When you set out to achieve something with all your heart, you tend to make your own luck on the path to success. It's no co-incidence that fortune tends to favor the brave.
Erika Jayne who was born into a poor family with a difficult childhood turned her life around thanks to her courageous effort and exposing herself outside her comfort zone.
Erika married twice in her life. Meeting her second husband for the very first time proved to be the turning point in her life.
Erika Jayne's Married Life
Erika Jayne is married to her husband Thomas Girardi. The couple tied the knot in 1999. Remarkably, Thomas is over 30 years older than Erika!
Even though the couple is together for a long time, they do not share any children yet. However, Jayne has a son named Tommy Zizzo from her previous relationship.
Jayne's first husband was a guy named Thomas Zizzo. Not much is known about the man, and it used to be the same for their 'mysterious' son Tommy until Jayne chose to talk about him.
Tommy works in law enforcement. Speaking to the Daily Dish, the singer said:
"I'm very proud of my son being in law enforcement, but obviously it can get a little nerve-racking."
She continued:
"It's a dangerous profession. I've known my son was going to be in law enforcement from the time he could walk and talk. That's all he's ever wanted and that's kind of your role as a parent is to honor who your children really are."
Before marrying Thomas, Erika raised her son as a single mom. Speaking on her experience, Jayne said:
"Single moms have it tough. It's hard. It's exhaustive, but at the same time it's very rewarding."
Erika added, now that her son is older and he's doing so well - she feels all of it really makes the struggle worth it.
Meanwhile, Jayne seems very much in love with her spouse Thomas whom she married in January 1999. The ceremony was held in downtown Los Angeles.
Although the couple has concealed most of the details about their wedding, they openly talk about each other to the media.
Apparently, Erika impressed Thomas during their first meeting and the bond grew stronger as the days passed.
Speaking on Jenny McCarthy's Dirty, Sexy, Funny SiriusXM show, the singer revealed they did not have any prenuptial agreement. On the same show, she spoke of her husband. Jayne said:
"He's got the best smile and the biggest blue eyes! He's cuddly. You want to hug him. You want to hold onto him.'
The couple currently resides in Thomas' 1920-era mansion in Pasadena. In fact, they have lived there since their marriage. Speaking to the Daily Dish, Erika revealed the recipe to their lost lasting marriage. She said:
"You have to be friends. You have to be friends and you have to have a common ground."
Erika continued:
"You have to like the same things. You have to see the world the same way. You have to have the same interests. And when you are genuinely rooting for the other guy — you know Tom is very supportive of me and I am very supportive of him — and I think that's what makes it work."
Erika definitely knows what it takes to keep a relationship healthy. The couple appears completely in love as they are often spotted going on romantic dinners, as well as vacations to exotic locations.
Meanwhile, Thomas is a successful lawyer who gained the limelight in 1999 becoming the first attorney in the state of California to win a $1 million-plus award for a “medical malpractice” case. Moreover, he is a founding partner of the Los Angeles law firm Girardi & Keese.
Erica Jayne Moved To Los Angeles To Make A Name For Herself
Erika Jayne's life wasn't always peachy. When she was a teenager, she worked as a go-go dancer in an effort to help her mother pay the rent.
When she was 20 years old, Jayne gave birth to her first and only child with her first husband who she later divorced. The pair was together for a while before they split and when their son was young, Erika left him in New York City with his dad.
As per People Magazine, Erika went to Los Angeles in an effort to pursue a glamorous career. She said:
"It was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken… I was panicked, but I was committed to succeeding. And I knew he’d end up here with me eventually."
Jayne early on worked as a cocktail waitress, simultaneously auditioning for jobs. This is actually how she ended up bumping into her current husband Tom Girardi.
Although her life was pretty much set after meeting Tom, she was still not content with it. Jayne was determined to make a name for herself and make her own money. This is precisely what she did.
Speaking to People, Erika said:
"I’ve worked very hard for everything I’ve ever had. But it’s my journey. And I don’t regret anything."
The ambitious Erika who wanted fame and money on her own managed to achieve exactly that as her music career took off. A life in the lap of luxury soon followed.
Erika Jayne: Quick Facts
- Born on 10th July 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Her birth sign is Cancer.
- She was born to a single mother named Renee Chahoy.
- Her mother, who was only 18 when she gave birth to her was an actress and a classically trained pianist.
- Her parents split before her first birthday.
- She was adopted by her mother's new partner.
- Her mother and step-father married and divorced twice.
- Her stepfather had legally adopted her before cutting her off his life after his second divorce with her mother.
- She met her biological father for the first time when she was 25.
- She graduated from North Atlanta High School.
- She enrolled in a magnet program for the performing arts in high school.
- She made her breakthrough in 2007 with the club hit "Rollercoaster".
- Her other successful singles include Give You Everything and PAINKILLR.
- She was introduced as a cast member on the E! reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2015.
- Her debut album Pretty Mess contained six singles which topped the U.S. Billboard Dance Charts.
- Her net worth is estimated to be $5 million.