‘Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’ Newbie Erika Girardi Explains What It Takes To Be Erika Jayne

In only her first season on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika Girardi is already making her presence known. While Erika is a housewife by day, fans may know her better by her night time moniker, Erika Jayne, a dance-pop star with more than one hit song to her name. Just what does it take for Erika to be both a reality star and performer?

In a recent interview with Forbes, Erika discussed her decision to create her alter ego. In the end, it all came down to being able to perform music while juggling her other duties in life.

“I was at a point in my life where I wanted to be creative on my own terms, and still get out there and perform, which is my first love… So, I created Erika Jayne, and we have enjoyed every moment together.”

As far as her part in the world of reality television is concerned, Erika is now reaping the benefits of her new fan base. So far, Erika has amassed some 200,000 new followers on Instagram and 30,000 new additions on Twitter.

“Obviously Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reaches a lot of people throughout the world that just so happen to be in my demographic, so it’s been great,” she shared. “RHOBH has given me the opportunity to introduce Erika Jayne to a larger audience from all over the world.”

In addition to the fame brought on with being a part of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika is no stranger to the spotlight. According to Heavy, Erika’s husband, Thomas Girardi, is a famous attorney whose work served as inspiration for the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts.

Apart from his celebrity ties, Girardi’s estimated worth is around $11 million. While this is more money than most people will make in their entire lives, it also explains how there is a thirty-year gap in age between Erika and her husband. This is something not lost on her fellow co-stars, who have already dug into this issue on the show.

Speaking of her time on the reality series, E! Online is reporting that Erika has already faced a lot of challenges being the newbie on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. However, Erika was quick to gain the support of fans, mostly due to her up front attitude and her alter ego.

“By day, I’m Erika Girardi, married to Thomas Girardi, uber-famous lawyer. But by night, I’m something else.”

Along with her second persona, fans have also seen a glimpse of Erika’s ability to stand her ground with the other ladies on the show. This includes her “I don’t give a crap” response to the topic of the age difference between her and her husband.

Furthermore, Erika also came face to face with Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel and still managed to hold her own. While Frankel dished out her usual barrage of advice, Erika took her comments in stride and even taught Frankel a few dance moves.

In the end, it is still up in the air whether or not Erika will stick around for another season of the show. After all, this isn’t the first time the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has tried to introduce young faces to the mix. In the past, this has garnered mixed results. However, considering Erika’s flair for drama, her ultra-rich husband, and her dancing alter ego, it’s safe to say that Erika has more than what it takes to be a true Housewife.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills continues Tuesday nights on Bravo.

[Image via Bravo]