“The Real Housewives of Orange County” star Heather Dubrow has offered some frank advice to celebrity DJ Calvin Harris—after the musician accused his financial adviser of stealing $22.5 million in a real estate scam.
Harris, 41, whose real name is Adam Wiles, levied a series of claims against Thomas St. John, who served as his financial adviser for 13 years before they seemingly ended their professional relationship in April 2025, in court documents filed in Los Angeles in September.
The accusations centered around a development project that Harris claims he was asked to invest in by St. John, who has vehemently denied “any wrongdoing.” The musician alleges it was nothing more than a “boondoggle” real estate scheme.
Speaking on the “Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin” podcast, Dubrow, 56, offered her opinion on the case, noting that it should serve as a warning to all celebrities and high net worth individuals to never blindly trust financial advisers with their money.
“Just the notion of being blind and allowing someone to sign your checks is so crazy to me,” she said.
Dubrow advised Harris against hiring someone else to manage his money after falling victim to a scam herself, alongside her husband, plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow, many years ago.
The couple was allegedly swindled out of $2 million after investing in a rental property scheme during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, a sum they say they never recovered.
The Dubrows claimed that the scam involved a longtime personal accountant of more than 20 years, who they later discovered was actually a tax preparer rather than a Certified Public Accountant. Speaking on “Money Rehab,” Heather Dubrow admitted this experience gave her lasting trust issues.
“We put our trust in someone we thought was an accountant who ended up being a tax broker. … In our defense, I guess he was vetted by someone famous. And this is the problem: famous and wealthy, so we thought, ‘Oh, he’s this guy, we don’t need to vet him,’ but you do,” she said.
Dubrow has since taken a hands-on approach to her family’s finances, which she controls herself.
“Right now, we’re very much into spending what we make. We are not reckless people. … We are very into ‘Buy, Borrow, Die,’” she explained, referencing the couple’s strategy of using assets wisely while minimizing risk.
She also shared anecdotes highlighting how careful she is with financial trust.
“I have a new assistant … and she said after a week, ‘I know you’re not ready to give me your financial information, but when you’re ready…’ And I thought, ‘What!? You’re never getting my financial information,’” Dubrow recalled.
“I mean, it’s just so crazy. It’s like giving your sister [money and saying]: ‘Hold my allowance for me.’ Yeah right! Please.”
Reflecting on Harris’ situation, Dubrow said, “I’m sure Calvin Harris was probably given that person by someone he trusts. … But when it comes to your money, you’re in charge of yourself.”
Harris has also alleged wrongdoing by someone seemingly close to him. In his lawsuit against his former financial adviser, Harris claims St. John breached his trust by persuading him to invest millions of dollars in a real estate project pitched as a creative space for artists in Los Angeles.
According to court filings, the project began in 2021, but by 2023, St. John allegedly told Harris it had run out of funds. After Harris had invested $22.5 million, he says he was misled and that St. John “did not reveal his true intentions.”
Of the investment, $10 million was intended as a loan, which was not repaid by its due date of Jan. 31, 2025, according to Harris’ lawyers. The court filings describe the investment as “a complete boondoggle.”
“To this day, Claimants [Harris] do not know where Claimants’ investment has gone or what it has been used for,” the filing states. “The project has been, at best, a complete boondoggle, and, at worst, a complete fraud.
“Mr. Wiles has not received a single penny in return for that investment, and, indeed, respondents have not even started developing or building the project. In fact, shortly after Mr. Wiles purportedly made this $12.5 million investment, TSJ … distributed over $11 million to himself.”
Sasha Frid, attorney for St. John, has denied any wrongdoing by St. John, stating that Harris’ claims are due to him being “unhappy with the pace of the project” and insisting the project is still underway. Frid also projected that the completed project could have a $900 million valuation.
For Dubrow, the lesson is clear: Regardless of wealth or status, you can’t always trust others with your personal finances. Her advice to Harris serves as a reminder that even the most seasoned celebrities can fall prey to scams, and that understanding where every dollar goes is the key to protecting one’s assets.