In a shocking twist straight out of the drama-filled world of *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*, Sutton Stracke has opened up about her heartbreaking decision to sever professional ties with her longtime assistant, Avi Gabay. The 54-year-old star confessed that she never imagined firing him would shatter their close friendship, labeling it a “curse” that ended their bond entirely. This revelation comes hot on the heels of the Season 15 premiere, where tensions are already running high among the cast.
Sutton spilled the tea during the December 4 episode of the *RHOBH: After Show*, explaining that the split was purely a business move. “We had a great run. But things come to an end. It was just a business decision for me,” she shared. With her children leaving the nest and no longer needing to manage a storefront, Sutton felt it was time to part ways. “I was coming to a point in my life where no children were going to be in my house, I didn’t have a storefront that needed tending to. So, it was just time. And you know, we had run our course.”
She added, “I just didn’t need anybody in my house all the time. I don’t know why this has become such an issue because people let staff members go all the time.” However, the fallout went far beyond the workplace—Avi and Sutton are no longer on speaking terms. “I don’t talk to Avi … I think I was surprised that in letting him go, that it was going to terminate the friendship as well. That was a surprise for me,” Sutton admitted, revealing the unexpected “curse” that turned a professional goodbye into a personal heartbreak.
Her castmates were equally stunned by the sudden end to what seemed like an unbreakable duo. Kyle Richards, 56, weighed in on the dynamic, saying, “I knew that they were very close and they had this sort of funny dynamic together. I could see that she could be a little challenging at times. But he seemed to know how to respond to her in a sort of funny way and brush it off, so I was surprised.” Kyle didn’t hold back, even exposing what she saw as a calculated “scheme” involving Avi’s recent public appearance.
Bozoma Saint John, 48, echoed the shock, noting, “Avi seemed like such an integral part of her day-to-day life, and so I couldn’t even imagine that she would be able to operate without him. Not saying that she’s incapable of it, but I was just shocked that something crazy detrimental had to have happened.”
Jennifer Tilly, 67, suggested the fan uproar stems from how beloved the pair was on screen. “You two were so funny together and I think that the fans liked to see the two of you laughing and dancing, so maybe they perhaps thought of Avi more as a member of the family as opposed to a staff member,” she explained.
The drama escalated when the group reacted to Avi’s arm-in-arm red carpet moment with Garcelle Beauvais, 59, at the premiere of her new Lifetime movie, *Taken at a Truck Stop: A Black Girl Missing Movie*. Dorit Kemsley, 49, was floored, exclaiming, “Oh, you gotta be kidding. Oh sh*t.”
Kyle Richards didn’t mince words, accusing the pair of orchestrating a scandalous “scheme” for attention. “It seemed like there was an absolute agenda. They both, Garcelle and Avi, knew that taking that photo together, it would go everywhere and it would spark questions and commentary,” she shaded, exposing what she believes was a deliberate ploy amid the arm-in-arm scandal involving these A-list starlets.
Sutton herself was caught off guard by the sighting. “I had no idea that Garcelle liked Avi so much. But apparently they have a good long-term friendship,” she stated.
Jennifer Tilly added her take, saying she was “taken aback” by the move. “Obviously, Garcelle can invite whoever she wants to her premiere, but it did seem a little bit deliberate,” she noted.
As the *Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* Season 15 continues to unfold with more bombshells and betrayals, fans are left wondering if this “curse” will lead to even more explosive confrontations. Catch the drama Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.