Content warning: brief mention of suicide.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Sutton Stracke has always been polarizing. During Season 10, she was added as a friend of the cast. Then she was upgraded to a diamond-holder the following season. Sutton grilled Erika Jayne about her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s legal mess. Her ability to ask Erika questions showed that she wasn’t afraid to confront her co-stars. Unlike some other cast members who stayed silent.
But this season, Sutton came into her own. Even viewers who weren’t initially fans started to warm up to the Southern peach. Here’s why Season 13 is Sutton’s best season so far.
She Is Open and Vulnerable
During the ladies’ trip to Barcelona, Sutton prepared to release the ashes of her mentor, Merce Cunningham. Merce was a choreographer and dancer whom Sutton met while working at his dance company. Merce traveled first class to Barcelona in a Ziploc bag. Poor Merce!
Sutton was emotional and vulnerable when it was time to release Merce’s ashes into the sea below. “When I got Merce’s ashes, it really occurred to me — this is gonna make me cry now; I don’t know what’s wrong with me — [there have been] three important men in my life,” Sutton explained on the RHOBH: After Show. “Merce was one of them, my father was another, and then Christian [Stracke]. And I had to let them go.”
She continued, “I had to let my marriage go. And now I didn’t have my dad’s ashes … [but] he was with me,” Sutton added. “It was time.”
In 2016, Sutton and Christian divorced. They had been married for 16 years. Now that Christian was relocating to London, Sutton would be independent. Well, that $300,000 monthly alimony check helps. Her vulnerability in letting go of the pain from her divorce was relatable and real.
Sutton Is Back on the Dating Scene
Let’s be honest. Sutton’s RHOBH co-stars were worried when they learned that Sutton hadn’t yet scored a second date. So, Sutton hired a matchmaker. Watching Sutton tick down all her requirements was hilarious. Mr. Right needs to be tall, handsome, and have some money of his own. Get in line, Sutton!
Viewers watched Sutton on an awkward date, and it was cringey. Thankfully, this self-professed one-date-wonder finally landed a second date. Sutton hit it off with Steve and they both shared a passion for karaoke. Sutton proudly shared her exciting news about Steve with the ladies. Props to her for putting her dating struggles on the show.
Sutton Supported Kyle After Her Friend’s Death
Page Six reported that in May 2022, Kyle Richards’ best friend, Lorene Shea, took her own life. Kyle organized a Celebration of Life event in her memory. But when Kyle’s husband, Mauricio Umansky, couldn’t attend because he was away on business, Sutton was furious.
“I’m not accepting the excuse that Mo is giving,” Sutton stated in her RHOBH confessional. “Unless you are in the hospital or dead in a ditch, you show up for your wife, and your wife’s dead, best friend’s family.” After all, Sutton’s father also took his own life, so she understood all the emotions that Kyle was feeling.
And, in a church in Barcelona, Sutton apologized to Kyle. “I’m sorry I haven’t been a better friend,” she said. It was a moment of genuine friendship between the duo, who had been at odds so often this season.
She Showed Her Silly Side
During a RHOBH cast trip to Ojai, California, the ladies let loose. During lunch at a winery, the group played a card game. One card instructed someone to lick someone’s toe. Sutton volunteered and licked Kyle’s toe. I can’t defend Sutton’s actions, but it was fantastic to see her having fun.
Newbie housewife Annemarie Wiley licked Sutton’s armpit, and Sutton later touched tongues with Dorit Kemsley. I loved seeing Sutton be silly and playful. And let’s not forget that Sutton brought her own party favors to Kyle’s weed dinner. I feel like we learned a lot about Sutton during Season 13.
Her Iconic Name ’Em Moment
After Sutton’s Magic Mike show meltdown in Las Vegas, Kyle went to visit Sutton. She confronted Sutton about her dramatic behavior in Vegas. Kyle stated that Sutton has a history of “losing her sh*t in ridiculous circumstances.”
Sutton shut down her friend, uttering her iconic response, “Name ’em.” And every time Kyle tried to, Sutton repeated the phrase. It was a riot until Kyle started screaming at her.
Sutton’s “name ’em” quip was an instant sensation. Actor Julia Roberts even played Sutton in a skit on Watch What Happens Live. “I am truly speechless because that’s a moment you can never imagine would happen in your life … I was maybe a bit off that night, but I guess it paid off because that’s once in a lifetime,” Sutton told E! News.
RHOBH Season 13 is truly Sutton’s best season. Of course, Sutton had some epic meltdowns. But viewers were also treated to the quirky, fun-loving, and emotionally vulnerable side of Sutton. And that unique combination is why she is a fan favorite.
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This story originally appeared on Realitytea
