Erika Girardi Says She's Done Dating Older Men After Divorcing Ex-Husband Tom: 'I Want to Have Fun'

Erika Girardi is ready to change things up when it comes to her love life.

After filing for divorce from her 82-year-old ex-husband Tom Girardi, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star tells PEOPLE, "I'm not doing the older thing anymore."

"I'm 50, so maybe somebody in my age range, but I'm not doing [it] anymore," Erika says during a recent celebration for her Pretty Mess Luxury Hair Extension collection at Tatel in Beverly Hills.

"I love intelligent men and I like people that are confident," she adds. "And I want to have fun. I would really like to have a nice conversation. I'm technically still married, so I'm in a very weird place."

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Tom and Erika met in the late '90s at Chasen's restaurant in Los Angeles, where he was a regular and she worked as a cocktail waitress. After only six months of dating, Tom proposed and the pair tied the knot in 1999 at the same restaurant where they met.

After 21 years of marriage, Erika filed for divorce in November 2020. A month later, the pair were sued for allegedly using the split to embezzle money and have since faced a slew of other legal controversies.

Erika's attorney has since denied her involvement in the embezzlement suit, while Tom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia, and placed under a temporary conservatorship.

Fans of RHOBH saw Erika deal with those issues head-on during season 11, which sparked many fights between the women. From being questioned about her knowledge of Tom's business transactions to the grilling over the status of her marriage, the drama seemed to never stop.

So it's no surprise that Erika wants to keep her personal life under wraps as she heads into the next season.

"I'm choosing to keep my personal life a little private right now," she explains, before slyly adding, "It's not exactly tumbleweeds, but there are some hot moments. I don't kiss and tell, so I'm not telling."

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With season 12 having recently wrapped and viewers anxiously awaiting a premiere date, Erika had no problem giving a cryptic tease of what drama is to come on RHOBH.

"Well, everything's not hunky-dory," she says. "Look, I've had a hard time. My life was turned upside down last year, and this is where I'm at and picking up the pieces."

"And I've struggled and I've stumbled, and I can admit that, and I can go on with my life. Actually watching me rebuild my life," she continues. "And some days I wish you weren't watching rebuild my life, but it's true. It's what happens."

"I'm human," she adds. "I'm here to tell my story, and it's not always perfect."