Garcelle Beauvais, Dorit Kemsley. Bravo (2)
Garcelle Beauvais confronted Dorit Kemsley about her “unconscious Karen behavior” during a tense Real Housewives of Beverly Hills scene.
“There’s a pattern with you that I don’t know whether you’re aware of or not, but I’m just going to be completely blunt,” Garcelle, 57, told Dorit, 47, during the Wednesday, January 3, episode of the Bravo series. “I feel like two years ago, we were talking about people of color. Has there been growth since the last time you were like, people of color have worked for you?”
During her confessional, Dorit said that being called a “Karen” is a “very, very serious, dangerous accusation.” She added, “It’s hurtful, and that accusation holds a lot of implications. I’m not feeling comfortable with this at all.”
Garcelle and Dorit’s conversation came after an argument between the two women at Crystal Kung Minkoff’s house during the prior RHOBH episode. During their back-and-forth, Dorit claimed Garcelle was “attacking” her and didn’t understand why that term was an issue. (During a 2021 RHOBH episode, Dorit said she has “very multicultural” people who work for her, which inspired a similar conversation with Garcelle.)
“The word ‘attack’ just hit me in the wrong place,” Garcelle admitted during Wednesday’s episode. “There’s certain words, when you point them at me, it has a completely different impact. You have to know who you’re dealing with.”
She continued, “There are three words you don’t say to Black women: You don’t say ‘aggressive,’ you don’t say ‘attack’ and you don’t say ‘angry,’ because that’s labeling us.”
Dorit doubled down on what she claimed was an “innocent” use of the term. “If it’s offended you in any way, I’m very sorry,” she added.
Garcelle said she was offended by their previous interaction, revealing that she had been “emotional” over it for two days.
“I’m not here to educate you, that’s not my job. I don’t have the bandwidth to do it,” Garcelle continued. “But I feel like you need to be aware of who you’re talking to and when you’re talking to them and what you say.”
Garcelle accused Dorit of using the term “attack” to hurt her, but Dorit denied that allegation.
Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais. David Livingston/Getty Images
“Why else would you say it?” Garcelle asked. In her confessional, Garcelle added, “This is exactly why she gets under my skin.”
She went on to say that Dorit was “on the defense” and “not listening” to what was being said.
Dorit later asked Garcelle why she keeps “raising this” issue. “What does it feel like, that I’m racist?” she asked.
“I’m not labeling you,” Garcelle responded. “If there’s racist undertone, that’s not my fault. … I’m not calling you anything.”
Dorit then apologized for using the term “attack” but wanted to know whether there was something else that Garcelle needed to address.
“You’re a child of the world, you speak four different languages. Why don’t you understand that being in my shoes is different than being in your shoes?” Garcelle asked.
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Dorit replied, “I most certainly understand that, and I’ve never suggested otherwise.”
Dorit went on to say that she hopes she and Garcelle can meet some “common ground” at some point in the future. She added, “It definitely feels like everything is on me right now.”
Garcelle admitted that Dorit was “getting under [her] skin” at the moment, adding, “The last straw was you saying that I attacked you. I don’t know how we’re going to move forward, but I’m going to try because I don’t hate you.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
