Erika Jayne’s Boyfriend Shrek Makes RHOBH Debut and Drops the L-Word
RHOBH season 15 turns up the heat as Erika Jayne goes public with new beau John Shrek McPhee, and paparazzi pics do the talking — leaving Dorit Kemsley bristling that the friends heard it from the headlines, not Erika.
Erika Jayne is finally talking about the guy everyone has been Googling since those hand-holding photos hit. On RHOBH season 15, she cracked the door open on her new relationship with John 'Shrek' McPhee — and yes, that nickname is real — while keeping just enough mystery to keep the group chat alive.
The quick version
- June 2025: Erika meets John after her London show and shoots her shot backstage.
- December 2025: She tells Us Weekly none of her RHOBH castmates have met him and she likes it that way.
- January 8 (season 15 episode): The cast reacts to paparazzi pics of Erika, 54, and John; she confirms it is very early days.
- April 2026 ( season 15 finale ): John pops up on FaceTime; Erika calls him her 'official man friend.'
So, who is John 'Shrek' McPhee?
He is former U.S. Army Delta Force — as in the special mission unit. Not the usual Beverly Hills resume, which is kind of the point here.
How they met (and why she made the first move)
Erika says she spotted John backstage after her London show in June 2025. He had recently been on a friend’s podcast, she clocked him, kept walking, then doubled back and introduced herself. She admits she does not usually walk up to someone like that, and even laughed at herself for calling herself a fan. Translation: she surprised herself, and it worked.
Why the cast learned about him from the tabloids
On the January 8 episode, Dorit Kemsley wanted to know why the group had to piece this together from photos. Erika’s answer was simple: there was not enough there to talk about yet and the timing was not right. In her confessional, she underlined it — very early stages, not sure where it is going, if anywhere.
What drew her in? She says John is not what you expect at first glance — he is more generous and affectionate than the exterior suggests. She also likes that he knows what it feels like to be misunderstood, which, fair to say, is a language Erika speaks fluently.
The day the photos were taken
Erika says they spent the day walking around together, holding hands, no effort to hide. She grabbed a manicure; he got a pedicure. Not exactly a soft launch, but also not a big production.
Who was actually in the loop
Contrary to what Dorit assumed, Kyle Richards already knew. Everyone else found out when we did.
Keeping it separate from the show (for now)
Back in December 2025, Erika told Us Weekly she had kept him away from the wider RHOBH orbit because she liked him and knew how messy bringing a new relationship into this group can be. She wanted to keep it special and off to the side as long as possible.
Where it stood during filming
When the women asked if she would see him again, Erika said not for a while — their schedules were packed. She had just said goodbye before getting on a plane and, yes, felt a little bummed. But she also kept it grounded: a few nice dates, nobody needs to start wedding boards.
His first on-camera moment
In the season 15 finale (April 2026), Erika FaceTimed John, answered with a casual 'Hi love,' and got the same back. She introduced him to Kyle Richards and Amanda Frances and, for the record, called him her 'official man friend.' For Erika, that is a big step, and Kyle agreed.
'I feel very safe when I am with John, in the sense that there is no pretending or trying. Everything softens and I am allowed to soften as well.'
The Tom Girardi of it all
Erika adds that this dynamic feels peaceful compared to her marriage to her estranged husband, Tom Girardi. Make of that what you will, but it tells you why she is protective of this one.