Erika Jayne

Erika Jayne, born Erika Chahoy on July 10, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an American singer, television personality, author, and actress. Raised by her single mother, Renee Chahoy, she attended North Atlanta High School before moving to New York City at the age of 18. She began her career in entertainment with minor acting roles, including appearances on the television drama Law & Order and independent films such as Alchemy and Lowball in the mid-1990s.

Jayne launched her professional music career after music producer Peter Rafelson suggested her stage name. She released her debut single, Roller Coaster, in 2007, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Her debut album, Pretty Mess, was released in 2009. Over the next decade, she released several standalone singles, including the number-one dance tracks Painkillr and How Many Fucks. Throughout her music career, she performed at various venues and LGBT pride events, embarked on her headlining Pretty Mess Tour in 2018, and completed a Las Vegas concert residency titled Bet It All on Blonde in 2023. She was also announced as an opening act for Kesha's Freedom Tour in 2026.

In 2015, Jayne joined the main cast of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for its sixth season, gaining widespread public recognition. Beyond reality television, she appeared as real estate agent Farrah Dubose on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless between 2016 and 2018. She also competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2017, Lip Sync Battle in 2018, and The Masked Singer in 2025. Her hosting work includes red carpet coverage for the American Music Awards and co-hosting the pre-show for the Billboard Music Awards.

Jayne expanded her performance career to theater when she was cast as Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical Chicago. She made her debut in the role at the Ambassador Theater in January 2020, though the production was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. She later reprised her role as Roxie Hart at the same theater in early 2025.

In her personal life, she married Thomas Zizzo in 1991, with whom she had a son, before their divorce in 1996. She subsequently married attorney Thomas Girardi in January 2000. In November 2020, Jayne announced her separation and filed for divorce. Shortly after, the couple became involved in high-profile legal proceedings and lawsuits alleging financial misconduct related to Girardi's law firm. These legal troubles were detailed in the Hulu documentaries The Housewife and the Hustler in 2021 and its 2024 sequel. In August 2022, a judge in a $5 million civil fraud lawsuit ruled that plaintiffs could not prove Jayne had knowledge of or involvement in the alleged fraud.

Jayne's personal struggles and Las Vegas residency preparation were later featured in the 2024 Bravo documentary Erika Jayne: Bet It All on Blonde. She continues to participate in television productions, live music performances, and theatrical projects.