‘R.J. Decker’: Jaina Lee Ortiz Details Emi’s Guilt Over R.J. Betrayal

“I am finding out so many things that I wish I knew before we started,” Jaina Lee Ortiz admits of her R.J. Decker character, Emilia “Emi” Ochoa.

We don’t know much about her, not even her official job, just yet. “She’s not a lawyer. She works for her dad. She works for her dad’s political campaign, political office, and his development property. Her dad is a rich and powerful man in the real estate and political world. And so she’s right under his wing, and she holds that power and that status with him,” Ortiz shares.

Emi’s also the one who sent R.J. Decker (Scott Speedman) to prison for two years. She turned on the waterworks on the witness stand after he beat up her stepbrother for stealing his camera equipment. Now that he’s out and working as a private investigator, she’s helping him out when she can with the resources at her disposal because of that aforementioned power.

Disney/John Merrick

Below, Jaina Lee Ortiz shares as much as she can about who Emi is, her relationship with R.J., and more.

Emi lies on the stand and sends R.J. to prison, but she mentions there would’ve been consequences if she didn’t. What can you say about that and just in general? How worried is she about doing anything that would go against her family?

Jaina Lee Ortiz: I think currently in her life right now, she has to do whatever it takes to protect her family and their reputation. So, I feel like, as much as she doesn’t want to, it’s something that she has no choice, or she doesn’t really have a say, because when someone controls your career, your livelihood, it’s almost like you’ve got to just play the game to get ahead. And sometimes that comes at the expense of hurting someone as kind and genuine as R.J. Decker, who just is trying to catch a break, my gosh. And I think in her actions, she realizes later on, “Wow, it was a s**tty thing to do, but I am here to make amends and start over, and please take this olive branch. And I’m terrible at apologizing, but I can now help you, and I could get you those resources to help you with your cases. So here we go, you’re welcome.” It also helps that they have this sexual tension that will never end, and that always causes for more complication, which is very interesting to watch.

It’s not just the fact that they hooked up before he went to prison. There’s also the fact that she sat there and talked to him, too. She also got to know him as a person, and she’s continuing to do that and seeing, “I did this to him.”

I know. I think that’s something that Emi has to live with for a long time. She’s just been carrying that guilt around. And I think there are going to be instances where she tries to compensate that previous action, but also I think she really likes this guy. She feels for him, not just because she feels guilty, but because there is a very unexpected connection that has come up between these two people that are polar opposites. He’s down on his luck, living in a trailer. She’s super successful, driving a Porsche. They are night and day. Obviously, opposites attract, and what’s very cool and fun is that we get to watch them come together professionally and personally.

What can you say about Emi’s relationship with her dad? Is there any warmth and father-daughter relationship there?

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Yes. I think we will definitely see all the truth come to the front of the table when Emi’s dad is introduced. There’s some great scenes between [them]. It’s weird because it’s this dynamic where they are partners, they work together, but you could tell that within that work relationship, there is this strained father-daughter disconnect that at the end of the day, she just wants to be loved by her dad. I get emotional talking about it. But yeah, it’s really interesting and fun and heartbreaking, but also the truth of what that world is, being the daughter of someone like that. But I don’t want to spoil it because when he comes, you’ll get to see it all. It’ll be good.

It seems like R.J. could start investigating her father for something. Is that something that Emi is worried about? Doesn’t even want to think about having to deal with?

I think it’s probably her biggest fear. The way I played it was that in the past, way before I came into R.J.’s life, my dad sort of ruined a relationship, and she’s just scared that it’ll happen again. But yeah, we do get to see the dynamic of him coming in and how that affects everyone, and it will complicate everything and make it so messy. I don’t even know how it ends. I’m dying to find out how it ends.

R.J. Decker, Tuesdays, 10/9c, ABC