‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’: Erika Jayne Sued for $25 Million in Girardi Kleese Bankruptcy Case
Fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills know that main cast member Erika Jayne has been embroiled in legal trouble lately. Jayne’s husband is accused of using his law firm to embezzle millions of dollars. Now, Jayne herself is being sued in connection to her husband’s bankruptcy.
Erika Jayne’s husband Tom Girardi is in deep legal trouble
If you watch RHOBH, you probably know that lawyer Tom Girardi is in big trouble. He was sued in 2020 for embezzling settlement funds intended for the families of Lion Air Flight 610 victims. The widows and orphans never received their payouts from Girardi & Kleese law firm.
The case is ongoing, with Girardo claiming dementia as a part of his defense.
Erika Jayne told ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ her side of the story
Fans of RHOBH have been following Erika Jayne’s and Tom Girardi’s legal drama closely this season. Jayne has been using the show as an opportunity to share her version of events. She highlights her ignorance of her husband’s illegal activities and, therefore, her innocence.
Although she filed for divorce around the same time as the embezzlement accusations, Jayne maintains that her husband’s infidelity motivated the divorce rather than an attempt to hide assets.
Jayne has noticeably downsized her lifestyle on the show. For example, in a recent episode, she remarked that she now drives a Range Rover instead of a Lamborghini.
Jayne’s critics say she still shows off a lavish amount of wealth and seems out of touch with reality. Worse, they say that Jayne hasn’t shown true remorse for what her husband has done to the victims in his case.
Most viewers wonder how much Jayne knew about her husband’s illegal activities and whether or not she was involved. It seems that now those answers will come to light in court.
The lawsuit accuses the ‘RHOBH’ star of knowingly accepting money from Tom Girardi’s law firm
According to Page Six, the trustee handling the Girardi Keese bankruptcy case sued Erika Jayne for $25 million. The lawsuit alleges that Jayne knew her husband’s law firm was paying for her expenses for at least 12 years. The court documents show that the trustee in the bankruptcy case wants Jayne to pay the firm back.
Ronald Richards, the trustee’s attorney, said that the lawsuit was filed “to provide a come to Jesus moment.” Richards claimed, “The evidence is undeniable. The law firm paid out over $25,000,000 in expenses which were approved and generated by one person, Erika Girardi.”
“We are hopeful that Ms. Girardi comes down the mountain from a place of privilege and obscene wealth and returns some of these expenses so the former clients and creditors of this law firm can mitigate the horrific and unfair losses perpetrated by her husband and others,” he added.
Tom Girardi’s law firm now owes a total of over $101 million in debt.
Richards added that Jayne is not responsible for the firm’s full amount of debt. But her paying back the money she allegedly spent would “go a long way in backing up her public claim that the victims should come first.”
A statement from Erika Jayne’s lawyer proves that she is resisting the charges
Jayne’s lawyer responded to the suit, telling Page Six, “Unfortunately, the amended complaint is another example of the trustee and her counsel jumping to conclusions without a full investigation, and bullying and blaming Erika for actions taken by Girardi Keese for which Erika does not have legal liability.”
The RHOBH star’s lawyer also said that the trustee is “overreaching” and will “say and do anything to hurt Erika, despite the law.”
The lawyer concluded, “Erika will defend the case, and we will seek sanctions and all appropriate remedies for the claims brought in bad faith and without any legal merit.”
