Who Is Erika Jayne's Creative Director, Mikey Minden?
To say Erika Jayne lived a lavish life while she was married to now-disgraced lawyer Tom Girardi would be an understatement. The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star was free to explore careers in EDM-inspired club music and in television and film, with the bill — of course — being mostly footed by her millionaire husband. From Jayne's $40,000 glam squad on payroll to their palace-like mansion, it certainly took a fortune to upkeep Jayne's lifestyle. After all, she released the song "XXPEN$IVE" in 2017, which was purely about how "expensive it is to be [her]!"
But it all came crashing down when Girardi was exposed in 2021 for embezzling his clients' settlement money from multi-million dollar class-action lawsuits Girardi fought for them in court. People suspected that Jayne was aware of her husband's misconduct, but Jayne maintains that she knew nothing about the specifics of where Girardi's fortune came from. Regardless, the salary for Jayne's many employees came from Girardi's pocket, per Page Six.
One of the main people in Jayne's team is her creative director, Mikey Minden, who serves as a hybrid of a stylist, director, and creative head for the "How Many F***s?" singer. So, who is Minden, and what part does he play in Jayne's life?
Mikey Minden is a multi-hyphenate to the stars
When Erika Jayne decided to start her music career, no expense was spared. Her first-ever album, "Pretty Mess," was released back in 2009, and it was around this time that Jayne crossed paths with Mikey Minden. Before meeting Jayne, Minden had made a name for himself in the world of Hollywood as a choreographer, director, and actor. According to his website, Minden was the artistic director for the Pussycat Dolls and also has worked for stars like Paris Hilton, Pink, Usher, and many more.
Minden told Bravo that he met Jayne around 2009 or 2010. "I got a call from my agency saying that this new hot dance pop diva is interested in taking a meeting," Minden remembered. "We met at the Beverly Hills Hotel for lunch and we clicked right away." Minden explained that when it comes to Jayne, "[We're] thinking, 'How can we push it? How can we make it theatrical?'"
Over the years, Minden directed all eight of Jayne's music videos and handled all creative aspects of Jayne's career. "Everything I've done with Erika is always really true to who she is and what she's trying to express, which is fantasy, love, escape, glitz, glamour, fun — those are her words," Minden expressed to Bravo. While he worked under Jayne, he also branched out to direct projects for the girl group Girlicious and Nia Sioux from "Dance Moms."
Mikey Minden is in Erika Jayne's corner
After knowing each other for over a decade, Mikey Minden is still holding his spot in Erika Jayne's entourage. Although he hasn't directly commented on Tom Girardi's controversy, Minden remains close to Jayne. On Season 12 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Minden appeared in multiple episodes helping Jayne with her daily tasks.
In fact, in a previous episode, Minden is seen styling Jayne with repurposed looks amidst her legal drama. "I have all these things that I normally would resell and take that money and buy new things, but I can't do that right now because of the bankruptcy trustees," Jayne explained during the episode (via Us Weekly). Regardless of her money problems, Jayne sees Minden as an indispensable member of her behind-the-scenes team.
In a June interview with Bravo's "The Daily Dish," Jayne reminisced, "[Minden's], you know, forever a friend ... and I'm so appreciative of that because it's been hard on me and I've leaned on him." With much of the world against her because of her ex-husband's misconduct, a person that Jayne can lean on is invaluable, and Minden has always seen the vision for Jayne's image.