Erika Jayne Must Now Give Up A Cherished Possession Amid Legal Woes
Erika Jayne is facing some legal issues after her ex-husband, Tom Girardi, was involved in illegal business with his law-firm, Girardi & Keese. According to People, Tom is being accused of embezzling funds that were supposed to be given to the families of victims who died in a plane crash back in 2018. There are countless other racketeering and embezzlement charges against Tom, but Jayne claims that she was unaware of her husband's illegal transactions until they came to light. In March 2021, Girardi lost his law license as a result of the legal issues surrounding him and his business, according to Us Weekly.
Jayne is a reality star on Bravo's "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and has found herself in the middle of her ex-husband's legal trouble. She told Us Weekly, "I am front and center. I am the face of this instead of the lawyers that worked at the firm and referring attorneys and, you know, law funding people — instead they point to me," Jayne continued, "For my mental health, it's been hard. No doubt. But again, I couldn't lose and I was just going to fight it out every way possible and still am."
Girardi was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia in 2021, according to Page Six. And although Jayne claims she was completely unaware of Girardi's illegal business deals, she has still found herself dealing with legal trouble years later. Now, she has to give up one of her most prized possessions.
Erika must now give up a piece of cherished jewelry
Tom Girardi gifted Erika Jayne a very expensive pair of diamond earrings worth $750,000 during their marriage, and she must now return them. During a hearing on June 28, Judge Barry Russell came to the conclusion that the earrings were purchased with stolen funds meant to go to injured individuals, according to Law 360. Judge Russell believes Jayne did not know the earrings were purchased with stolen money, but unfortunately, she still has to give them back. The earrings are now considered stolen property. Jayne's attorney, Evan Borges, spoke about the incident during the hearing.
"My client takes this very seriously, Your Honor," Borges continued, "My client left this marriage to move into a rental, filed for divorce on her own, and all she took with her were her personal possessions, which do include jewelry, but all she's got are those personal possessions, plus her income from 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.'"
Girardi's health and battle with Alzheimer's has seemingly become worse. He is now under a conservatorship helmed by his brother, according to the Daily Mail. Jayne is now facing two lawsuits, one for "aiding and abetting" her ex-husband, according to Page Six, and another for being the "frontwoman" in a fraud scheme with Girardi. The latter is a $50 million racketeering lawsuit. Despite all of the legal trouble, Jayne continues to star in "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."