'American Idol' Judge Randy Jackson Was Married to 2nd Wife for 2 Decades — Meet Erika Riker

Musician Randy Jackson, also known as one of the judges of “American Idol,” spent over two decades married to his second wife, former ballet dancer Erika Riker.

Jackson and Riker reportedly met each other on the set of a music video back in 1995. At the time, she was 25 years old, and he was 39. However, they didn’t pay attention to their age gap.

In December 1995, after dating for only a few months, the couple tied the knot. When Riker married Jackson, she supposedly ended her ballet career and became a homemaker.

JACKSON AND RIKER’S RELATIONSHIP

Riker and Jackson share two children, daughter Zoe, born in 1996, and son Jordan, born in 1998. Jackson also has a daughter, Taylor, from his previous marriage.

Back in 2006, Riker and the former “American Idol” judge created the Randy and Erika Family Foundation, and three years later, they partnered with two other organizations to build dance studios.

Jackson’s girlfriend, who is also a musician, is over three decades younger than him.

Their foundation's main goal was benefitting youth programs in the Los Angeles area, which is why the couple initially thought about building playgrounds for children.

Although the foundation doesn't seem to be operational now, at the time, it was committed to helping fight childhood obesity, a cause near and dear to Jackson’s heart as he lost over 100 pounds in the 2000s.

The musician learned that he had type 2 diabetes in 1999, so he changed his diet and lifestyle (began exercising) and even underwent gastric-bypass surgery in 2003.

Unfortunately, Jackson and Riker’s marriage started falling apart. In September 2014, she filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and requesting Jordan's full physical custody, 17 years old at the time.

JACKSON AND RIKER’S MARRIAGE

Since the ex-couple didn’t sign a prenup agreement, she also requested spousal support and asked to legally restore her maiden name. The long process ended in 2019.

While the divorce details were not revealed, Jackson once said he was willing to pay for spousal support but not her legal fees, so that’s one of the possibilities.

In January 2019, weeks after the divorce was settled, Jackson made his first public appearance with his girlfriend, Simone. The couple went to the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles for the Cool HeART Gallery.

Jackson’s girlfriend, who is also a musician, is over three decades younger than him. Judging by her Instagram bio, he is managing her career. They make a really good couple!