After paparazzi photos surfaced in July 2025 of Erika Jayne holding hands with a mystery man, she was forced to admit to her friends during The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 15 that she was indeed in a new relationship with John McPhee, a retired U.S. Army special operations sergeant major.
“He seems hot,” Jennifer Tilly commented to Sutton Stracke after the photos were released during Episode 4, while the ‘Wives were on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. “I mean he really seems like all guy. They call him ‘Shrek’ —that’s his nickname.”
But despite the enthusiasm of the ‘Wives, Erika revealed that she was upset by the release of the photos so early in her relationship with John.
“He took me to dinner, and we saw each other again,” Erika shared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show, and explained that’s when she was caught on camera with John. “Well then, I could no longer keep it [private].”
“So, it was nice to have two dates that were just my own,” she joked before getting more serious. “I’m kinda disappointed though, because I would have liked a little bit more time to get to know him, before something like that happened, because it changes everything. And then it’s no longer yours.”
Erika also admitted to the relationship on her podcast, Diamonds in the Rough, in July, and confirmed she was still dating him during BravoCon 2025 in November.
Rachel Zoe asked Erika during the After Show if her new beau cared about going public, and Erika answered no, but warned of her Real Housewives stardom, “I don’t think he knows what this is.”
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Is Erika Jayne still dating John McPhee?
Erika revealed if she’s still dating John now on the RHOBH After Show: “Yes, I still see him, and he’s great. And I’m having a great time.”
She also exclusively revealed to the The Daily Dish that they spent the holidays together.
Erika Jayne reveals how she met John McPhee
Erika opened up about her budding new relationship during the Jan. 8 episode of RHOBH, including details of how they first ran into each other. “I met this man in London, about a month ago. Backstage at the [outdoor music festival] Mighty Hoopla,” she said. She added that she’d recently watched as he was a guest on a friend’s podcast, and decided to “introduce herself.”
“I just like walked up to him. And I don’t ever do this. And I said, you know, ‘I saw you on a podcast, and it was a great episode.’ You know, ‘I’m a fan,’” she told producers during her confessional interview.
New details about Erika Jayne and John McPhee’s relationship
Erika said on the Jan. 8 episode of RHOBH that she and John are “in the very early stages of getting to know each other.”
“I don’t know where this is going — if it’s going anywhere — but I think what I like the most about John is he’s not what you think he is, at first,” she continued. “He’s actually quite giving and loving. So, I think that that’s what I’ve enjoyed the most. And I know what it’s like to be misunderstood and mischaracterized. So, I think we connect on that level.”
Elsewhere, when pressed by Dorit Kemsley on why she “didn’t say anything” about John (including during a speed dating event at Bozoma Saint John’s home in Episode 3), Erika explained, “In all fairness, there wasn’t enough there to talk about…the time wasn’t right to say anything.”
Kyle Richards, however, admitted that she “already knew” about Erika and John at that point. “She told me about him before the picture came out, and before anyone knew. She was definitely smitten,” Kyle said during the After Show.
Since those infamous photos, Erika and John’s relationship has progressed to the point that they even took a vacation together to Panama.
“It was probably one of the best trips I’ve ever had,” she shared during the Oct. 12 episode of her podcast. “He and I had a really nice trip. Like dates and dinners and holding hands and walking around the old city of Panama. And it was so lovely. I was able to be and just sort of clear my mind, and I was really happy there.”
Kyle Richards and Dorit Kemsley weigh in on Erika Jayne and John’s relationship
Kyle shared her positive interpretation of the paparazzi photo of Erika and John during the Jan. 8 episode. “When I saw that picture, I thought, ‘She’s so comfortable.’ And I felt like you felt safe with him,” Kyle told the ‘Wives during dinner in Sedona.
Erika agreed, responding, “Yeah, there was no guard up,” and admitted she “hasn’t felt that way in a longggg time.”
Dorit added that her longtime friend radiated happiness in the snapshot — and pointed out it spoke to a new version of Erika not seen often. “What stood out most in those pictures was the fact that Erika had not a stitch of make-up. She was dressed totally down, and the guy was wearing Crocs,” she said in her confessional interview. During the After Show, she emphasized, “She looked happier than I have ever seen her look. Ever.”
RELATED: Erika Jayne Reveals Why Her Boyfriend, John McPhee, Hasn’t Met Her RHOBH Castmates
Kyle also commented on the fact that John wore socks with Crocs in the photo, joking on the After Show, “If someone is turning a blind eye to a pair of socks — that’s love.”
She added, “I mean, the fact that she would be like, no makeup, and her jeans — just kind of casual like that —she felt comfortable in her own skin. And that to me, told me something about him.” She later speculated, “It felt like, ‘Is this the one?’”
Don’t miss Erika revealing if her son Tommy has met John during an exclusive interview with The Daily Dish.
