Garcelle Beauvais reveals she ‘definitely felt pressure’ being the first black woman on RHOBH

She became a Housewife in the tenth season of hit reality show The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, thereby becoming the series’ first-ever black cast member.

And Garcelle Beauvais revealed she didn’t take on the role lightly during a conversation on a recent episode of the Reality Life with Kate Casey podcast.

When asked if she felt any pressure being the first black woman on the show, the reality star and actress, 53, responded: ‘Yes, I definitely felt pressure that people wanted me to come in and do a certain thing or have a chip on my shoulder.’

‘I really didn’t want to be labeled an angry black woman,’ Beauvais continued. ‘That’s not who I am.

‘I just wanted to stay true to who I am, and I think that’s what people have been able to see so far,’ she added.

Taking on the role of a Housewife, however, did come with some surprises for the NYPD Blue star. 

‘I was not prepared for how social media takes over,’ Beauvais said.

‘Lisa Rinna told me that it is one thing to shoot the show. It’s another to see it and what the others have said about you. Then the whole world weighs in. There are so many layers to be on the show,’ she went on.

Garcelle is a mother of three – she shares 12-year-old sons Jax and Jaid with ex-husband Mike Nilon, and older son Oliver, 29, with her first ex-husband Daniel Saunders.

She was married to Nilon from 2001 until 2011, and prior to that she was wed to Saunders from 1991 to 2000.

Last month, Garcelle tried to spread awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement during an episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. 

‘I’ve had a lot of friends reach out to me and say, ‘What do we do? How do we start?’ What I want to say is: if you see any injustice, speak up, say something,’ she urged. 

Garcelle’s eldest son Oliver has also prompted her to fight for future generations, after making her a grandmother.

‘One of the reasons we are fighting for equality #mygrandson #oliverjunior,’ Garcelle wrote next to an image of her baby grandson on Instagram. ‘I want him to have every opportunity he deserves.’

As of now, RHOBH is on hiatus but will return on July 8th, airing Wednesdays at 9 pm Eastern on Bravo.