Erika Jayne Reacts to Tom Girardi’s Prison Sentence Amid Sold-Out London Shows

“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne found herself performing for sold-out crowds overseas while processing difficult news from home. Jayne shared her emotional experience of learning about her ex-husband, Tom Girardi’s, prison sentence while performing in London during a candid conversation on Friday’s episode of “Diamonds in the Rough” with Teddi Mellencamp. The 53-year-old performer was in the middle of her successful overseas shows when the news arrived on June 3.

The reality TV personality revealed the timing couldn’t have been more challenging, as she discovered Girardi’s fate just moments before taking the stage. “And then 10 minutes before the second show, I get the news that Tom is being sent to prison. … It just hurts,” she told Mellencamp on the podcast.

The Show Must Go On

Even though the news hit her hard, Jayne stayed focused on her audience while admitting it was tough to push through. “It reopens old healing wounds, and it is something that, you know, I had a sold-out crowd in a theater just for me, and I was so grateful. My happiest place in the whole world to be is on stage,” she explained to Mellencamp.

The performer expressed disappointment in herself for not being able to give the show her complete focus. “I was very disappointed because those people [in the audience] were there for me, and I felt like five percent of myself was feeling sorry for myself,” she shared on the podcast. “I was 95 percent there, and five percent of myself was feeling sorry for myself. This was the day that he got sentenced, my second show. My first show was flawless.”

While maintaining that her audience “loved” the performance, Jayne admitted she was “fighting back thoughts and emotions” throughout the show. She described her London performances as “better than any sex you could ever have,” expressing just how much she loves being on stage, even during difficult times.

Moving Forward As Legal Issues Linger

Girardi, 86, received a sentence of seven years and three months in federal prison after being found guilty on four counts of wire fraud in August 2024. The court also ordered him to pay over $2 million in restitution to victims. According to a press release cited by Us Weekly, prosecutors determined he embezzled more than $15 million from clients at his law firm.

United States Attorney Martin Estrada stated in the press release: “Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice.’ In reality, he was a Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from the needy to support a lavish, Hollywood lifestyle.”

Jayne filed for divorce in November 2020, before Girardi’s legal troubles became public the following month. While she hasn’t faced criminal charges, she continues dealing with civil lawsuits related to the case. Speaking on the “RHOBH After Show” in December 2024, she reflected: “It’ll be four years in two weeks that I left home and everything happened. In that four years, I’ve been able to accept a lot of things, heal through a lot of things, and I will continue to do that.”