Watching Denise Richards walk around with her pink fur coat upside down, then whisper-yell at Dorit when she tried to help her was… something! Somehow, this wasn’t even my favorite scene of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ “Weed Dinner Party from Hell.” It was Denise saying, “Thank you,” then immediately telling herself, “You’re welcome.” Scripted TV could never.
The “yikes” factor was high on this episode, but there have been worse moments throughout Real Housewives history. As a whole, good reality TV should make you want to melt into your couch and hide behind your fingers. Who wants to watch level-headed people work out their problems?
Let’s talk through the biggest Real Housewives “yikes” moments of all time. They will make you feel better about your own life, and rewatching them on Peacock is way cheaper than therapy.
The Weed Dinner Party From Hell
Ok, let’s just discuss this right off the bat. Denise came in SWINGING. It was the chaotic entrance we needed from her, which included more than one knowing looks to the camera. One thing about the fourth wall is Denise “Fucking” Richards is going to break it.
“Sex, Lies, and Butter Knives”
Yes, that is the actual title of the season 4 RHOP episode. At a dinner party, Ashley Darby and Candiace Dillard Bassett got in a heated conversation about what Candiace had been saying behind the other women’s backs. The argument escalated when Candiace whips out a butter knife and puts it in Ashley’s face.
“It’s About Tom”
Jaws were on the floor when Bethenny had to tell Luann that her fiancé Tom D’Agostino was seen making out with a woman at the Regency Hotel — with a photo of his bald head included. Not a great moment for Luann, but we’re grateful to have, “How could you do this to me, question mark,” burned into our brains forever.
“Let’s Talk About The Husband”
Amsterdam hasn’t been the same since the RHOBH women went there in season 5. In this particular scene, they’re all at dinner when Lisa Rinna changes the conversation to drug and alcohol abuse. Kim Richards, who had struggled with addiction, snaps at Rinna and says, “You wanna bring out my stuff, let’s talk about your home life. Let’s talk about the husband.” Rinna then stands up, throws her wine on Kim, then SMASHES the glass on the corner of the table, screaming. “You never go near my husband! Don’t you fucking understand that? You never go after my fucking husband!” Iconic, unhinged behavior.
Brooks Ayers Faking Cancer
This was something, alright! Vicki Gunvalson’s ex-boyfriend claimed for an entire season that he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma… but didn’t. It became nation-wide headline news and it was Meghan King Edmonds who exposed Brooks in the end.
Joe vs. Joe
The RHONJ physical fight between Joe Gorga and Joe Guidice alone is not what ranks it on the yikes-o-meter — it’s the fact that Joe Gorga’s spray on hair dye got on Joe Guidice.
Aviva Throws In The Towel Leg
Simply unwritable television. On RHONY, Aviva Drescher got so angry during an event hosted by Sonja Morgan that she threw her prosthetic leg on the table, and claimed it is the “only fake thing about her.”
Scary Island
The Kelly Killoren Bensimon era of RHONY is really up there for me. Nearly everything she said and did was utter nonsense but absolute perfection. But the yikes moment comes in when Bethenny does what we were all waiting for… she cracks and goes ballistic on Kelly. Cut to me yelling at my dog across the room, “GO TO SLEEEEEEP!”
*Please note, while this is last on the list, there are so many more. The limit does not exist.
