When it comes to her love life, Erika Jayne is taking things slow. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member addressed the topic on Day 1 of BravoCon 2025, just months after confirming there was a new man in her life.
As you might recall, Erika was spotted back in July holding hands with John McPhee, a retired U.S. Army special operations sergeant major who was nicknamed “Shrek,” according to E! News.
Erika Jayne says she and John McPhee aren’t rushing their relationship
She was asked about the relationship during the November 14 Livin’ In Beverly Hills panel moderated by Anthony Allen Ramos.
“Erika, while I’m with you, can we talk about Shrek? We see him on FaceTime,” Anthony said, referring to John’s cameo in the RHOBH Season 15 trailer.
“What did you call him?” Erika said with a smile. “You can call him John… So, I started dating someone in June, and we had a FaceTime call. And Kyle [Richards] was actually the first person that I shared this with.”
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Erika kept details to a minimum, but stressed that she and John were not rushing anything.
“It’s slow,” she continued. “And I think that’s the right thing to do. Just slow.”
Erika Jayne gushes over her new romance: “It’s a nice thing”
The “Pretty Mess” singer touched her new beau in the July 30 episode of her Diamonds in the Rough podcast, after several outlets published photos of her and John walking hand-in-hand in Los Angeles.
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“It was really nice,” she recalled. “Like, I feel comfortable holding this person’s hand, and he’s a nice man. You know, I haven’t been seen with anyone in five years. So this is a really nice person and I enjoy my time with him… He doesn’t live here, so… Listen, listen, it’s a friend. It’s a nice thing. Let’s not, yeah.”
Erika shared the update amid her divorce from Tom Girardi. The two split in late 2020, after more than two decades of marriage. Since then, the Housewife has been fairly open about her single life chapter and her desire to find love again.
“I have done a lot of work on myself and pulling myself together, rebuilding my life,” she told The Daily Dish back in January. “[It’s] time to be open and to have fun.”
How did Erika Jayne meet John McPhee?
Erika said she first learned about John after he made an appearance on her friend’s podcast. And, needless to say, she liked what she heard.
“I thought, ‘Wow. That’s an interesting interview,’” she recalled on Diamonds in the Rough. “And then I saw him again on another one. And I thought, ‘God, that guy’s kind of interesting.’”
Erika, thankfully, didn’t have to wait too long before she and John finally came face to face.
“I saw him backstage with Heidi [Montag] in London just randomly,” she continued. “It was randomly cause she went on, and then I went on after her. And I thought, ‘That’s the 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 think I’ve seen a couple of podcasts. I’m a fan.'”
Get more details about Erika’s romantic life and whether she’s open to getting remarried.
