At the start of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 14, there was a lot of hype regarding the potential of where the story could go. Upon learning that two strong, independent Black women could be allowed to occupy the same space on RHOBH, a new lady was officially on the block: Bozoma Saint John. Essentially an outsider to the group, many viewers were excited not only for what she could bring, but how she might fare with Garcelle Beauvais.
As Boz started to integrate herself into this friend group, it became evident that any hope of a new dynamic duo was lost. Once you pick a side, especially with the tension revolving around Sutton Stracke and Dorit Kemsley, you have an alliance, and the two could never cross. Garcelle stood by Sutton, mostly. Boz gravitated toward Dorit. The rest is history. What was a promising narrative only hyper-scrutinized the dangerous stereotypes about Black women on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Garcelle Broke Down the Door for Bozoma to Enter
It took quite a long time before The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast a Black woman. It’s not that there weren’t any in the zip code. For whatever reason, the narrative that the 90210 franchise was sharing just didn’t include any. That was until Garcelle Beauvais was cast on Season 10. Garcelle broke down the door that desperately needed to be knocked down. As a beloved actress with decades of experience, Garcelle’s entry into the reality television forum allowed her to share stories and experiences about strong Black women breaking down barriers in the industry. Thanks to RHOBH, viewers watched as she had the opportunity to go behind the camera and become a producer. Garcelle’s time on RHOBH was important, but when it started, it was tokenism. They finally welcomed another Black woman onto the cast with the addition of Annemarie Wiley, but she was not the right fit. Enter Bozoma Saint John.
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As one of the biggest breakout stars of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Boz was able to bring another perspective on the triumphs Black women have made in the business world. She became an exciting and eccentric character, but also provided a needed voice to help us analyze the ongoing feuds within the friend group. Her outside perspective allowed her to make her own decisions, but, because the lay of the land was so divided, Boz suddenly became a secondary character to Dorit, just as Garcelle was for Sutton. And in a way, Kyle Richards. Having such differing perspectives on the situation prevented them from ever uniting and bonding over their similar life experiences. From being single mothers to defying the odds in their respective industries, RHOBH just couldn’t let them be their own story.
Boz’s Words Hold Great Weight
While we still have much to learn about what happened during the reunion that led to Garcelle’s departure, in everything we’ve seen thus far, the alliances formed by the couches may not have allowed them to end things amicably. Following the filming of the Season 14 reunion, Garcelle took the opportunity to share her departure on her own terms in an Instagram post. Then, Boz joined Erika Jayne on Watch What Happens Live, where Andy Cohen expectedly asked for their thoughts on Garcelle’s departure. Boz said, “I am disappointed that she is departing like this. I wish that she would’ve stuck around to work out another season.” Clarifying she was referring to the abrupt walk-off at the reunion, she said, “I don’t think it’s a high note.”
Even so, Bozoma dedicated her Instagram story to Garcelle, writing, “I wish we’d had more time together on this platform to continue showing the world that both of us can exist in the same space with different offerings and different opinions (and besties!), but still find a way to resolve our differences without tearing the world apart. And that we are able to shine bright together and individually, too.” Perhaps in time, they will become friends, but from everything we’ve seen on screen or heard through the grapevine, Garcelle and Bozoma were unable to exist together on RHOBH. Garcelle deserves respect for leaving on her own terms. Whatever they were to prompt the departure, we’ll soon learn. Was it Dorit-related? Was it a strain on her relationship with Sutton? The truth will come out. But what we do know is that we will never know where Bozoma and Garcelle could have gone together on RHOBH. The series is at back square one to celebrate multiple Black women on RHOBH at once.
