Garcelle Beauvais Is Proof Black Women Are Not Given Grace On Reality TV

Garcelle Beauvais marched off the ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ reunion stage Sunday night for good reason. Her castmates had been playing in her face since she arrived on the scene in season 10. From forming a separate cast group chat without her to former cast member Lisa Rinna throwing her memoir “Love Me As I Am” into the trash, their microaggressions have played out before Bravo cameras.

They’re all playing the same game but Garcelle is expected to hit the field with one hand tied behind her back. “I don’t think I get any Grace in this group,” she said during the season 14 reunion, and she was correct. 

In traditional workplaces, we give our coworkers grace because we respect them. Any workplace, including a reality television set, has rules of decorum. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills can foul each other all day, but when Garcelle even nears the line, it is considered flagrant. Their feelings will always take precedence in this forum. They can’t move past anything with her, no matter how much they pretend to. She repeats something that is common knowledge, and it is painted as a vicious attack. She speaks her truth, and it is framed like she is spilling state secrets. 

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Out Of Bounds

In season 12, Garcelle was ganged up on during the cast reunion. It was so bad that Andy Cohen apologized for not being in tune with her feelings after social media was shocked that everyone ignored her pain. It happened again in season 14. Kyle iced her. Saint John did Dorit Kemsley’s dirty work, and Cohen was conveniently oblivious.

Even her so-called close friend Sutton Stracke failed to defend her. Beauvais endured a plantation-coded hometown visit to support Stracke this season and the divorced lotto winner couldn’t stand on top of her hefty wallet to say “not too much on my friend.” It was truly sad to watch. 

Beauvais might not have cried or shouted, but it was obvious her feelings were hurt. Black women are masters at disguising their feelings. “Obligation to show strength/suppress emotion may increase risk for psychological distress among African American women who perceive racial microaggressions,” according to the Journal of Ethnicity & Health. She sat there stone-faced and took it yet again, as many Black women have done in the workplace. 

Out Of The Loop

Beauvais’ integration into the Bravo franchise was a huge deal for ‘RHOB’ fans. They had never had a Black housewife. And new fans, like me, tuned in to see how her presence would harmonize or disrupt the group.

 Some considered her an unexpected choice but I knew she could bring it. Anyone capable of calling out their ex for cheating with an email blast was clearly Bravolebrity material.

Odd Woman Out

This is a theme with several reality television personalities. Some people are just expected to take their Ls, while others are uplifted and supported by their castmates no matter how much shade they throw. 

Fans, on social media, accused Beauvais of only nurturing one friendship and not with the other ladies on the cast. But that is not true. Beauvais showed up and served. She exposed her family, sharing her parenting deficiencies and her eldest son’s struggle with addiction. 

She displayed the vulnerability they begged for, but it was not considered enough because it was coming from her. 

Out Of Patience

Beauvais tried. We watched her try. She came into the reunion trying. But it is hard to play on a team when even the star player is paying you dust. OG housewife Kyle Richards appeared to ignore Garcelle when she greeted and complimented her. 

Kemsley, her biggest opp, couldn’t even let Beauvais leave in peace. She hollered out, “Garcelle, that’s really unprofessional,” behind her as she walked away. But since when is it professional not to speak to someone at the beginning of a reunion? Why was nothing said about that? Garcelle said not one person smiled at her during the whole taping? Was that professional? 

According to a 2021 article from the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, “employees who engage in racial codeswitching are consistently perceived as more professional by both Black and White participants compared to employees who do not codeswitch.” That might explain the difference in perception. 

Heading Out

Reunions are supposed to be about resolution, but you can not resolve an issue with someone who is unwilling to fully acknowledge you. 

Newbie Bozoma Saint John cackled with Jayne on Watch What Happens Live when the news broke that Beauvais wouldn’t be returning after Jayne chirped “Won’t he do it,” in response to the formal announcement in an irritating Blaccent. The presence of a second Black person does not erase this reality. 

Every Black girl who has ever felt uncomfortable attending a team happy hour or chiming in on a Slack channel full of pets, which are the reason they avoid company potlucks, can relate to how Beauvais felt. Nobody wants to kiki with coworkers who have been nice nasty with you all day. It is exhausting. 

It’s clear that she was not welcome. She felt that energy. She fulfilled the obligation she had to do the taping and then clocked out in response.

Stracke let her friend get clobbered on the couch then was stunned Beauvais opted to leave the reunion taping venue. She stammered about how they were supposed to get supper while Beauvais headed on down the highway. 

The expectation was for her to take whatever they threw at her and be grateful for the opportunity. 

But you can be grateful without placing yourself in harm’s way.