Credit: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto, SURQ/BACKGRID
Erika Jayne and Thomas Girardi may have been married for over two decades before calling it quits on their relationship earlier this week but according to a new report, their marriage was anything but average.
Following the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member’s announcement regarding her plans for divorce, an insider claims that Erika, 49, and Thomas, 81, had an “unconventional marriage” and didn’t spend much time together as a couple.
“Erika and Tom had an unconventional marriage, spending a lot of time apart. Several months,” a source told Us Weekly on November 5. “They would travel separately. Tom gave Erika a very lavish lifestyle, and she enjoyed it.”
According to the report, Erika “gained independence and confidence” throughout her time on RHOBH and has a very stable life outside of her marriage.
“The exposure it has given for her singing career has given Erika a much larger fan base,” the insider explained.
Earlier this week, sources told InTouchWeekly that the pandemic played a role in the couple’s decision to split as they “realized it wasn’t working during the lockdown.”
Erika confirmed her split from Thomas on November 3 with a statement.
“After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi. This is not a step taken lightly or easily. 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 deserve. I request others give us that privacy as well,” her statement read.
While Erika and Thomas have faced cheating rumors in the days since their breakup was announced, the reality star and performer has always spoken highly of her marriage to Thomas, who is over three decades older than she is.
“It was always a bigger deal to everyone else than it was to either of us,” Erika wrote of their age gap in her 2018 book, Pretty Mess. “All a couple really needs is to have the same life philosophy. If you see things the same way, then age, race, religion — none of that comes into play. I have a thirst for knowledge and Tom has a wealth of it. He is a great mentor, a great teacher and somebody I really admire.”
Erika also spoke of her marriage to Thomas on an episode of RHOBH in April of this year.
“I’m tired of having to justify my 20-year marriage. Go get a 20-year marriage and then come f*cking talk to me,” she said.
Erika was previously married to Thomas Zizzo, the father of her 26-year-old son, Tommy Zizzo.