Erika Jayne breaks her silence on new boyfriend... as ex-husband Tom Girardi begins prison sentence

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Erika Jayne is finally spilling the beans about her new boyfriend after his identity was revealed earlier this month.
The 54-year-old Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star was previously revealed to be dating the retired US Army special operations sergeant major John McPhee, who is nicknamed 'Shrek.'
And on Wednesday's episode of her Diamonds In The Rough podcast, Jayne uttered her first words about her new romance to her co-host and former RHOBH costar Teddi Mellencamp.
She sounded excited to delve into her burgeoning relationship, but the happy news came a little over a week after Jayne's ex-husband Tom Girardi reported to prison to begin his seven-year prison sentence after he was convicted of fraud and embezzlement.
The 86-year-old lawyer began his sentence amid a devastating battle with dementia.
On her podcast, Jayne revealed that McPhee has his own reality TV connection, as he's employed as a private security guard for The Hills star Heidi Montag.
On her podcast, Jayne revealed that McPhee has his own reality TV connection, as he's employed as a private security guard for The Hills star Heidi Montag
She recalled out she met her new boyfriend thanks to an encounter with Montag at an event in London.
'It was random because [Heidi] went on, and then I went on after her,' Jayne recalled, via Just Jared. 'I thought, "That's that guy from the podcast. I'm gonna walk up and say hello." So I did.
'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 said.
Even though McPhee — who is also nicknamed 'the Sheriff of Baghdad' — tends to work behind the scenes, he has a sizable social media following.
He also has a strong relationship with Montag and her husband Spencer Pratt after having worked for them for years, and he serves as the godfather to their son Gunner, seven.
Later in the podcast, Jayne discussed having her photo snapped with McPhee by paparazzi recently.
'I met someone and we went out on two dates, and then we went to get a manicure-pedicure,' she recounted.
She claimed they 'obviously' had no idea that they were spotted by photographers, and complained that 'What was a nice, private moment and a nice, private thing I was having for myself was ruined.'
'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 said. She also complained about being spotted by paparazzi while out with her boyfriend
During the outing, she and McPhee were pictured holding hands affectionately.
Despite the difficult circumstances under which they spent time together, Jayne said she and McPhee had since been getting closer.
'It was really nice. Like, I feel comfortable holding this person's hand, and he's a nice man,' she admitted. 'I haven't been seen with anybody in five years. So this is a really nice person, and I enjoy my time with him.'
Her ex-husband likely hasn't been having as good a time after recently reporting for the start of his prison sentence.
The Daily Mail confirmed earlier this month that the disbarred trial attorney, who was once one of the most powerful figures in California 's legal world, became inmate 43156-510 after surrendering to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
The attorney — whose Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star ex filed for divorce in 2020 after 21 years of marriage — was indicted in February 2023 for embezzling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese.
He pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud but was convicted earlier this year.
His legal team had tried to keep him out of prison, arguing that Girardi, who was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's and dementia, should serve his sentence at a long-term care facility instead — but the request was denied.
Now, it remains unclear how the prison system will handle Girardi's cognitive decline during his seven-year sentence.
Determining the right facility for an inmate with mental or physical health issues can take weeks or even months, and officials declined to say where Girardi might ultimately be placed, per LA Times.
Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for.
'For Tom Girardi, there can be no meaningful punishment,' Deputy Federal Public Defender Samuel Cross said at his sentencing hearing in June.
But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton wasn't swayed, citing expert evaluations that concluded Girardi still had the cognitive ability to function independently in day-to-day life.
'He currently retains his independence as to his activities of daily living,' she said, ruling that prison was the appropriate consequence.
Girardi's mental health has been the subject of fierce debate since 2020, when his law empire collapsed amid accusations of financial misconduct.
A Long Beach psychiatrist diagnosed him with Alzheimer's, prompting his brother to place him under a conservatorship — but prosecutors suspected Girardi was faking the extent of his decline.
Even federal neuropsychologist Dr. Tracy O'Connor Pennuto, who evaluated Girardi during a six-week stint at Butner prison hospital, determined that while he wasn't malingering, he did suffer from 'moderately advanced dementia' with signs of Alzheimer's.
She testified that his long-term memory remained mostly intact, but his short-term recall was impaired.
'He will not improve,' Pennuto warned. 'He will continue to decline over time.'
Girardi was accused of stealing settlement funds from numerous clients, including families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash, and using the money to bankroll his and Jayne's opulent lifestyle.
While his crimes have left deep scars, Jayne has been largely cleared of any involvement and was dismissed from related lawsuits.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54, has since moved on romantically and is now dating retired U.S. Army Special Ops agent John 'Shrek' McPhee — though her divorce from Girardi has yet to be finalized.