Erika Jayne Demands Gag Order In Ongoing Legal Battle!
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Erika Jayne, wants to keep her battle for her assets under wraps, amid her estranged husband’s bankruptcy case. Thomas Girardi is embroiled in an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy after being forced into accountability by multiple creditors. The reality star is demanding that the court issue a gag order to block information leaks, as she fights to hold on to her valuables.
A trustee was appointed by the court to take over Thomas’ finances and to determine what assets could be sold to pay off his massive debt. It was later determined that Thomas has $74 million in assets and $56 million in liabilities, according to court docs. The ex-couple’s Pasadena mansion is currently on the market for $13 million and Thomas will be forced to vacate the property when the house is sold.
Erika announced that she had filed for divorce from Thomas in November and moved out of their marital home, as legal issues mounted for the once famed attorney.
As previously reported—shortly after the news of the breakup broke, class action firm Edelson PC accused the couple of embezzling settlement funds for families of the victims of Lion Air Flight 610, a crash that killed 189 people, in 2018. The law firm accused the couple of staging the split because they “are on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds.”
“While Erika publicly filed for divorce this month, on information and belief, that ‘divorce’ is simply a sham attempt to fraudulently protect Tom’s and Erika’s money from those that seek to collect on debts owed by Tom and his law firm GK,” the lawsuit alleged.
The trustee believes that Erika is in possession of “assets of the Debtor’s bankruptcy estate and/or has transferred estate assets to third parties prior to the commencement of this bankruptcy case.” The trustee said that the reality star claims that she “does not have any community property in possession (except for certain household items) and that what she does have were alleged gifts from” her soon-to-be ex-husband.
Erika continues to claim that everything in her possession was received as a gift from her husband. She called foul after the trustee hired Ronald Richards, an attorney who regularly posts about the unfolding case on Twitter. She believes that Richards’ constant social media commentary points to a conflict of interest.
Erika’s lawyer wrote—”If Mr. Richards is able to overcome his direct conflict of interest in representing the bankruptcy estate, Erika hereby requests that this Court restrict Mr. Richards from making any further extrajudicial comments about these proceedings. This is necessary to ensure the fairness of the judicial process and to ensure that Mr. Richards complies with his ethical obligations under the California Rules of Professional Conduct.”
The trustee fired back at Erika’s gag order request in newly filed documents. He stated that the demand was “improperly raised” and “completely irrelevant to the standard set forth in the Application.” The trustee asked the court to deny the request and allow Richards to investigate the Bravo star.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs on Wednesdays at 8 pm, ET, on Bravo.
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