RHOBH 's Erika Girardi on Dating While Famous: 'I Can't Get on an App – What if Dahmer Shows Up?'
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Erika Girardi is back on the dating scene, but it has not been as easy for her as one may expect!
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star — who filed for divorce from husband Tom Girardi two years ago — told E!'s Daily Pop co-host Justin Sylvester this week that being single in the spotlight has its downsides, explaining, "It's hard because I don't think people really know what to expect."
She went on reference the dangers of meeting strangers online, making a reference to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. "I can't get on an app," Erika, 50, said. "What if Dahmer shows up?"
The "XXPEN$IVE" singer also described herself as "socially awkward" when it comes to the opposite sex. "I say how I feel and I realize men don't like that," said Erika. "They say they want a woman that's forward but they really don't."
RELATED: RHOBH's Erika Girardi Opens Up About What She Misses from Her Marriage to Tom Girardi
When Sylvester jokingly replied, "No they're scared of you," Erika admitted he was right. "They are!" she said. "They actually told me, 'I'm afraid of you,' and I was like, 'Why? I'm modern. I thought I was doing what women are supposed to do, which is speak your mind and say what you like and know."
RELATED: RHOBH's Erika Girardi Mixed 'Medication with Alcohol' to 'Numb' Herself from Real-Life Drama
Erika and Tom were married for 21 years before her filing in November 2020. She was previously married to Thomas Zizzo, with whom she shares 26-year-old son Tommy Zizzo.
Shortly after submitting the paperwork for her divorce from Tom, Erika found herself entangled in his ongoing legal issues, including a lawsuit accusing both of them of embezzling money intended to go to Boeing plane crash victims' families. (Erika has repeatedly denied having any part in Tom's legal controversies.)
At the same time, Tom's health has been declining. Amid his battle with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the 82-year-old was placed under a temporary conservatorship in February 2021 that was made permanent that July. He is currently living in a "skilled nursing facility" where he is receiving 24-hour care.
RELATED: RHOBH: Erika Girardi Claims Ex Tom Won't 'Acknowledge' Ongoing Legal Drama During Their Calls
While their divorce has yet to be finalized. Erika said earlier this year that dissolving her marriage is not currently a priority.
Jerritt Clark/Getty; Steve Eichner/Sipa Erika and Tom Girardi
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As for how she is handling her new normal, she told E!'s Daily Pop that she's focused on remaining present.
"Last year I was waking up with this hopeless feeling," she recalled. "There's a lot of sadness still here, but there is happiness in the form of having some fun with some friends, having some sex, and just trying to stay in the moment and not in the past."
When asked what she enjoys now, she said it's all about a fresh start. "What I like the most is that I've have the chance to completely start over and be free from over a 20-year marriage and kind of wipe the slate clean in a way," she said.
"It's my life to rebuild," Erika added. "In that way it's a lot of opportunity but also it's scary at the same time...I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm just out here trying to make it happen."
