Getty Images Erika Jayne's rep debunks new romance rumors.
Erika Jayne has been making headlines after she was spotted out with an older man.
The Bravo world has been tuned in to reports that the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star is dating 72-year-old Jim Wilkes, a Tampa Bay area lawyer, after the two were seen walking together at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Photos of the “Xxpen$ive” singer and Wilkes quickly went viral after being shared on social media and then by Page Six. However, a rep for Erika Jayne told Heavy that the two are not dating.
Aside from the fact that Wilkes is a married man, he and Erika Jayne have been friends for many years. A rep explained that Wilkes is “just her lawyer.”
Erika was previously married to Tom Girardi. She filed for divorce in November 2020 after more than two decades of marriage. “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,” she said in a statement at the time.
Here’s what you need to know:
Jim Wilkes Shared a Photo With His Wife on Instagram Amid the Erika Jayne Dating Rumors
Jim Wilkes wants the world to know he is happily married. Despite the photos of him and Erika Jayne from over the weekend. #RHOBH
Although Wilkes has not publicly commented on his friendship with Erika Jayne, he did share a post with his wife, confirming that he is indeed a married man. On May 30, 2023, Wilkes uploaded a new photo.
“My wife and me. Having a nice moment,” he captioned the post. In it, he and his wife cozied up to one another while lying in bed.
Some “Real Housewives” fans rushed to the comments section to let Wilkes know that the internet is convinced that he’s Erika’s new beau, but he didn’t respond to any of the messages.
“I sure hope you are still married to this beautiful woman. Steer clear of that blood sucking EJ,” one person wrote.
“You’re married? You realize the internet thinks you’re Erika’s boyfriend,” someone else added.
“Was the date that awful with Erika??” a third Instagram user asked.
In 2017, Wilkes shared a photo of Erika and her now-ex-husband, Girardi.
“We miss our Tom and Erika Melania and I are ready to for a retro trip to the Med,” he captioned the snap.
Jim Wilkes Is the Founder of Wilkes & Associates, P.A.
New couple alert? Erika-Jayne, 51, linked to recently arrested lawyer Jim Wilkes, 72
Wilkes founded the law firm Wilkes & Associates, P.A. located in Tampa, Florida.
He graduated from the University of South Florida before earning his J.D. degree from the Stetson University College of Law. He is able to practice law in nearly a dozen states, including California, according to his company’s website. He specializes in “personal injury issues” and has helped victims of fraud and abuse throughout the course of his law career.
In April 2023, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Wilkes was arrested after police say he fired two shots in his home amid a dispute.
In court documents, Wilkes told police that he grabbed a handgun after a dispute with a woman that led to her getting physical. He claimed that he fired the gun “to scare” the woman, though he maintains that he did not aim the gun at her.
Meanwhile, the woman claims that Wilkes “held the gun to her head and torso and threatened to kill her.”
Wilkes was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which is a felony in the state of Florida.
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Exclusive: Erika Jayne Is Not Dating a 72-Year-Old Married Lawyer