After divorcing Tom, Erika says she's done dating older men.
Key takeaways:
- When it comes to her love life, Erika Girardi is keen to spice things up.
- Tom and Erika met at Chasen's restaurant in Los Angeles, where she worked as a cocktail waitress, and he was a regular in the late 1990s.
- Fans of RHOBH saw Erika tackle those worries head-on during season 11, which resulted in multiple fights among the women.
Erika Girardi is eager to shake things up when it comes to her romantic life.
"I'm not doing the older thing anymore," The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills actress tells PEOPLE after filing for divorce from her 82-year-old ex-husband Tom Girardi.
Erika adds during a recent party for her Pretty Mess Luxury Hair Extension line at Tatel in Beverly Hills, "I'm 50, so maybe somebody in my age bracket, but I'm not doing [it] anymore."
"I admire clever men and individuals who are self-assured," she says. "I also want to have a good time. I'd want to have a pleasant talk with you. I'm still formally married, so I'm in an odd situation."
Tom and Erika met in the late 1990s at Chasen's restaurant in Los Angeles, where she worked as a cocktail server, and he was a regular. Tom proposed after only six months of dating, and the couple married in 1999 at the same restaurant where they had met.
Erika filed for divorce in November 2020, after 21 years of marriage. A month later, they were sued for allegedly embezzling money from the split, and they've since been involved in a plethora of additional legal issues.
Erika's lawyer has now disputed Erika's participation in the embezzlement case, while Tom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and kept under a temporary conservatorship.
During season 11, fans of RHOBH watched Erika confront those concerns head-on, resulting in several arguments amongst the women. The drama appeared to never end, from being questioned about her knowledge of Tom's business dealings to being grilled about her marital status.
As a result, it's no wonder that Erika wishes to keep her personal life private as the season progresses.
"Right now, I'm preferring to keep my life secret," she admits, before slyly adding, "It's not precisely tumbleweeds, but there are some heated times." I don't kiss and tell; therefore, I'm not going to tell you anything."
Erika had no trouble delivering a cryptic peek of what drama will come on RHOBH, despite season 12 having recently ended and viewers eagerly anticipating a debut date.
"Well, things aren't quite as they seem," she admits. "Look, I've been through a lot. Last year, my life was flipped upside down, and this is where I am now, cleaning up the pieces."
"And I've battled and stumbled, and I'm okay with admitting that and moving on with my life. Observing my efforts to reconstruct my life, "She goes on. "And I wish you weren't witnessing me rebuild my life on certain days, but it's real. It's the way things go."
She adds, "I'm human." "I'm here to share my narrative, which isn't always pretty."