Chronology Of The “M” Word, According to Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, & Kyle Richards

(EDIT 4/8/2016: I do stand by what I write, but I must be responsible to whoever reads this.  As you read this blog do remember that I am not somebody who is “close to the situation”. I do not know the following people personally so DO NOT take me as a reliable source! I am simply a fan with an active imagination!)

 

Comedian and “Bravolebrity” impersonator Amy Phillips puts it best in her tweet, “I’m gonna need to rewatch this [episode] a few times…Tweet me the Cliff Notes” in regards to the March 29, 2016 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The allegations that have been put out by Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, and Kyle Richards are confusing to comprehend, especially when they are being used in a dinner time argument. What would come clear to me after the first time watching this episode is that Rinna is calling Vanderpump a liar and Rinna also feels that what Kyle is saying backs what Rinna is saying but for some reason Kyle does not want to betray her best friend (too late!).  It is also obvious that Eileen Davidson and Erika “Jayne” Girardi want to believe that Rinna is telling the truth because it goes along with their anti-Vanderpump campaign.

 

I hope #TeamVanderpump doesn’t kill me for saying this because Vanderpump still remains my favourite on this show, but I don’t think Rinna is lying.  Actually, I don’t think neither Rinna, Vanderpump, nor Kyle are lying…intentionally, that is.  In her March 29, 2016 Bravo blog, Eileen gives Kathryn Edwards slack, saying, “Kathryn said she believed Lisa V.’s “truth” and Lisa R.’s “truth.” She’s getting truths confused with opinions! There is always one real truth.”  Sorry to upset you, Eileen, but both Kathryn’s and your “truths” make sense. What Kathryn was likely saying is that Rinna and Vanderpump have different recollection of what went down (maybe one misheard the other?) so they are just being honest to what they remember. Of course, Eileen is right as well; the “one real truth” would be what has actually occurred that can only be expressed from an objective view (I should add that this season, Eileen has lost her ability to be objective).

 

To give myself a better understanding of this conflict, I have decided to take notes about this “M” word mess (for those who do not know, the “m” word refers to “Munchausen” or “Housen Mousen” if you’re Yolanda Hadid). These notes are based on what has been alleged by Rinna, Vanderpump, and Kyle, and what has been aired on the show.  As the season goes on, more developments have surfaced regarding the “m” word, with that infamous scene in season 6, episode 4 being at the centre of it all. By now, there has been a back story and a follow up story in regards to that scene.

 

It is in our recent memory that in season 6, episode 15, Rinna drops this “bombshell” to Eileen that Vanderpump and Kyle have been questioning Yolanda’s health.  This is not a secret as Vanderpump and Kyle have openly question Yolanda’s health ON CAMERA and they even acknowledge these exchanges that have happened off camera (probably leading into the start of the season).  Despite Rinna saying that Kyle and Vanderpump have previously talked about Yolanda having Munchausen, Kyle does insist that she has not used the “m” word until Rinna brought it up.  Now, lets remember that the three of them, Rinna, Vanderpump, and Kyle, have engaged in conversations about Yolanda in group texts; this probably goes on from sometime before the start of filming until probably right before leaving for Dubai.

 

Now OFF CAMERA, sometime before late July, 2015, Rinna “engages” in that conversation with her hair dresser. In her March 29, 2016 blog, Rinna explains, “[The hairdresser] said that she has a friend that she believes has Munchausen and has had it for 30 years. In her opinion, she thought Yolanda’s symptoms seemed similar.”  Somehow, Vanderpump and Kyle are made aware of this conversation before they film that infamous “m” word scene,  but to what extent is still unclear (remember, Kyle has yet to hear that “m” word). Rinna says, in her March 8, 2016 blog, “when I brought it to Kyle and [Vanderpump], they were the first ones to bring up the inconsistencies about Yolanda and her illness! [Vanderpump] called me and encouraged me to share the conversation I had with my hairdresser.” Now in her March 15, 2016 appearance on Jenny McCartney’s Dirty, Sexy, Funny, Vanderpump denies pushing Rinna to bring up Munchausen but does admit to telling others, “you talk about things off camera, you say them on camera”.

 

Now we’re in late July, 2015 on a filming day at Vanderpump’s house. Rinna arrives first, followed by Kyle, and then they chit chat while waiting for Eileen’s arrival. They talk about other things before they start talking about Yolanda that involves Rinna reading the definition of Munchausen. Throughout this scene, Rinna keeps bringing up the idea of doubts in Yolanda and Vanderpump and Kyle try to come up with explainations for Yolanda (her teeth removal improved her health, Lyme Disease is ambiguous, it is the people who do not know Yolanda who are doubting her, etc.).  When Eileen finally arrives, Vanderpump tries to get the others to drop the topic (as far as we’re aware of, Eileen has not been involved with all this prior chit chat, phone calls, and texts about Yolanda’s health, and considering that Rinna has just dropped this huge label on Yolanda, Vanderpump might be doing Eileen a favour by keeping Eileen out of this discussion).

 

Eileen, however, insists she wants to know what has been talked about prior as she sees Rinna is visibly upset. Rinna does inform Eileen of the conversation that Rinna has engaged in, but in this scene, Rinna does not reveal the “m” word to Eileen nor reveal it is her hairdresser who is using it (she says the conversation has been about questiong and doubting Yolanda). Eileen advises Rinna to tell Yolanda about this conversation “when the time is right”, and Vanderpump advises not to do it at the moment.

 

After chasing Vanderpump’s miniature ponies, Rinna briefly confides, ON CAMERA, in Kyle, where Kyle tells Rinna “don’t beat yourself up”. Maybe Vanderpump notices this exchange because it would make sense to what supposedly happens next.

 

Now this likely happens off camera; as Rinna is leaving, Vanderpump chases after her and they have a little exchange.  According to Rinna, Vanderpump says to her, “Why didn’t you bring Kyle into it?”  According to Vanderpump’s March 30, 2016 blog, she actually says to Rinna that she has thought Rinna would pull herself and Kyle into this. Vanderpump also says to remember that Kyle could be in more trouble than herself as Kyle has had more interaction with Rinna about Yolanda through texts (mostly light hearted banter that have occasionally been forwarded to Vanderpump), which explains why the mention of Kyle is significant. Whatever Vanderpump has said to Rinna, Rinna responds to Vanderpump with, “Why would I do that?” (Such a response would make sense to which ever statement Vanderpump has said).

 

After her likely off camera exchange with Rinna, Vanderpump has another likely off camera exchange with Kyle. In season 6, episode 18, when Kyle is made aware of Rinna’s version of the exchange, Kyle says that Vanderpump has said to her that Vanderpump has thought Rinna would drag into into this mess, as if to sound relieved that it has not been the case. Kyle seems to believe that this is Vanderpump “planting seeds” again so she tells Vanderpump that if Rinna drags her into this, than Vanderpump is “going down in flames” with Kyle.

THEORY ALERT!!!

(Edit 4/8/2016: Again, I am just a fan with an active imagination. The following is PURELY SPECULATION that should not be mistaken as facts!)

Since the last two aforementioned exchanges are the motivation for the conflict in the most recent episode, I will express what I think actually happens. I cannot decide what Vanderpump says to Rinna at the end but I do believe it is with the intention to protect Kyle.  As all three ladies have been talking about Yolanda on and off the show, each one of them cannot be completely sure of all that as been exchanged between the other two. I think Vanderpump knows that, along with herself, that Kyle is not denying that Yolanda has lyme disease but would not know if the “m” word has been tossed around between Kyle & Rinna prior to filming that scene. Vanderpump also feels that Rinna talks to Kyle about Yolanda more than Rinna does with Vanderpump. So Vanderpump is going to Rinna to make sure that Kyle is not being made to look like someone who would believe that this label fits Yolanda.

 

Maybe Vanderpump has said “Why didn’t you bring Kyle into it?”, “I thought you would bring Kyle into it”, or “You didn’t bring Kyle into it?” with the intention to express relief that her best friend is being spared.  Whatever Vanderpump has said, Rinna may have misinterpreted her intent as if Vanderpump is saying that Rinna is suppose to drag Kyle into it. However Vanderpump may have worded herself, Rinna’s response of “Why would I do that?” is fitting and it has left Vanderpump with reassurance that Kyle is okay.

 

Now when Vanderpump goes to Kyle to express her relief, saying “I thought Rinna would bring you into this”, maybe it leaves Kyle confused.  Kyle is unaware of to what extent Vanderpump’s exchanges with Rinna have been in regards to Yolanda but may have assume that it would be roughly the same as her own exchanges with Rinna. At this point, Kyle doesn’t see Vanderpump’s point of view of how her own involvement would be more significant that Vanderpump’s so Kyle assumes that Vanderpump is trying to stir the pot, making Kyle looks a little more guilty so Vanderpump could run with her hands clean,  so tells her off for it. I am guessing that Kyle feels that Vanderpump is just as guilty as Kyle (but probably not as guilty as Rinna) so if Kyle gets dragged down with Rinna, then Vanderpump should go down with her.

 

I can see the dark humour (key word, “dark”) in all of this that this conflict that we are seeing between Rinna and Vanderpump and Kyle has escalated over a possible misunderstanding.  I also sense that Rinna is close minded to the idea that she may have misinterpreted Vanderpump due to Eileen’s influence over her.  I like those three women better as friends than as enemies and I hope that eventually it works out between them.  I will end this blog on a positive note and say something to defend each one of the three:

1. Rinna HAS NOT and IS NOT saying that Yolanda has Munchausen nor is she denying that Yolanda is sick
2. Vanderpump IS NOT the manipulator this season; I wish more housewives could follow her lead and give us story lines that focus on them being productive (work, charity, personal improvement, etc.)
3. (Slightly unrelated, considering what this blog is about) Kyle has the right to feel how she feels in regards to Kim; many of us are fortunate to not have a sibling with addiction issues so it’s not fair to judge

 

Until next time…

 

@STLUCIANIDOL91