Erin Lichy has learned her lesson after trying to prank Real Housewives of New York City costar Ubah Hassan during a cast trip to Anguilla.
“I can take ownership of maybe I shouldn’t have played the prank,” Erin, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, September 18. “I also thought we were pranking. I didn’t think it was going to be that deep. Now knowing and looking back now, I know not to mess with it all.”
During the Sunday, September 17, episode of RHONY, cameras captured the fallout of Erin briefly stealing Ubah’s phone as a prank. Erin saw the move as playful retaliation for Ubah pushing her in the pool earlier in the vacation, but Ubah, 40, wasn’t amused — she’d been using her phone to check in with her family during the trip. (Ubah also thought Sai De Silva pushing her in the pool was sufficient revenge for Erin’s accidental dip.)
The episode ended on a “to be continued” cliffhanger that teased a tense shouting match between Ubah and Erin. In hindsight, Erin wishes she’d never taken the phone, but she also didn’t think the prank would be such a big deal.
“I said this at the reunion or on the show, I can’t even remember anymore, but what if I had gotten upset about getting thrown in the pool?” she asked Us. “What if that would’ve really scared me? What if I had a past trauma of being thrown off board of a boat? You never really know. So, you take chances with new friends. And in that situation, she took a chance. Luckily it was fine, but I took a chance. It wasn’t well received. I learned.”
Erin went on to say that she and Ubah have since moved past the drama — though there likely won’t be further pranks in their future.
“I knew she had a spicy side, but I just adore her. I really do,” Erin told Us, adding that the fight actually helped bring the pair closer. “And I almost appreciate seeing that other side of her because it almost brings a depth to her that I didn’t fully understand. And even the way she talks about it after where she’s like, ‘I know I get hot, but it’s because I love you so much.’ It sounds kind of crazy, but … I love her more for it.”
The Real Housewives of New York City airs on Bravo Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
