Dorit Kemsley: It Hurt Me to the Core and Brought Me to Tears
"In hindsight, knowing what I know now, I wish I had just given Lucy back to Lisa V to begin with and not try to do what I thought was right for Lucy."
Hello again Darlings,
Forgive me for such a long blog, but I felt I had a lot to say about this week’s episode.
Let’s start with the really positive aspects of this trip, shall we? There’s nothing quite like flying on a private jet to a fabulous island with some of your girls. The Bahamar was everything you could wish for and beyond — beautiful rooms, shops, casinos, beautiful beaches, clear water, and, of course, Elvis (our butler)! Staying in the chairman suite was simply a dream come true and the grand terrace, coupled with the stunning views, was the proverbial cherry on top.
As a way to kick off the trip, I thought it’d be fun to have everyone over for drinks on my and Lisa V’s incredible terrace. After watching this week's episode, what I believed was a lighthearted, harmless night was in fact the opposite as the girls were having side conversations behind my back. Since Kyle spoke with Teddi about the Lucy situation in their room ahead of drinks and then continued the conversation with Lisa V and Lisa R, it seems like she was the only one who didn’t want the story to die down. Watching it back felt like two mean girls gossiping about me under my nose. I’m perplexed as to why Kyle asked Lisa V if she was still mad at me when Lisa V had done nothing but assure me that she wasn’t. Was Kyle digging for more or simply trying to keep the story’s flame ablaze? Yet, what hurt the most was how Kyle made light of the situation with an insensitive joke about me being allergic to dogs. Watching them talk behind my back and then act normal to my face felt catty and hurtful.
The day on Long Cay Island was one for the books. Being in the ocean on our own private island was one of the most relaxing moments I’d had in a long time. The sun was shining, the drinks were flowing, and everyone was in great spirits basking in the beauty of the island. Before we set out for the beach, I’d given the girls white and black Beverly Beach reversible beach totes, towels, and sun hats, which they looked absolutely fabulous wearing. Speaking of fabulous, can we talk about Denise strutting out of the ocean and letting us live our best Bond moment? She’s one hot mama, and I adored her even more after this trip.
At lunch, it was nice to have an open forum with the ladies. Although discussing old memories can sometimes bring up hurt feelings, I was happy to hear Camille and Teddi confirm that our previous differences were behind us. It was everything I could wish for since I was greatly enjoying my time with everyone in this beautiful setting. I could see how Erika would be blindsided at Lisa V’s mention that her handwritten note wasn’t enough. These days, not a lot of people make the effort to write a handwritten note, so I really felt bad for Erika, because I know she had best intentions.
This brings me to the dinner at Cleo — where do I even begin? I was very surprised to learn that John Sessa had brought Lucy out to show Kyle and Teddi at the center on camera while Lisa V was there. In all my conversations with Lisa V, she had never once mentioned that had happened. In fact, she only ever mentioned that John Blizzard had spoken to Teddi about it. Why didn’t Lisa tell me at our lunch at Crustacean when I specifically asked who was talking about it and what was being said?
Hearing Lisa V say that John Blizzard should’ve never mentioned anything, despite him still being employed, means he went against her wishes. But did he really go against her wishes considering he’s still employed? What about John Sessa, Lisa’s faithful employee, who pranced Lucy out for Kyle and Teddi (and the world) to see? Did he go against Lisa’s wishes in front of her at her center? Why did he look so surprised when Lisa V told him not to talk about it at the center?
Lisa V says in her interview that she was trying to protect me, yet when Lisa R says she should have protected me, Lisa V claims she doesn’t have control over what her employees say. When a matter so hurtful to your friend becomes public, you should have control over what your employee says, and there should certainly be consequences if they go against your wishes. Protecting someone after the damage is done isn’t protecting them at all. True protection would have meant that Lisa V would deal with the problem before it happened, which was within her control all along.
When Lisa V tells me "she doesn’t believe for one second that I’m guilty" and follows it with, “however, it all went wrong,” she is wrongly insinuating that Lucy was in danger. For the record, Lucy never ended up in a kill shelter. She went from our loving home to another loving home and, unbeknown to me, ended up in a non-kill shelter. The shelter was told that Lucy originated from Vanderpump Dogs, so the owner scanned her microchip and contacted Vanderpump Dogs within an hour of Lucy being there. Lucy never suffered or was in harm’s way or, god forbid, in danger of being killed.
The woman who wanted Lucy initially came at a time when PK and I were contemplating giving her back to Lisa V’s center as she was becoming more and more aggressive with the kids. When the opportunity arose for Lucy to go to a beautiful home (which is ultimately the goal for rescue pets) rather than having to go back to the center and wait for someone to adopt her, we took it. It was never about hiding that from Lisa V as I told her immediately. Not even Lisa V could’ve expected this to happen, otherwise (I’m sure) she would’ve done a home check, which she never did.
This brings me to the second part of what she said: “You should’ve given the dog back to me.” Why didn’t she tell me that she wanted me to bring Lucy back to the center and that it was a violation to re-home a dog when I spoke to her? I would have happily brought Lucy back to Lisa if that was her wish. In hindsight, knowing what I know now, I wish I had just given Lucy back to Lisa V to begin with and not try to do what I thought was right for Lucy. Maybe then the series of events wouldn’t have been twisted into a story about me abandoning this beautiful little puppy that my family and I loved.
The thought that Lisa V, a friend I truly trusted and valued, could’ve done this to me and the idea that the world would think, even for one second, that I would do wrong to any animal, hurt me to the core and brought me to tears. I was grateful for Lisa R and Kyle consoling me at that moment as Lisa V didn’t seem concerned about me or my feelings or the repercussions that her actions would cause.
In conclusion, Lisa R telling Lisa V, “This wouldn’t have gone out there if you didn’t want it out there” is undeniable. Judging by what Kyle and Teddi are saying, Lisa V may have counted on Kyle and Teddi (with whom I’ve had differences with in the past) to carry out her plan of either punishing me or simply trying to make me look bad. But I guess that remains to be seen.
Until next week!
Sincerely,
X
