Erika Jayne’s legal woes keep piling up as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is hit with a new lawsuit filed on July 6 that accuses her of knowing about her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s alleged illegal dealings through his law firm. In 2020, Tom was accused of misappropriating his clients’ settlement funds and using the money to fund his and Erika’s lavish lifestyle. Fans watched the ordeal play out in RHOBH season 11, with Erika first announcing to her castmates that she had filed for divorce from Tom. The housewives were understandably shocked as they had thought Erika’s marriage was fine but news soon broke out of the accusations against Tom.
Although Erika has maintained her innocence, she has been named alongside Tom in the lawsuit filed by Edelson PC. It was announced that Erika was dismissed from the $2 million fraud and embezzlement lawsuit but it was revealed that it had been dropped in Illinois, where it had originally been filed. However, Edelson announced they were going to re-file in California, so as not to deal with jurisdiction issues. During the investigation, Hulu streamed the documentary The Housewife and the Hustler, which detailed how Tom won millions of dollars in settlements for his clients but had withheld those funds from them.
As reported by Us Weekly, Erika is named in a new lawsuit by Edelson PC that claims she and Tom “portrayed themselves to the public as an extremely wealthy Beverly Hills power couple,” and Erika’s company EJ Global “was created for the purpose of funneling money from Girardi Keese to benefit Erika.” Edelson PC accused Erika of maintaining her public persona by excessively spending money on designer clothes, her $40,000 a month glam squad, and her $250,000 Lamborghini. The suit states that “Erika knew of the scheme, intended to participate in it and - critically - share in its profits both directly and through her wholly-owned company, EJ Global.”
After news of Tom’s alleged illegal dealings surfaced, many RHOBH fans questioned how Erika was funding her music career, which included using their private jet, along with her aforementioned glam team. The newest lawsuit states, “Despite her public claims that she and Tom were spending their own money, financial records show that more than $25 million of her own expenses were paid by Girardi Keese” and that Erika had “specific knowledge that for at least 12 years, all her expenses were paid by the Girardi Family Enterprise through Girardi Keese as she was generating them.” Erika is being sued for up to $55,000,000.
Since Erika has been embroiled in Tom’s legal mess, RHOBH fans have slammed the star for appearing callous towards his victims. His clients included widows and orphans from passengers of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash, along with a burn victim who was promised $11 million. Erika also didn’t do herself any favors when she got drunk in a recent RHOBH episode and slurred that she used to have a boat named “Illegal.” The Pretty Mess singer further incensed fans when she cursed at Garcelle Beavais’ 14-year-old son, Jax, in the latest episode. With Erika’s multiple lawsuits and impending divorce from Tom, it looks as if The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has a long battle ahead of her.
Source: Us Weekly