “One thing Bravo will not pay for, which has become more and more common thanks to Erika Jayne, is the women bringing staff members of ‘glam squads’ along with them,” Moylan wrote “The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives,” shared in Vulture. “Those arrangements are made on the women’s own dime.”
Jayne’s glam squad included everything. From clothing, hair, and makeup to her team of professionals who often traveled with her. Attorneys handling Jayne and estranged husband Tom Girardi’s divorce estimate that her expenses alone amounted to$25 million, Page Six reports. A report in ET pointed to Jayne’s glam budget being closer to $500,000 a year.
Dorit Kemsley said she doesn’t spend nearly as much on glam as Erika Jayne
Dorit Kemsley said she spends nowhere near the $40,000 a month Jayne shells out on glam. “I don’t spend anywhere near that!” Kemsley exclaimed to ET. “Yeah, no. My husband would never approve that.”
“You know, I do spend money on glam, and I love it,” she says. “It’s work for us, because even outside [filming The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills], we entertain a lot, and I am in the world of fashion and we have lots of parties and events to go to, so I do spend money. But I couldn’t even put a price tag on it.” Kemsley added that she has fun with fashion. “I love to play in the world of fashion,” she remarked. “I’ve got fantastic people around me and, you know, I can and it’s fun for me.”
‘Housewives’ chip in for certain events like parties and flights
Moylan shared that Bravo may pay for flights and parties but some cast members will supersize that bill with their own cash. “The other thing that can become an issue is flights. While some of the bigger stars — and even some higher-up producers with good agents — have it in their contracts that they fly business or first, Bravo will only pay for the women to fly in the back of the plane,” he shared. “If they want to upgrade classes, they have to pay themselves.”
Also, lavish parties aren’t completely funded by Bravo. “But wait, you might be thinking, doesn’t Bravo pay for all those lavish parties?” Moylan wrote. “Again, it’s a combination, and it usually comes down to motive. If the Housewife is going to throw the party anyway, like Taylor Armstrong’s famous $60,000 birthday parties for her young daughter, then all the planning and cost is left to the Housewives. This certainly goes for business launches.”
But Bravo may go the extra mile if it fits with their narrative. “However, if there wasn’t going to be a party, and production instead concocts an ‘all-cast event,’ then they kick in a lot of the budget,” he dished. “So, for instance, if they see that a Housewife’s 50th birthday is around the time production wraps but no one’s planning anything, production might say, ‘Can you put together a birthday party? We’ll pay for it.’ Within reason, of course.”
