Erika Jayne. Jaxon/MEGA
Erika Jayne is being sued for $25 million by the trustee who is overseeing the bankruptcy case involving her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s law firm, Girardi Keese.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 50, was implicated in the lawsuit because she allegedly knew the firm was paying for her expenses for at least 12 years, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. Therefore, the trustee requested that the court order Erika to repay the company the $25 million she allegedly spent plus interest.
“It would be a miscarriage of justice if [she] was allowed to simply walk completely free of owing over $25,000,000 to the estate,” the filing stated.
The suit further argued that Erika should be held personally responsible for the funds, although the money allegedly went to her company, EJ Global LLC. “She attempts to create a distinction between handing her money directly versus paying all of her bills directly,” the papers read. “The distinction, like her prior motion for reconsideration, is meritless. Any payments made for her benefit are her responsibility.”
The trustee claimed that “the glam cannot be supported by a sham,” referring to the money she allegedly spent on her glam squad as well as PR, assistants and her credit card bill.
Ronald Richards, the attorney for the trustee, told Us in a Friday, August 27, statement that the lawsuit was filed “to provide a come-to-Jesus moment” for Erika.
“The law firm paid out over $25 million in expenses which were approved and generated by one person, Erika Girardi,” the statement continued. “We are hopeful that Ms. Girardi comes down the mountain from a place of privilege and obscene wealth and returns some of these expenses so the former clients and creditors of this law firm can mitigate the horrific and unfair losses perpetrated by her husband and others.”
Girardi Keese is $101 million in debt, according to court documents obtained by Us earlier this week. “It will not compensate the estate for the full amount but some effort to do the right thing would go a long way in backing up her public claim that the victims should come first,” Richards added. “Ms. Girardi enjoys a large salary from her talents as well as access to large sums of money from anonymous sources. We are hopeful she finds it a better path to resolve this matter without any further avoidance of her obligations to this estate instead of constantly draining estate resources with meritless legal positions and threats. No more investigation is needed to prove the money in one direction: To Erika Girardi.”
Erika’s lawyer, however, told Us in a Friday statement that the suit “is another example of the trustee and her counsel jumping to conclusions without a full investigation, and bullying and blaming Erika for actions taken by Girardi Keese for which Erika does not have legal liability.”
The attorney claimed that “just because Erika owned 100 percent of the interests of EJ Global LLC doesn’t mean that she has liability for its debts” and alleged that Girardi Keese “managed the EJ Global LLC finances.”
Erika filed for divorce from Tom, 82, in November 2020 after 20 years of marriage. She has since claimed that she was not aware of his alleged mistreatment of his clients and their money. The legal case is ongoing.
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