Erin Lichy Opens Up About Her "Beautiful" RHONY Moment with Dad Eli
RHONY's Erin Lichy looked back at the "incredible" chat she had with her father just a few months before he passed away.
Erin Lichy is reflecting on an emotional conversation she had with her dad, Eli Yitzhari, just four months before he died.
Said conversation took place during Season 15, Episode 9 of The Real Housewives of New York City, and saw Erin open up to her father about getting an abortion when she was 18. After sharing her own experience, Erin's father revealed that he had gone through the same situation with a partner when he was younger.
Erin, who is currently pregnant with her fourth child, opened up about filming the emotional chat with her late dad on the November 26 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (which actually filmed a few days earlier at Bravo Fan Fest 2024 in Miami).
There, she noted that she felt "extremely nervous" to share her story on the show and have that difficult conversation with her father.
"But the beautiful thing was, I shared it and then I got, like, three stories out of other people sharing back," Erin continued on WWHL. "And that was just so incredible to experience."
Host Andy Cohen noted that it "must have been gratifying" for Erin to hear how supportive her dad was.
She agreed, adding, "I had no clue what he was gonna do with that information, but he was just beyond."
Erin Lichy reflects on her father's passing
Erin opened up about her dad's "unwavering support" in an interview on RHONY.
"He’s just the best. He’s the best dad. He was the best dad," she said while reacting to their emotional conversation from a few months before. "I cannot believe he’s not here, it’s still very fresh. He’s such a huge loss for all of us."
"I just feel so grateful," she continued in her interview confessional. "I grew up with an incredible human. I have such a backbone because of that. So it’s like, yeah, it sucks, but I’m also incredibly lucky and I just hold on to that."
The New York City native confirmed her father's death on Instagram on October 1.
"My heart and soul. My best friend, my courage, my strength, my superpower. How grateful I feel to have had you as a parent to guide me, to uplift me, to teach me how to live life to the absolute fullest," she wrote on Instagram alongside a series of photos of her and her dad. "Your generosity is unmatched and I have learned not only how many people you helped silently but what a lasting impression your kindness left. Knowing I won’t see you laugh again or sing to me on the opposite end of the phone is a heartbreak I did not know existed, but somehow I know you are still there. You have given me the greatest gift and I cannot feel anything but sincerely grateful to you for being my father..."
Hear more from Erin in the above clip.
