Erika Jayne Forced To Trial After Being Accused of Spending $24 Million in Fraudulent Funds
A judge has officially been assigned in the high-stakes lawsuit against Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, with a trial expected to take place this summer.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by Tom Girardi’s bankruptcy trustee Elissa Miller, accuses Erika of receiving $24 million in funds that allegedly came from “trust accounts held by Girardi’s law firm, Girardi Keese” — money intended for clients but allegedly used to support Erika’s lifestyle and entertainment career.
Erika Jayne Denies Wrongdoing as Legal Drama Intensifies
While Erika Jayne, 52, has repeatedly denied any involvement or knowledge of her estranged husband’s alleged embezzlement scheme, the trustee argues that Erika “knowingly and willingly participated” in Tom’s fraudulent activity.
In court documents, Miller claims that Erika used “Tom’s personal American Express account” to cover expenses “incurred in pursuit of her entertainment career,” and that Tom “personally paid her bills and invoices.”
The trustee’s team asserts these payments were falsely recorded as “loans” on the law firm’s books.
Businesses Also Named in Lawsuit
In addition to naming Erika personally, the trustee is also suing her two businesses: “EJ Global, LLC” and “Pretty Mess, Inc.”
The lawsuit states: “Ms. Girardi knowingly and willingly participated in Mr. Girardi’s criminal enterprise, and the money used to pay her business expenses were monies from that criminal enterprise.”
Erika’s legal team has pushed back, arguing that any payments were made to “EJ Global, LLC” as an alleged corporate debt, “not to Erika personally.”
“No promissory note exists,” her team claims, noting that “Girardi Keese never created a written agreement” outlining EJ Global’s debt.
Erika’s Attorneys Say She Trusted Her Husband
Erika’s lawyers are also seeking to strike what they call malicious and unproven claims, stating: “Accusations that Ms. Girardi knowingly and willingly participated in a criminal enterprise are false, not supported by any evidence whatsoever, malicious, and should be stricken.”
They further contend that “Erika’s only misstep,” was trusting her husband, who at the time was a “successful and sophisticated attorney.”
Tom Girardi’s Conviction and Health Concerns
In 2024, Tom Girardi was “convicted of embezzling over $15 million” from clients. However, “his sentencing has been delayed,” due to his medical condition. Girardi, 84, was diagnosed with “late-onset Alzheimer’s disease,” in 2021 and is currently living in a “memory care facility.”
Erika Jayne Is Not Settling, Insider Claims
With a judge now assigned to the case, sources say “Erika has no intention of settling.”
An insider close to the legal battle told The U.S. Sun, “[Erika’s] never going to settle.”
That means the high-profile case is expected to play out in court later this year — placing the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star at the center of what could be one of the biggest reality-TV-adjacent trials of the decade.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Sundays on Bravo.
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Olivia Davis is a Staff Writer at All About The Tea. Olivia’s hobbies include binging Netflix series, and watching Housewives on Bravo. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in History.
