After Lisa Vanderpump‘s dramatic departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills last season, fans were dying to find out who would be added to the cast. And we already know that actress Garcelle Beauvais was added as an official new “housewife”, but the show also added a “friend” to the Real Housewives, and her name is Sutton Stracke! Sutton is close to RHOBH star Lisa Rinna, so she’s guaranteed to bring some much-needed drama to the series. But since she’s also relatively unknown to Bravo fans, we put together a list of things you need to know about her before the season premiere on April 7.
1. She’s a renowned party planner and hostess. Those famed Housewives dinner parties and galas are about to get a lot more wild. Sutton, a former Southern debutante, once made The Salonniere 100, a list of the 100 best party hosts in the United States. She came in at #39 on the 2017 list, which isn’t too shabby; Barack and Michelle Obama were #97! Influencers, like society reporters, philanthropists, and arts leaders were asked who threw the best party in their towns. Sutton was LA’s cream of the crop.
2. She’s friends with celebrities. Sutton’s tight with Rinna, who’s pretty much the star of her Instagram account. They’re always shopping together, and they look like they’re having the best time. Sutton is also close to actress Jennifer Tilly, the star of movies like Bride of Chucky and Made in America.
3. She’s the mother of three cute kids. Sutton is the mother of three teenagers: daughter Porter, and sons James and Philip Stracke. A recent post showed Porter in her school uniform on the first day of her senior year. And Sutton’s caption was the sweetest: “I am privileged enough to get to take this pic for the final time,” she wrote, complete with the sobbing emojis.
4. She supports the arts. Sutton is listed as a sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre throughout multiple years. During the 2018 season, she supported The Ratmansky Project.
5. She’s a fashion designer. Soon, the Beverly Hills will be shopping for jewelry and handbags at the SUTTON concept store. Sutton’s been sharing sneak peeks at her shop on Instagram, and it looks super fashionable.