Erika Jayne Makes First Admission Of New Romance Amid Ex's Incarceration

Erika Jayne has finally opened up about her new relationship with a retired US Army special operations sergeant.

The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star got candid about her love life on a new episode of her podcast, "Diamonds In The Rough." Her comments about her relationship came weeks after his identity was revealed earlier this month.

Erika Jayne found love again after filing for divorce from her estranged husband, Thomas Girardi, in 2020. Her former beau was accused of embezzling the funds meant for the families of the victims of the fatal 2018 Lion Air plane crash. He was found guilty of the crime and received an 87-month prison term. 

Jayne shed light on her relationship with retired US Army special operations sergeant major John McPhee. Her boyfriend, nicknamed "Shrek," was the highlight of her latest podcast conversation with co-host and former "RHOBH" co-star Teddi Mellencamp.

The Bravolebrity revealed she met McPhee through "The Hills" star, Heidi Montag. Her boyfriend has enjoyed a years-long working relationship with the reality TV star and her husband Spencer Pratt, serving as their security personnel and godfather to their son Gunner.

McPhee was working as Montag's bodyguard during an event in London when Jayne recognized him from his podcast appearances. "I walked up and I introduced myself and I was like, 'Hey, my name is Erika, and I've seen a couple of podcasts. I'm a fan,'" she recalled, per The Daily Mail.

Jayne's romance with McPhee made waves earlier this month after the paparazzi unveiled his identity. He was spotted getting affectionate with his partner on a date, which she disliked because she hoped to keep their relationship private.

"I met someone and we went out on two dates, and then we went to get a manicure-pedicure," Jayne explained, noting they were both oblivious to the photographers watching them. "What was a nice, private moment and a nice, private thing I was having for myself was ruined."

Despite getting outed for holding hands during their date, Jayne relished the feeling, confessing, "It was really nice. Like, I feel comfortable holding this person's hand, and he's a nice man. I haven't been seen with anybody in five years. So this is a really nice person, and I enjoy my time with him."

Jayne's confession about her blossoming relationship comes over a week after her estranged husband, Girardi, began his seven-year prison sentence after he was convicted of fraud and embezzlement. The Blast shared the entertainer's feelings about the situation last month, noting her lawyer said:

"Erika spent many years with Tom; she is experiencing a wave of emotions. I'm sure she's emotionally destroyed, but there's a part of her that's shut off and compartmentalized."

"If someone you loved and trusted, and everyone else told you to trust, broke every bit of trust you had in them and didn't even tell you, covered it up, how would you feel?" the legal rep added. In addition to his 87-month prison term, Girardi was ordered to pay a $35,000 fine and $2,310,247 restitution.

Two years before raving about her new romance, Jayne revealed she had rejoined the dating pool during an appearance on Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp's podcast. Bravo covered the story, reporting that she spilled the tea when queried about the type of men she was attracted to.

Mellencamp had wondered if Jayne was "always attracted to an elder male," and the latter replied that wasn't necessarily the case. She added that she was "actually seeing someone younger now," noting the man was "in his late 30s" and resided in Los Angeles.

Jayne refused to share more information about the relationship when quizzed, noting she hoped to keep this romance private. However, she shared that she wasn't worrying whether or not it would be a long-term commitment, saying: "As long as it feels good and we're happy, I'm good."

Jayne's comments about a new relationship in 2023 occurred amid a lawsuit that accused her and her estranged husband of fraud. The Blast reported Christopher Psaila, co-owner of Hollywood costume firm Marco Marco, filed the allegations.

Psaila claimed the former couple used the Secret Service to pursue legal action against him in 2017 unfairly. He alleged Jayne and Girardi did so to obtain nearly $800,000 in a refund from American Express after authorising his store to charge the sum to her credit card.

The plaintiff noted Jayne had purchased the costumes he created and supplied for her performances in Las Vegas. However, she and Girardi falsely accused him of making unauthorized charges to her credit card. Their claims caused him to face a nine-count indictment for identity theft, wire fraud, and more.