Erika Jayne is 55 years old and was born on July 10, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia. The American singer, television personality, author and actress has been a main cast member of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since 2015, and as a dance-pop recording artist she has scored nine number-one singles on the Billboard Dance Club chart. She has also played Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago, competed on Dancing with the Stars, and headlined her own Las Vegas residency, Bet It All on Blonde, in 2023.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Erika Girardi (née Chahoy), also known as Erika Jayne |
| Age | 55 years old |
| Date of Birth | July 10, 1971 |
| Birthplace | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Occupation | Singer, television personality, actress |
| Known For | The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills |
| Years Active | 1990-present |
| Children | 1 |
Who Is Erika Jayne?
Erika Girardi (née Chahoy; born July 10, 1971), also known as Erika Jayne, is an American singer, television personality, author, and actress. Since 2015, she has appeared as a main cast member on the Bravo reality show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Before joining the Real Housewives franchise, Jayne built a career as a dance-pop singer, releasing her debut single “Roller Coaster” in 2007 and her debut album, Pretty Mess, in 2009. The New York Times estimated that she earned more than $600,000 for the show’s 11th season in 2021, making her one of the highest-paid stars on the series.
Early Life & Background
Erika Girardi was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 10, 1971, to single mother Renee Chahoy. Her father left when Erika was 9 months old. She graduated from North Atlanta High School. At 18, she moved to New York City.
In New York, Girardi worked as an actress, landing her first two uncredited on-screen appearances on the first season of NBC’s legal drama series Law & Order: as the first murder victim, Suzanne Morton, in the pilot episode “Prescription for Death,” and as Tim Pruiting’s girlfriend in “The Violence of Summer.” She also had roles in the independent films Alchemy (1995) and Lowball (1996).
Career
According to her autobiography, Pretty Mess, music producer Peter Rafelson came up with the idea of adapting the stage name “Erika Jayne.” Jayne’s first single, “Roller Coaster,” was released on January 1, 2007, and placed at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Her debut album, Pretty Mess, was released in the United States in August 2009. Across her recording career she has scored nine number-one singles on the Billboard Dance Club chart, including “Stars,” “Give You Everything,” “Pretty Mess,” “One Hot Pleasure,” “Party People (Ignite the World),” “Painkillr,” “Crazy” (featuring Maino) and “How Many Fucks.”
In 2015, Girardi joined the cast of Bravo’s reality television show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for the show’s sixth season, and she has remained a main cast member ever since, appearing in 199 episodes. In December 2016, Girardi guest starred on The Young and the Restless with her former Real Housewives cast member Eileen Davidson, returning as real estate agent Farrah Dubose for one episode in 2017 and two in 2018.
In 2017, Girardi competed on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars. She and partner Gleb Savchenko were eliminated in week five. The same year, she was a red carpet host for the American Music Awards in 2017 and 2018, and she co-hosted the pre-show for the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. In 2018, Girardi competed on Lip Sync Battle, where she lost to Taye Diggs, and she embarked on her first headlining concert tour, Erika Jayne Presents: The Pretty Mess Tour, visiting 13 cities across the United States.
In 2019, Girardi was cast as Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago. She debuted on January 6, 2020, at the Ambassador Theater and was due to stay with the show until March 29. Due to COVID-19, production was shut down and her last performance was March 11. Jayne reprised the role of Hart at the Ambassador Theater on January 20, 2025, for a planned three-week run that was then extended.
In April 2023, Girardi announced Bet It All on Blonde, a Las Vegas concert residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay that ran select weekends from August 2023. In March 2024, Bravo aired a two-part documentary, Erika Jayne: Bet It All on Blonde, focusing on her 2023 residency. In 2025, Jayne competed in season thirteen of The Masked Singer as “Yorkie,” and in 2026 she was announced as one of the opening acts for Kesha’s Freedom Tour, her second appearance on a Kesha tour after a brief cameo during the Tits Out Tour.
While living in New York, Girardi met Thomas Zizzo, who was working as a DJ at a club in Manhattan. The couple married in December 1991 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and soon thereafter she gave birth to her son, Thomas Zizzo Jr., who is a police officer in Los Angeles. After the couple divorced in 1996, Girardi moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. In January 2000, Erika married Los Angeles personal-injury attorney Thomas Girardi, who was 32 years older than her and was already twice divorced. They met in 1998 when she was working at Chasen’s, a Los Angeles restaurant where he was a regular. He was known for helping win the trial that made Erin Brockovich into a household name. In November 2020, Erika announced her separation from Girardi and filed for divorce. One month after the divorce announcement, the couple were named in a lawsuit for allegedly embezzling settlement funds owed to the families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash. In December 2020, a Los Angeles Times article alleged that Tom Girardi “stole millions of dollars from vulnerable clients.” On August 31, 2022, a judge ruled in a $5 million civil fraud lawsuit that the plaintiffs could not proceed against Jayne. In August 2024, a federal court jury found Tom Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud, and in June 2025 he was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
Facts About Erika Jayne
- Her debut single, “Roller Coaster,” reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 2007.
- She has scored nine number-one singles on the Billboard Dance Club chart.
- She played Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago, debuting in January 2020 and reprising the role in 2025.
- She competed on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars in 2017 with partner Gleb Savchenko, and was eliminated in week five.
- She headlined her Bet It All on Blonde Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Erika Jayne?
Erika Jayne is 55 years old. She was born on July 10, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia.
What is Erika Jayne’s real name?
Erika Jayne’s real name is Erika Girardi, née Chahoy. Erika Jayne is the stage name she adopted for her music career.
How many number-one dance songs does Erika Jayne have?
Erika Jayne has scored nine number-one singles on the Billboard Dance Club chart, including Roller Coaster, Stars, Pretty Mess and Painkillr.
Is Erika Jayne still married to Tom Girardi?
No. Erika Jayne announced her separation from Thomas Girardi in November 2020 and filed for divorce. In August 2024, a federal jury found Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud, and he was sentenced to 87 months in prison in June 2025.
What is Erika Jayne doing now?
In 2025, Erika Jayne competed on season 13 of The Masked Singer as Yorkie, and in 2026 she was announced as an opening act for Kesha’s Freedom Tour.
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