COUPLES'RHOBH' Star Erika Janye & Hubby Tom Girardi Split After 21 Years Together
Nov. 3 2020, Published 4:12 p.m. ET
Another one bites the dust. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne announced she is filing for divorce from her husband of 21 years, Tom Girardi.
"After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi," the 49-year-old to E! News on Tuesday, November 3. "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 deserve," she added. "I request others give us that privacy as well."
The couple — who got married in 1999 — first met at Chasen’s in West Hollywood, Calif., after the blonde beauty frequently served Girardi, 81, at the establishment. "After a year of working in the restaurant, one night I decided to slip Tom my telephone number," the reality star wrote in her 2018 book, Pretty Mess. "We are standing in front of the giant fireplace. ‘Did you hear I was single?’ I asked." The two later got engaged after just six months of dating.
Despite their age difference, Jayne defended their relationship on the Bravo series. “They’re always like, ‘What’s going on?’ Is it 20-year-old f**king all day long? No,” she said. The book author noted that she has “dealt” with these types of questions about Girardi "forever."
"The younger woman that marries the wealthier, older man,” she said in her confessional. "I’m tired of having to justify my 20-year marriage. Go get a 20-year marriage and then come f**king talk to me."
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The lawyer rarely appears on the reality series, which Jayne joined in 2015. However, Jayne told Andy Cohen in 2017 that she does not have prenup. "Let me tell you something, let me be very clear. I’m married to a very powerful lawyer,” she said. "A prenup wouldn’t stand in his way anyway … It’s gonna be all Tom’s way, I assure you. He’ll rip that piece of paper to shreds in two seconds!"
Even though Girardi might have gotten some flack for not wearing a wedding ring, Jayne seemed happy in her marriage. "Yeah I married a guy that's 33 years older than me and yeah he's got a lot of money, but you know what? He's a f**king good man. And that is the most important thing," she said on the series.
Girardi even loved Jayne's son, Tommy Zizzo, from her first marriage. "That's the one thing I loved most about Tom when my son was younger was that he welcomed him with open arms," she said. "I'm very thankful. That's my guy."
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We wish the former flames nothing but the best moving forward.
