Next season of RHOBH is going to have its work cut out for it after this season's vicious finale and reunion.
We can already guess Erika's storyline ... because her 21-year-old marriage is coming to an end.
On Tuesday, November 3, TMZ reported the shocking end to one of RHOBH's most enduring marriages.
This week, the singer and Real Housewife filed for divorce.
She submitted the documents in Los Angeles County court.
Erika is seeking the dissolution of her 21-year marriage to Tom.
Tom Girardi is a powerhouse attorney.
He is also famously more than three decades older than she is, a topic that has absolutely come up on the show.
As of Tuesday afternoon, as we all stare into the abyss of Election Day, TMZ reports that they are unclear on what spousal support -- if any -- she may be seeking.
Erika is an accomplished woman in her own right, and is worth millions.
That said, Tom's lengthy legal career has earned him an estimated net worth of $30 million.
This divorce news is a genuine stunner, eliciting surprise even while the future of the world hangs in the balance.
See, Erika and Tom married in 1999. I won't horrify you by how young I was at that time, but suffice it to say that they have been married for most of my life.
It is also likely that this incredibly affluent couple has a lot of shared property and assets that will now have to be painfully divided.
Erika released a statement on her divorce to E! News.
"After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi," she confirms.
"This is not a step taken lightly or easily," Erika confirms.
"I have great love and respect for Tom," Erika affirms, "and for our years and the lives we built together."
"It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved," she continues.
Erika concludes her statement: "I request others give us that privacy as well."
Some of Erika's recent statements on television may come back to haunt her -- if her trolls have anything to say about it.
"I've dealt with this forever: the younger woman that married the wealthier, older man," Erika said this past season.
"I mean, I'm tired of having to justify my 20-year marriage," she expressed. "Go get a 20-year marriage, then come f--king talk to me."
Some may look at this and say that Erika and Tom have somehow "failed," or that she should not have "taunted" a castmate about how long she was married.
The truth is that a 20-year marriage is a tremendous accomplishment for anyone.
This is extra true when wealth, fame, and busy careers are involved -- all three are factors that can place a tremendous strain upon any relationship.
Marriages end. They begin and they end -- that's how it works.
One day, we'll all be perfect immortal beings through transhumanism. Until then, marriages end in either divorce or in death.
Instead of trying to "gotcha" Erika about her past statements (statements that remain just as true, by the way), let's be glad that this one is ending in divorce.
Some more cynical fans have suggested that Erika is doing this for a fresh "storyline" that doesn't have to do with going on stage.
Folks, no one on this planet throws away a 21-year-marriage for reality TV -- not with Erika and Tom's kind of finances, anyway.
One thing is for sure though: fans will expect to see details of this play out on Bravo.
