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Give a… separation decree a pat. Bravo viewers were stunned when they learned that Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi, who had seemed like one of the most solid couples in Real Housewives history, were far from ideal when she filed for divorce from him.
A divorce between the high-powered attorney and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills actress was confirmed in November 2020. “Erika and Tom had an unorthodox marriage, spending a lot of time apart,” an insider said exclusively to Us Weekly.
Erika, who is a server at one of Tom Zizzo’s favorite West Hollywood hangouts, Chasen’s, met him in the late ’90s and shares an adult son named Tommy with her ex-husband. One year later, she gave him her number and he called her instead of going via his secretary.
In her 2018 autobiography, Pretty Mess, the Bravo star recounted telling her assistant, “Tell Mr. Girardi if he wants to take me out on a date, he needs to contact me himself and ask me and give me enough time to prepare.” You have an understanding of how guys are, especially successful ones. They count on you to immediately stop what you’re doing. I don’t care who you are, but that’s not how I do business.
#RHOBH Erika Jayne’s Divorce Payout SHATTERED As Tom Girardi’s Bankruptcy Soars To $500M! https://t.co/6GoFmqPXQs pic.twitter.com/icLHbWUp37
— All About The Tea ☕ (@AllAboutDaTea) March 10, 2022
Sorry
At the end of six months together, Erika and the attorney were engaged. In January of 1999, they tied the knot.
“For the first 10 years of our marriage, I was at Tom’s side,” the “XXPEN$IVE” singer revealed in a February 2017 episode of RHOBH. To add insult to injury, in more than one legal organization I served as its first female president. Think about that! ”
Since Erika joined the cast in 2015, Tom has made only a few appearances on the reality show due to his high-powered position. Season 11 production began in early October 2020, making it likely that their divorce would be a major plot point.
To which I reply, “Oh, you guys don’t see each other a lot,” as is the universal reaction. In contrast, “when we do see each other, it’s 100 percent, full-on attention,” as the former Chicago star put it in the episode airing in February of 2017. This is the part that most folks miss. It doesn’t hurt the bond between you two. It’s useful. I prefer this to the alternative, in which someone is constantly imposing their presence on you while you pretend not to notice them.
If you want to know everything that has been discovered concerning the divorce between the Girardi’s, scroll down.
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This article, first published in November 2020 and most recently updated on April 5, is part of a series.
Table of Contents
Erika Broke It Off
The Atlanta native told Us in a statement that she and Tom were divorcing “after much contemplation” in 2020 November. She went on to say, “This is not a decision that was made quickly or easily. I cherish the time I spent with Tom and the life we created together. It is my sincere hope that Tom and I will be afforded the privacy we both desire during this time. Please respect our need for solitude.
They Were on Different Paths
It was usual for the now-divorced couple to go “several months” between encounters, a source told Us exclusively in November 2020. They planned on taking different routes. The informant continued, “Tom gave Erika a really expensive lifestyle, and she adored it.” Because of her experience on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika has become more self-reliant and assured in her abilities. Erika’s singing career has benefited greatly from the publicity.
They Don’t Have a Prenup
While speaking with Andy Cohen in June of 2017, Erika revealed that she and Tom did not enter into a prenuptial agreement. “My husband is a very influential lawyer. She remarked that a prenuptial agreement wouldn’t be an obstacle for him. In other words, “whether you had one or not, it’s going to be all Tom’s way, I assure you.”
The Fraud Lawsuit
In December of 2020, a lawsuit was filed against Erika and Tom, accusing them of embezzling settlement payments for the relatives of those killed on Lion Air Flight 610. In court records obtained by us, class action firm Edelson PC alleged that the divorce was “a phony attempt to unlawfully safeguard Tom and Erika’s money” and that the couple “is on the edge of financial collapse and stuck in a downward spiral of growing debts and declining cash.” Neither Erika nor Tom have made any quick statements in response to the claims.
Erika’s Testimony
The Los Angeles Times reports that Erika was subpoenaed to testify in the fraud case in May and September of 2020, before her filing for divorce in November of that year. Her hearing was postponed twice because she was out of town, most recently to January 2021, but she has yet to appear.
