‘Real Housewives’ star Erika Jayne moves on with US Army vet ‘Sheriff of Baghdad’ while divorcing Tom Girardi
“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne was spotted with a new man amid her ongoing divorce from Tom Girardi.
Jayne and US Army veteran John “Shrek” McPhee were photographed holding hands on July 7 as the two ran errands in Los Angeles.
The retired U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major, also known as “The Sheriff of Baghdad,” has over 20 years of distinguished service, according to his website.
He now works as a bodyguard and owns his S.O.B. brand. McPhee works to train others virtually and in-person on a range of skills, the site states.
McPhee revealed his previous marriages failed due to his military service during a May appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
“So I always say this, being married was like being in prison. You could call home [but] you ain’t going there anytime soon. That’s just how it works. That’s how marriage works in the army,” he said. “And that’s tough on everybody. Only guys that had perfect relationships, their marriages survived the war. And I would say the bulk of guys end up divorced.”
Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in 2020. “After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi. This is not a step taken lightly or easily,” she said at the time in a statement to People magazine. “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.”
The estranged couple’s divorce was at risk of being thrown out as of a June 26 hearing after four years of delays, US Weekly reported. Girardi’s lawyer failed to appear in court. Jayne’s lawyer recently revealed the divorce likely won’t happen.
“I don’t think that the divorce will go anywhere,” Jim Wilkes told The Sun. “He’s not competent to defend it.” Girardi was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2021 and was placed under a conservatorship.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Girardi was indicted on federal fraud charges in February 2023. The charges stemmed from the attorney’s choice to steal money from victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash.
Following a 13-day trial, Girardi was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud by a jury. He was sentenced to over seven years behind bars in June 2025.
Girardi’s embezzlement was first brought to light in 2020 after he and his law firm, Girardi & Keese, were sued in civil court by the victims’ families.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Girardi, who was disbarred from the State Bar of California in July 2022, was known for his work representing plaintiffs against major corporations, specifically in the Pacific Gas & Electric case that inspired the 2000 film “Erin Brokovich.”
When Girardi won the $333 million settlement for the residents of the town of Hinkley, California, in the monumental 1996 PG&E case, it was, at the time, the largest ever paid direct-action lawsuit.
“Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice,’” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a release following Girardi’s guilty verdict. “In reality, he was a Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from the needy to support a lavish, Hollywood lifestyle. Today’s verdict shows that the game is up – we can all now see this defendant for what he was and the victims he callously betrayed.”
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
