Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has gone through one of the most difficult times in her life following the investigation of her involvement in her husband Tom Girardi’s embezzlement case, and she opened up how she’s the "most afraid" she’s ever felt. Erika filed for divorce from Tom in November 2020 and, soon afterward, the prominent lawyer’s legal troubles became public. Erika soon became embroiled in the legal battle, with an investigation and lawsuits against her as well.
Erika faced a lot of backlash from the public regarding her role in Tom’s fraudulent dealings. Many people wondered if she knew about Tom taking money from victims to fund their lavish lifestyle. Erika has had to defend herself to the public as well as to her RHOBH castmates. Her relationship with fellow RHOBH star Sutton Stracke took a hit when she found out that Sutton wanted to maintain her distance from Erika. Sutton, along with some of the other housewives, also questioned if Erika was telling the truth about her retelling of Tom’s accident that happened years ago, which she claimed contributed to his dementia.
Although Erika has tried to remain strong on RHOBH and social media, she recently shared to E! News that this was the “darkest part” of her life and “the most desperate, most afraid” she’s ever been, and that the whole experience has challenged her to her core. She complained about the paparazzi constantly hounding her outside her house and blamed the fact that she’s a reality star for the case being so public. “I think it would be a bad legal story and I think it would have gone away. I do think that because I am on a reality TV show, it is magnified. I think that because of what I’ve done professionally, it is magnified.”
When asked if she had any advice for women going through a hard time, Erika, who launched a hair extension line post-scandal, said, “Do not stop. I don’t care how much pain. I don’t care how many tears.” She shared that there were days she would stare at the ceiling and not want to get up, but she advised people to put one foot in front of the other and take things day by day. There seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel when Erika was dismissed from Tom’s case in Illinois, but the lawyer has plans to refile in California.
The new season of RHOBH just finished filming, and there has already reportedly been drama surrounding the "Pretty Mess" star. While filming RHOBH season 12, Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton both unfollowed Erika on social media. However, Sutton re-followed Erika shortly after, claiming she wanted to be the bigger person. Erika’s legal issues will be sure to take center stage in RHOBH season 12, along with fellow star Dorit Kemsley’s home invasion when she was held at gunpoint. Currently, there is no release date for the new season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but it may be likely to premiere in spring 2022.
Source: E! News