No one has ever said that mothers and daughters have the most straightforward relationship. Throughout history, these pairs have fought like cats and dogs and loved one another fiercely. There have been relationships from Caroline Ingalls and Luara Ingalls all the way to Cinderella and her evil stepmother. There is something about the bond that occurs between a mother and daughter. And watching Sutton Stracke navigate her relationship with her mother, Reba has been … difficult. Luckily, a recent conversation seemed to humanize the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and her parent.
Sutton Stracke’s relationship has always been strained
Sutton once shared that her relationship with Reba changed after her father committed suicide. The therapist didn’t cook well or provide yummy meals. And Reba sure didn’t give Sutton the sugar coating she needed. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told fans her mother didn’t even take her side when it came to her divorce. She noted on the RHOBH After Show, “When you’re going through divorce, you’re worried about yourself. Like, ‘Am I okay?’ Because I hadn’t worked in 17 years. And I had this panicking moment because I didn’t know what he was gonna do. He’s capable of doing a lot of things. He did the right thing in the end, but I just got nervous.”
But what Sutton found most hurtful was the lack of support that she received from her mother. Sutton revealed that mom was more concerned about how divorce would affect her. “I’m like, well, can we just deal with our divorce first? We’ll get to you, Reba. But let’s do me first. And so it was a bit hurtful for me.”
Garcelle Beauvais and Kyle Richards weigh in
From the moment Garcelle Beauvais and Kyle Richards arrived in Augusta, it was clear there was tension with Reba. Even though Garcelle tried her best to confront the 83-year-old about her coldness, Reba wouldn’t really hear it. Kyle, however, had another approach and just listened to Reba and what she had to say instead of inserting an opinion. The former child actor noted, “I can see where Sutton would be hurt by that, but I think there’s a lot more to that comment. I think that Reba probably spent a lot of her time worried and afraid and Sutton never knew that, because she masked those feelings.” “I mean, maybe she should worry about herself, too. And she’s just being honest about it.”
Even though Kyle agreed that Reba’s delivery was a bit “harsh,” she felt like the mother of two’s intentions were from a good place. Sutton seemed to recognize the fear within her mother, adding, “She was probably thinking the same thing when my dad died,” she said. “My mother has worked her entire life, but I’m sure there’s a point where she must have felt like, ‘Well, now who’s gonna take care of me?'”
Sutton Stracke and Reba have a breakthrough
I was so happy to see the mother and daughter have a breakthrough and not a breakdown. Viewers’ hearts broke when Sutton admitted she wasn’t sure if her mother liked her, let alone loved her. It became apparent that Sutton had a tricky relationship with her mother because of her close daddy’s girl connection with her dad. But Sutton was determined to mend the bridges through a crab cake dinner. If only she could get her hands on some iceberg lettuce. After a long chat about whether telling your child you are proud of them is trite, Sutton was finally honest.
She told Reba it was important that she came to California when her clothing line dropped. And surprisingly, Reba agreed. The conversation gave hope to her and Sutton. The former ballerina has often come off as a bit unstable and emotional, but fans were able to see that how she was raised has affected her as an adult. Hopefully, Sutton and Reba can move forward, past the hurt, and start a new form of relationship that will give both of them what they need.
I commend Sutton for her willingness to speak with her mother. It wasn’t easy. And dare I say, I cried along with the Bravoleb when she finally got the recognition she had been craving.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN REBA AND SUTTON?
