Meet RHOBH Erika Jayne's boyfriend John 'Shrek' McPhee

Erika Jayne is officially out of her “just focusing on me” era and, brace yourself, the man she’s been linked to comes with a nickname that sounds like it belongs in an action movie.

After a long time of keeping her romantic life firmly off-camera, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has finally confirmed she’s seeing someone

And yes, it’s the same guy fans have been side-eyeing since those paparazzi pics hit. So who is he, what’s with the very intense alias, and how did Erika even meet him? Let’s get into it…

Meet Erika Girardi’s new boyfriend

Erika Jayne opens up about her new relationship and why she wants to keep it private. “I like him and I know how bad these [shows] are for your relationship. I’ve gone through too much. I would like to keep that relationship special.” Source: Us Weekly #RHOBH pic.twitter.com/QZmaufPhCt

— Bye Wig Hello Drama (@HousewivesHub) January 4, 2026

Erika Jayne confirmed she’s dating John “Shrek” McPhee after the pair were photographed holding hands in Los Angeles in July 2025.

On her Diamonds in the Rough podcast with Teddi Mellencamp, she explained they’d gone on “two dates” before a low-key mani-pedi outing turned into a very public headline moment, and she didn’t love that part.

Still, she made it clear she feels comfortable with him and described him as “a nice man,” adding that she hadn’t been seen with anyone in five years, per People.

So, who is John McPhee? Beyond the nicknames, he’s a retired US Army Special Operations Sergeant Major and has also worked as private security for Heidi Montag.

Erika said she recognised him from podcast appearances, then spotted him backstage in London when Heidi performed, leading Erika to do what she does best: walk right up, introduce herself, and make the first move.

Here’s the key meet-cute detail Bravo also shared.

RHOBH‘s Erika later said their first face-to-face run-in happened when she was performing at London’s Mighty Hoopla music festival, and she approached him after recognising him.

And per her Us Weekly interview, John was there with his friend Spencer Pratt… which is… honestly, the most delightfully random connective tissue imaginable.

John is the godfather to Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s son, Gunner. So yes, this romance is already one degree away from ‘Speidi’.

Why is he called The Sheriff of Baghdad?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John ‘Shrek’ McPhee (@sobtactical)

Okay, let’s address the nickname, because it’s doing a lot.

“The Sheriff of Baghdad” is a moniker John McPhee is widely known by, and he’s fully embraced it as part of his public persona and brand.

His company is literally SOB Tactical, as in “Sheriff of Baghdad, ” and his official bio describes him as a retired Special Operations Sergeant Major with over 20 years of service, plus a post-military career teaching and training through his brand.

As for how he got the nickname, a military-focused outlet notes that McPhee has said Army nicknames are earned (not chosen) and that he’s discussed how he got both “Shrek” and “The Sheriff of Baghdad” in a video interview via SOFREP.

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