Erika Jayne Reacts To Ex-Husband Tom Girardi’s Fraud Charges – Hollywood Life
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Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne has “something to say” following the news of her ex-husband, Tom Girardi‘s, Feb. 1 indictment for defrauding his clients of $18 million. In a video obtained by the Daily Mail that can be seen here, Erika, 51, said she has “something to say, but not right now” in reaction to Tom’s indictment. “You’ll hear from me soon,” she calmly added. She also told the paparazzi she is not at all worried about her “situation” after they asked.
However, her cool began to fade after they kept pestering her for more information regarding how she feels about the situation. “Did you not hear what I just said to you like five seconds ago?” she shot back. “That when I would have something to say, I would say it to you.” The reality star was filmed leaving the Burbank Town Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Tom, his son-in-law, attorney David Lira, and the former chief financial officer for his firm, Christopher Kamon, were included in federal charges across two states on Wednesday. The threesome was charged with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of contempt of court in Chicago, according to The Los Angeles Times. In Los Angeles, Tom was charged with wire fraud.
“Mr. Girardi and Mr. Kamon stand accused of engaging in a widespread scheme to steal from their clients and lie to them to cover up the fraud,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a press release regarding the charges. “In doing so, they allegedly preyed on the very people who trusted and relied upon them the most-their clients. Actions like the ones alleged in the indictment bring disrepute upon the legal profession and will not be tolerated by my office.”
Tom’s legal troubles began in Dec. 2020, just one month after Erika filed for divorce from him. A class action lawsuit was filed against him by Edelson PC for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars from his clients, mostly the grieving family members of victims of the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash, which killed all 189 passengers and crew members on board. The company claimed millions of dollars were transferred to Tom’s law firm, Girardi Keese, but the victims saw nothing. In Jan. 2021, Tom’s health reportedly declined, and his brother Robert asked to be named his conservator. The conservatorship was finalized in July 2021, according to Page Six. Erika was originally named in the fraud and embezzlement lawsuit against Tom and his company but was dismissed on Jan. 29, 2022.
The former couple’s legal troubles were aired out during Season 12 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, with a great deal of drama surrounding a pair of $750K earrings Tom purchased Erika more than 15 years ago. Several of her co-stars told her she should return the earrings in order to help the victims, even though they were not bought with stolen money. Erika disagreed and was escorted out of Kyle Richards‘ Aspen home as she yelled about “caving in” to their demands. She was eventually forced to hand over the earrings amid Tom’s legal battle, per Fox News.
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Source link On December 17, 2020, Erika Jayne, a former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member, had to face the news that her ex-husband, Tom Girardi, has been accused by the California State Bar of embezzling millions of dollars in settlement funds from clients. In response to the allegations, Jayne released a statement via her representative expressing shock and dismay about the charges.
Jayne said, “I am sad and disappointed to learn about the allegations. This is a personal matter that I am dealing with privately.” She also shared condolences for the families and victims affected by Girardi’s alleged fraud.
The accusation against her ex-husband comes after a long and tumultuous relationship between Jayne and Girardi. The two married in 1999 and split in November 2020. A civil lawsuit is currently being filed against the pair for misusing settlement funds for things such as a vacation home and private plane flights.
Though she has yet to comment further on the matter, it’s clear that the news has taken a toll on Jayne. In addition to the fraud charges, she is also weathering negative, false narrative spread by social media outlets.
Girardi has yet to comment on the situation publicly, though insiders close to the newly divorced couple expect it will be a challenging time for all involved. In the meantime, Jayne remains focused on her career and has just released her latest single “Painkillr” which is available on streaming platforms worldwide.
No matter the outcome, it’s clear that the news of her ex-husband’s accusation needs to be taken seriously and with the utmost respect for all of those affected.
