New $55 Million Lawsuit Reveals Erika Jayne Was Tom’s Partner In Crime!
Erika Jayne has been hit by a new lawsuit that alleges that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star had “specific knowledge” of her estranged husband, Tom Girardi’s alleged misdeeds.
Us Weekly obtained the complaint, filed by Edelson PC, which names Erika in a group of defendants accused of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, deceit, aiding and abetting the concealment of stolen property, and more.
The lawsuit reads—“Tom and Erika Girardi purposefully portrayed themselves to the public as an extremely wealthy Beverly Hills power couple.”
The suit also alleges that Erika’s company, EJ Global, “was created for the purpose of funneling money from Girardi Keese to benefit Erika.”
The lawsuit points out that blowing cash was “a part of Erika’s personality” on RHOBH, which often featured the Bravo star’s “never-ending parade of designer clothes and high-end jewelry, her $250,000 Lamborghini Huracán, and her personal 24/7 ‘glam squad’ team that she paid $40,000 per month to pick out her clothes and do her hair and makeup.”
The new suit alleges that “Erika knew of the scheme” supposedly planned by Tom, to pilfer funds owed to former clients and family members of victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash.
The couple was slammed by multiple lawsuits shortly after Erika filed for divorce from the since disbarred attorney, in November 2020.
“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,” the legal filing claims. “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 in furtherance of the Girardi Family Enterprise’s illegal scheme.”
Erika has maintained her innocence amid the ongoing legal firestorm.
Edelson PC argues that because the 50-year-old reality star “was neither an owner nor employee of the law firm,” the payments were not “legitimate law firm expenses.”
“Erika had actual and specific knowledge that the credit card bills and invoices that she submitted to Girardi Keese related to her own personal expenses and had no connection whatsoever with the law firm. Erika had actual and 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.”
Edelson PC is seeking “punitive or exemplary damages in an amount no less than $55,000,000,” along with “an award of interest” and “the creation of a constructive trust” to make up for the “wrongful conduct” displayed by Erika and others.
In April, Erika was accused of using her high-profile platform to “prolong” Girardi Keese’s alleged fraud schemes.
“We believe we will be able to prove to a jury that Tom’s firm was a long-running criminal enterprise, spanning over a decade and stealing over $100 million, much of [which] went into funding Tom and Erika’s outrageous lifestyle,” Jay Edelson from Edelson PC explained. “Our filing makes clear what we have said from the start: we will fight tirelessly to hold all of the wrongdoers accountable.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays at 8 pm, ET, on Bravo.
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Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.