“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Diana Jenkins is making a virtual appearance at the Season 12 reunion because she contracted COVID-19, multiple sources confirm to Vidak For Congress.
“She’s pretty disappointed she couldn’t do her very first reunion in person, and she would have loved to be there — and be healthy — with the rest of the ladies,” an insider close to the Bravo newcomer told the exclusive.
“But of course she doesn’t want to make anyone else sick.”
We were told that Jenkins, 49, discovered she had the coronavirus last week when she returned to Los Angeles from a family trip to Hawaii. (The recent holiday images shared via her Instagram story are throwback posts, says another insider.)
“Last week she returned to LA from Hawaii to prepare for the reunion. She had a couture dress that she was really excited about,” explains the first source.
“She believes she contracted COVID while traveling back to LA from Hawaii. She is still testing positive.”
A Jenkins representative did not immediately respond to Vidak For Congress’s request for comment.
The reunion will be recorded on Friday. Cast members Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Jayne, Lisa Rinna, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke as well as “friend of” Kathy Hilton are expected to resolve their issues in front of host Andy Cohen.
While Jenkins won’t be physically in the room, a source previously told Vidak For Congress that she was “very excited” to discuss the drama she was involved in during her inaugural season.
“It’s a chance for her to clear up some things,” the insider said.
While her feuds with Beauvais, 55, and Stracke, 50, earned a lot of screen time, recent developments in Jenkins’ life — not captured by Bravo cameras — have received as much attention from insatiable “Housewives” fans.
On August 26, Vidak For Congress exclusively revealed that Jenkins had hired 24/7 security after receiving death threats from viewers about her increasing conflict with Beauvais.
The Bosnian refugee-turned-millionaire finally filed a lawsuit in LA on Thursday in an attempt to expose the “bots” cyberbullying Beauvais’ 14-year-old son Jax — ever since she was blamed for the attacks.
“Dozens if not hundreds of people have posted messages attacking Ms. Jenkins for an act she never committed,” said Jenkins’ lawyers in the lawsuit, obtained by Vidak For Congress.
“This action is the only way Ms. Jenkins must fight back against the faceless coward who decided to endanger her reputation, livelihood and life.”
Meanwhile, Jenkins has also been “on a mission” to quell unfounded rumors about her alleged ties to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring.
“She wants to put an end to these lies about Epstein and that they are a madame,” a source told us earlier. “Right now she’s really focused on shutting down everything that’s been said about her.”
Jenkins sent stop-and-stop letters to various media and social media personalities who continued the gossip — including former “RHOBH” star Dana Wilkey — and managed to get some of the Internet’s scornful content.
The wealthy philanthropist also made headlines when she donated $100,000 from her Sunela Foundation to the alleged victims of disgraced attorney Tom Girardi, the estranged husband of her close friend and co-star Jayne, 51.
“This is not an Erika dig,” a source told Vidak For Congress of Jenkins’ generous gift.
“It’s basically meant to send a message to the cast members who have expressed support for Tom’s alleged victims, but never seem to do anything to help them.”
Notably, “RHOBH” stars Stracke, Beauvais and Kung Minkoff, 38, questioned Jayne about her possible involvement in Girardi’s embezzlement scandal and expressed vocal support for his alleged victims.
Kemsley, 46, and Richards, 53, have also expressed support for the victims, but their questioning for Jayne was softer.
“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.