Erika’s Jayne’s Estranged Husband Tom Girardi Accused of Pilfering $14 Million Owed to Clients!
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Erika Jayne’s estranged husband, Tom Girardi, has been hit by new accusations amid his law firm’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy case. Radar Online reports that the trustee presiding over the bankruptcy of Tom’s shuttered firm, Girardi Keese, has filed a new lawsuit as part of the ongoing investigation.
The new lawsuit was filed against two litigation lenders who previously worked with the now-defunct firm. The companies reportedly claim that they’re owed $15 million, a figure the trustee plans to dispute.
The new case includes new information about the deep dive into Tom’s finances.
The trustee explained in the lawsuit that Tom stands accused of using $2 million in settlement funds, owed to family members of victims of a Boeing plane crash, to finance his lavish lifestyle with the reality star.
The trustee noted in the court docs that the $2 million “while shocking and unconscionable, is only the tip of the iceberg.”
The lawsuit read—“The Trustee’s investigation of the Firm’s financial records revealed that over the last ten years, Thomas and his cohorts stole at least $14,000,000 in settlement funds that should have gone to the Firm’s clients.”
The trustee stated that Tom used a trust account tied to his firm as “his personal piggy bank.” The lawyer allegedly deposited $41 million into the account to cover checks used to support the couple’s luxury lifestyle.
“The deposits were insufficient to cover his use of the funds,” the trustee explained.
The lawsuit revealed the massive number of claims filed against Tom’s estate—682 in total. The claims total, to date, is $495,912,891.48.
The trustee said that Tom was spending millions on “cars, furs, clothes, trips, and jewelry and other items for himself, his celebrity “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” wife, Erika, and other friends and Girardi Keese employees and partners,” while bilking his clients and business partners.
The lawsuit read—“His indulgences included five country club- golf memberships, memberships in city clubs, automobiles (Ferrari and Lamborghini sports cars), boats, two planes, houses in Malibu and in the Palm Springs area, luxury yachting trips in the Mediterranean, and a penchant for giving expensive gifts of jewelry and the like.”
Erika was recently ordered to turn over a pair of diamond earrings gifted to her during the marriage. Records reveal that the earrings were purchased in 2007 for $750k with funds owed to Tom’s clients. The earrings and items Tom gifted to his mistress are set to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Tricia A. Bigelow, a retired Los Angeles appellate justice, recently returned expensive gifts she received during her relationship with the once famed lawyer.
“Justice Bigelow does not want anything even potentially connected with monies Girardi took from his client-victims,” Alan Jackson, Bigelow’s lawyer, wrote in a released statement.
The statement claimed that Bigelow was “horrified and appalled” that she had received “tainted gifts” without her knowledge.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs on Wednesdays at 8 pm, ET, on Bravo.
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Nancy Zhāng is an Entertainment Blogger for All About The Tea. Nancy covers hot topics, recaps and celeb news. She loves to multi-task as a writer and a private chef. She received a B.S. in Mass Communications from LSU. Nancy’s married and the proud mom of 2 German Shepherds.