Erika Jayne Just Got Some Life-Changing Legal News
While television personality Erika Jayne might be best known for starring on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," her fame has also been tied to her marriage to attorney Tom Girardi. In 2018, Erika spoke to People about marrying Girardi after moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. They met while she was working as a waitress and, after getting married in 1999, Erika says she fell into a "wealthy coma." She began "living Tom's life" and losing sight of her own goals. This was when she decided to launch her music career and, later, join the cast of "RHOBH."
In November 2020, Erika announced that she was divorcing Girardi after a 21-year marriage, according to Us Weekly. Although the lawyer didn't appear often on "RHOBH" due to his demanding job, viewers were still surprised to learn that things weren't as fine and dandy behind the scenes as they had thought. They were even more shocked when the former couple was slammed with a lawsuit for allegedly embezzling funds that were supposed to be issued to the families of those who were killed in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash, according to Page Six. The late-2020 lawsuit claimed that the divorce was a "sham" orchestrated "to fraudulently protect Tom's and Erika's money from those that seek to collect on debts owed by Tom and his law firm [Girardi Keese]." Court documents filed on January 29, however, have since provided an update on the situation.
Erika Jayne was let off the hook — but not for long
Erika Jayne will no longer be included on the lawsuit against her ex-husband, Tom Girardi, according to court documents released on January 29, according to E! News. The filing reports that the "claims against defendants EJ Global LLC and Erika Girardi are dismissed without prejudice and without costs." However, it doesn't seem like the ruling will be the end of the fight. Attorney Jay Edelson, who represents the plaintiffs on the suit, has since taken to Twitter to announce that the "suit is being refiled in California to avoid fights over jurisdiction." He added that letting Erika go free is not an option "given the evidence we have found." Edelson affirmed that they would continue pursuing legal avenues until the money that was denied to the families of the Lion Air Flight 610 victims was returned.
"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hill" star has defended herself against the claims that she was involved in embezzling money from the settlement. According to TODAY, on an episode of the reality show that aired in July 2021, Erika told her co-stars, "This sucks so bad," adding that the "things that are being said are just wrong." She was particularly upset about her divorce being called a sham because "it took [her] a lot of courage to leave." At the end of the scene, Erika stated, "I didn't do this," amid tears. Her co-stars supported her wholeheartedly and shared their belief that she was innocent.