Multiple sites are reporting that Erika Jayne has filed the paperwork to divorce her husband of 21 years Tom Girardi. I did not see this coming. And by the way this is not the west coast couple that I referred to in the previous blind. It’s not even the right show. I am shocked by this news. I didn’t think Erika would ever divorce Tom. She’s held on for 21 years! It doesn’t make a lot of sense. They really don’t even live together anymore. Erika turns 50 in July. Is it some sort of a midlife crisis thing? California is a 50/50 state so… maybe she thinks she can take the money and run? There is no prenup.
Erika told E!, “After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi.This is not a step taken lightly or easily. I have great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we built together. It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved. I request others give us that privacy as well.”
I have reached out to my sources. If I hear anything I’ll update this post.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“I have decided to end my marriage”
Making it clear it was her decision.
Sad to hear when a marriage ends.
I really hope this is for her RHOBH storyline, they’ve been together for many moons! I like them together. 😢🥺☹️
i too am thinking it’s her way to securing the bag with that storyline.
My thing is Tom lawsuits, to get her name off the hook from it. We all know they’ve lived seperate lives for years, but it’s getting to sticky to share assets anymore.
I don’t think Erica would do that nor do I believe Tom would agree to it for a second.
She might be protecting HER assets since the Girardi firm has potential judgments against it. Since California is a community property state, she is protecting all her earnings from the date she legally separates and they are no longer community property.
My first thought as well…
I doubt she’ll be moving out of their home. Erica is a calculating woman… Remember what happened to Dorit when there was that judgment against PK? They froze her assets, too…
She moved out a long time ago. She films in the house, but she lives in a condo in LA.
I agree. Trying to save her assets.
How many assets could she have possibly accrued? Those cutting edge track suits ( looks like my Nana going to play bingo ; sorry Nana ) the glam squad the costly surgeries ( alledgedly) & her housewives salary couldn’t possibly be enough to make a big deal over. Any further thoughts friends ? Erika Jane is not Adele & us gays don’t have that much disposable income to invest in the E.J experience. I think Yolanda Hadid must have more money than this tired TRICK.
Sweetie, are you okay? You seem unusually hostile today.
Take some deep breaths, have some wine. And try to find something to pleasantly distract you. It doesn’t seem like this post is having a helpful effect. Take care of yourself, twin. We can get through this.
I am in MA as well. Wasn’t aware of those precautions in Boston. God help us all.
Oh, come on. Biden will win in a landslide. The problem is that there will probably be protests and riots for awhile, no matter who wins, because 2020.
That part lol. Bitter for no damn reason. Also, I hope you’re having a good mental health week Tamara. We all need it. 🙌🏾
If they think there is a threat of their property being seized by creditors because there is a personal guarantee, they may choose to put that property into Erika’s name through a divorce. If only Erika owns the property, it can’t be used to satisfy the debt. Tom can always declare personal bankruptcy. Erika has said they own so many properties that she hasn’t even been to some of them?
Though…now I’m reading unsubstantiated gossip about Erika living in a condo in LA and not really living with Tom at all. Maybe he wants more than that.
Erika’s apartment has been on the show several times. She does stay there at times and that is where the glam squad usually is. Erika’s son, Tommy also lives in the the big house with her husband and her and it is his her primary residence.
It doesn’t ring true that they lived separately. These comments (random internet people comments) we’re saying she actually lives there most of the time and pretends it’s just for glam. I have no reason to think that’s true. Even if she and Tom seriously despise each other, the Pasadena house is big and empty enough that they’d never have to see each other unless they want to. I prefer the speculation that she’ll be awarded the house (or they’ll liquidate it) to keep it from being awarded to a creditor.
It does seem like Erika is annoyed with living there. She said Tom was never around. She complained about the travel time to meet up with the cast. That point is one of the reasons the BH cast is least authentic, in my option. For a while, most of them lived remotely near each other.
Regardless, they’re one of the only Bravo breakups couples that I’ve been disappointed to hear about. They actually seemed like best friends and each other’s biggest fans.
Bucky, you may be on to something with this.
She can’t have that much. Other than her salary on housewives, she wasn’t raking in the dough as Erika Jayne. I’m sure she spent more on her look than she made on her music.
I find another wife dipping out with NO APPARENT reason, sad, for Tom. Maybe he has worked so hard for them to enjoy the future?
And if anything else but love lost, very, very, sad.
She may have promised her presence until 50 (which is now 30 in looks)
Could have been a business deal, I hope not. She may have agreed to Mrs. Girardi until 50, then, Erika Jayne developed. She does not seem to give up her dreams without a deal to get them. He possibly promised her ANYTHING to marry him for 20 years.
She has gained A LOT from the show, probably the form of entertainment she wanted. Not lunching gossip.
She is controlling her world if you can, why not!!
My ten possible thoughts, lol.
The lawsuits in regards to Tom’s business can’t reach Erika’s property. Separate or otherwise. Tom’s firm gets sued. I don’t think her divorcing him has anything to do with assets.
I believe in at least one of the loans the house was used as collateral. I could be misremembering that.
It is totally common for an owner of a business to personally guarantee debt with their own assets (meaning, the owner is responsible for the debt of the business can’t pay).
I don’t know anything about CA law, but in most states, the spouse is considered the co-owner of assets AND debts.
That’s the crux of the National security risk with hewhoshallnotbementionedtoday.
Yes, to me it feels like the best business she can do for herself in this situation.
This makes me sad. I felt like they were unconventional but it worked.
I feel the same way, Amsie.
Samsies.
Yep!
This makes me sad too. However I feel like he really talked down to her sometimes and could be disrespectful to her. It hurt me to watch it. I always thought if he’s like that in front of the cameras what is he like when they are alone. She seemed to love him very much though, I’m sure this decision was not easy.
Karma. Its not surprising to me. I bet he already has a new one & she seems too cold to have a lover but who knows ? He is so old & I highly doubt it was her decision to divorce. Seems unlikely she would divorce without a pre nuptial unless he is broke af then it makes sense.
This makes me sad too. However I feel like he really talked down to her sometimes and could be disrespectful to her. It hurt me to watch it. I always thought if he’s like that in front of the cameras what is he like when they are alone. She seemed to love him very much though, I’m sure this decision was not easy.
I saw that too. He told her to be quiet when first encountering LVP & she seemed rather uneasy at the last gathering when Sutton was introduced into the group. An arrangement is fine there is nothing wrong with that but it just seems so unlikely that she would divorce him after 20 plus years if she truly loved him or even to honor / protect the relationship they have. It makes no sense to me. If I was unnessasarily harsh in previous comments I apologize. I am on pins & needles regarding the election results and the coronavirus numbers etc but that’s no excuse to be brutal regarding Erika’s divorce. To each his own. Sorry peeps. Hope everyone is well
xo Marc
Amy, Marc, agreed. I remember thinking her first season that he was kind of controlling of her, and she always seems to me to be slightly uneasy in his presence. Maybe I’m reading too much into what she seems like in his presence but he was kind of a dick to her that first season. Obviously I have no idea why they’re breaking up but the cynical side of me wants to think she’s turning 50 and realizes she can get a divorce take the money and live another 20 or 30 years in control of her own life while being relatively wealthy.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but it was my understanding that Erika Jane the persona was being financed by Tom, she wasn’t really making any money with it, that it was sort of a vanity project. Again don’t know if that’s true, but I sort of can see it.
If she was smart and she strikes me as reasonably so, she would have been pocketing her Real Housewives money, and living off whatever allowance she gets monthly from the household. If she did that she should have a healthy little nest egg from that.
She’s not one my more favorite housewives really. Hope the best for her though.
I thought your earlier comment was pretty accurate actually.
Thanks dude. I liked her at first & admired her tenacity in speaking up for her friend Yolanda even though it nust have been extremely difficult with Yolanda’s extremely odd behavior. I also liked the female empowerment vibe she was clearly showing as Erika Jane. I also like the fact that she would not succumb to the age shaming being thrown her way. I especially admired calling out LVP as a sniper from the side. Astute. Yet these past few seasons of her being a ringleader in the Denise Richards exit really turned my stomach & turned me against her. Denise was aging yet beautiful not slathered in make up & fancy clothes & gave off a confident yet still humble nice girl vibe. They used her candor & sense of humor ( quite bawdy but still not crossing the line ) into ammunition against her. The most real real housewife I’ve ever seen. Not everyone’s cup of tea I understand but quite boyant resilient & fun loving. If anyone should have had her back it should have been Erika !
I agree. The way they treated Denise is disgraceful, and really I would rather not see Erika, or Lisa Rinna on the show again after that nastiness.
Denise was good for the show, but not as a punching bag, as her genuinely good natured beautiful self.
I really enjoyed her on the show, and hated every time they came after her.
This really shocked me. I thought they had a marriage, an arrangement, that worked for them. Maybe it stopped working. She’s always seemed/stated that she has a great deal of respect for him, and he has seemed genuinely proud of her career.
I have a feeling it is a financial situation that is best for both of them at the moment. I believe they have an arrangement when it comes to other companions. They do seem to have a very strong friendship though.
Oh. I wasn’t expecting this today.
But then again, this isn’t too surprising. You’ve been cluing us in for some time on the real nature of their relationship. It also makes sense as to why Tom only sporadically appeared with Erika on RHOBH.
I was initially shocked, but then not so much. Maybe she realised she’s still young enough to have an active life with a partner, go out, have fun, travel. If she left it longer and he got sick, she would be stuck! I’m amazed he didn’t do a prenup.
I ended my marriage at 37, it hit me one day we only get one go at this and I was beyond miserable and being a miserable parent. It wasn’t easy, but we parent better apart.
yep me too Married 30 years. Miserable for 15 but stayed for kids. I was tired of doing the right thing. People thought I was a single parent for so many years. I worked and did everything so its not like I sat home and relaxed. I got tired of it. Wish I had a prenup. But it was the best thing I did for myself. I think Erika is doing it for the lawsuit. She seems so straight forward and seemed like she loved him so much.
Ugh! I hate this. I don’t know why I care but I do. I thought they were so good together and I’m really hoping it’s a strategic legal move and not about their relationship. It makes me sad. I thought that this season really showed the level of caring they had for one another. I even got teary eyed when she spoke about Tom and her son’s relationship with Garcelle and also when they celebrated the contract for “Chicago”. It was a beautiful moment when she thanked him. DAMN! I hate 2020!!!!
They seemed to respect each other, or at the very least accept what the other was. Transactional relationship comes to mind. Whatever the reason for the divorce, it’s probably as logical and well thought out as their twenty plus year marriage. Thanks TT. Wonder if this will have any future impact on Erika’s personal glam squad, and her being a RHOBH.
I loved these two so its a shame.I do think its a legal move to protect assets.He is a lawyer and no fool.She has a good head on her shoulders and knows the grass is not greener in Beverley Hills just more expensive.
My cynical brain says it is an effort to protect assets and/or for Erika to save face if Tom has a professional bankruptcy.
The more pressing question is what will happen to the GLAM squad??!!
Probably go work for Dorit & get paid with P.K’s v neck t shirts. Who wore it best P.K or the Moose Nene Leakes? Broke af people do not belong on reality television. I’d rather look out the window at the birds than watch these grifters try to convince us they are wealthy.
Nene’s V-necks remind me of that ad for fabric softener where the guy looks … comfortable… and his V-neck looks like U-neck … Nene’s looks like a rippled-ass U-neck. There was a new photo of her wearing it the other day.
Now it is a tattletale Gray U-neck!
YES!!! Nanette, you are so right. That’s exactly what her T’s look like.
Sad for Erika…
I’m reading in a Facebook group that she’s been having an affair for a long time with someone we know.
Brandi Granville?
Brandi made me laugh
Remember the night she disappeared from Teddys house to stay in a motel because of her “period”, I called b.s. then, she was getting something on the side.
Do you think she put that statement out today on purpose?
“It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved,” she added. “I request others give us that privacy as well.”
Personally I don’t care but how do you deserve privacy when you sign up to be reality entertainment for the world?
Basic human decency? Is that still a thing?
Not that she showed any to Denise. SHE kept interrupting and saying Denise was the interrupter.
I liked her up until last season, but this still makes me sad.
Agree 100% with you Nanette, I enjoyed her the first couple seasons but she really left a bad taste in my mouth last season.
They didn’t seem that affectionate to me. He used to call her kid or something. Not dear or anything sweet.
I was wondering if he told her the maintenance money had to be cut off or reduced, and she decided to get her half of their money right then.
I feel really bad for her and Tom. Is it horrible that I’m already thinking about how this is going to play out on the show?? I keep hearing about how she is on the fringe, and this will give her a lot more leverage to be a full time housewife. Anyway reguardless of my stupid petty train of thought, I wish them both well.
My bad on thinking she was the answer to the blind item.
There seemed to be a weird dynamic between Erica and Tom. In scenes at their home, she became timid, nervous and uncertain around Tom. It seemed she was a little afraid to make a mistake in front of him?
It made me wonder if she invented the Erica Jayne thing as a way to regain some power?
I second that weird dynamic. It could have to do with being filmed, tho.
Never good to hear news like this but I’m not surprised.
I recall reading a blind item here about them living separate lives. How she lives in her clubhouse and is jealous of his extramarital companions.
Erika has been unhappy for a while. Maybe the divorce will be good for her.
Tom will be fine. I’m sure his assets are protected.
The original glam squad may be memory. She looks better without them anyway!
I never heard of a love story between them. I always felt that they had an arrangement, not a real marriage.
I am sad about this because I think they had a lot of love and respect for each other and I don’t see that changing. I do think they probably had an agreement to live separate love lives. I kind of hope she finds someone who fulfills her on all levels though. He might have done this at one point but I don’t think it continued…
The no pre-nup part is confusing, especially for a lawyer. It just doesn’t make sense to me that a lawyer marrying a cocktail waitress would do that, even if it was true love or whatever. I’m surprised the paperwork confirmed that! I didn’t even think it was true when she said that to Andy years ago.
My friend’s sister divorced her lawyer husband and was taken to the cleaners. Expect that (i.e. Betty Broderick).
This makes me sad. I am very surprised given his age, I just wish them both well. And yes, human decency is still a thing, even if you are a housewife.
Girl is smart. She made sure him giving her the Chagall was on camera. That establishes that it was a gift to her.
I get the sense that it’s kind of a David Foster thing, where he has so much money he doesn’t even care. That’s consistent with the no pre-nup thing too.
Agreed, it’s to save the $.
On another note, they are rerunning the first season now. Taylor speaking at a womens shelter fundraiser, Camille in CA while Kelsey in “working” in NY, Kim before all her messy, Lisa and her houseguest. 10 years ago. Wow..
I could be wrong, but I swear she said on a reunion episode one season that she absolutely signed a prenup. That Tom isn’t dumb.
You could not possibly be any WRONGER.
I remember something about that she said on WWHL that she didn’t sign a prenup, and Tom was a great attorney that he would make it go the way he wanted. Just like another Betty Broderick imo. Hope you are doing well this week TT, it’s been a huge struggle for all of us, especiallythis week. Hope you are doing well
I don’t better than expected Shan, thanks. It just goes to show how odd anxiety can be. It can be bad for no reason at all, and then very manageable in stressful times. It’s weird. 🙂 I’m just trying to enjoy this fairly okay day!
I’d feel bad for her, but she inserted herself right in the middle of Denise’s marriage. The night the episode aired where Aaron said he was going to crush Denise’s hand, Erika tweeted “What did he just say 😳” And Teddi also weighed in. That episode aired before the reunion and didn’t give any of them pause, or make them step away from something that was none of their business in the first place. That was it for me and RHOBH. You can’t have a fake life on camera and ask for privacy in your personal life when on a reality show and can’t afford that luxury to others.
Erika was always so deferential to Tom, and he was in charge with her. Such a huge contrast knowing she puts on a blistering defense when she senses any criticism or judgement from the girls. She is a hurt person.
The drive between LA and Pasadena would entice me to stay in an LA condo..
Something more fun would be for us to pick an eligible LA boyfriend pool for her right now….
As long as she’s patting the puss I don’t think she’ll have much problems finding men folk.
Well, it’s a shame regardless but hard to feel all that badly for her. By all accounts I’ve read, her Ice Queen act ain’t an act at all. Only heard that she’s mean and snobby to anyone she deems beneath her. Erika ain’t dumb though…I bet she got a nice exit package.
Probably no more PJ though…Oh how tragic for her…
This is a trick to evade bankruptcy!