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Tag: Tom Girardi

  • RHOBH’s Erika Jayne’s Settlement Talks Collapse as She Faces February 2026 Trial in Trustee’s $25 Million Lawsuit, Plus Update on Designer’s $18 Million Case

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    Credit: Nicole Weingart/Bravo

    Erika Jayne appears to be headed to trial after failing to settle out of court with the trustee presiding over the bankruptcy case of her estranged husband, Thomas Girardi.

    According to a recent court document shared by attorney Ronald Richards on Instagram, the 54-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has “little options” as her trial date for the trustee’s $25 million lawsuit is scheduled for early next year.

    “Settlement talks have broken down completely between [Erika Jayne] and the Trustee. A motion was also filed to gut any remaining defenses she had due to admissions in the Psaila case. Pretrial hearing is less than 30 days away with a 2/10/26 trial date now a real thing. Erika has little options. Panic sitting in,” Ronald captioned the December 24 post.

    Along with his message, Ronald included a screenshot of a joint status report, which listed Elissa D. Miller, who sued Erika in April 2022, as the plaintiff and Erika and her companies, including EJ Global, as the defendants.

    The document also confirmed a pre-trial conference set for January 21, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., and a trial date scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

    As for the Psaila case that Ronald mentioned, Erika was accused of falsely claiming that Christoper Psaila‘s design firm, Marco Marco, made $800,000 in fraudulent charges to her American Express card, leading him to file an $18 million lawsuit against her (fellow designer Marco Morante filed his own case against Erika in Florida).

    As she continues to face claims of extortion and plotting to ruin the designers’ careers, Erika could be headed to trial in the case as well.

    The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.

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    Lindsay Cronin

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  • Erika Jayne Suggests Kyle Richards’ Relationship With Morgan Wade Was a “One-Off,” Shades Amanda & Addresses Luann Feud, Plus Update on Boyfriend, Jesse, & Divorce

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    Credit: Instagram

    Erika Jayne appeared on Thursday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she encouraged her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills castmates to “lay off” of Kyle Richards and described her alleged lesbian romance as a “one-off.”

    While she also spoke of Kyle’s defense of Paul “PK” Kemsley, 58, the hoe lifestyle of Mauricio Umansky, 55, and her first impression of Amanda Frances, 40, Erika offered an update on her romance with John McPhee, shared where she stands with Luann de Lesseps, 60, addressed the posibility of visiting Thomas Girardi, 86, and more.

    “I’m over it myself. I think she gave you what she could. She gave it to you … we should lay off,” Erika, 54, told host Andy Cohen, 57, when asked if the women should stop questioning Kyle’s sexuality on the December 18 episode of WWHL.

    As for whether Kyle would go “Brad or Angelina” with her next relationship, Erika said, “Brad.”

    “I think it’s a one-off. She’s obviously not [strictly dickly], but I think that was a person and a connection to a person,” Erika explained, not naming Kyle’s former fling.

    Throughout this season and last, Kyle has been accused of defending PK too much. And in Erika’s opinion, “you’re never gonna win that.”

    “So don’t do it,” she advised.

    After then noting that she didn’t care about Mau’s hoe lifestyle, stating, “It is what it is,” Erika was asked to describe her first impression of Amanda in three words.

    “No, no, no,” she replied.

    Speaking of her own love life, Erika joked that she has “pretty bad” taste in men before gushing over John.

    “The person I’m currently dating is a very nice person … [We’ve been dating] six months … I will [be spending the holidays with him]. I leave on Saturday. I’m so excited,” she revealed.

    Moving on to Jesse Solomon, Erika said she hadn’t heard from him since denying their supposed hookup on the premiere episode of RHOBH. 

    She also shut down her drama with Luann, who suggested she wasn’t the nicest at BravoCon.

    “That’s fine. Whatever she wanted to say was cool. You know exactly where I stand,” Erika told Andy, who suspected she was “not well, b*tch.”

    Regarding the status of her divorce, Erika explained, “It’s very difficult to get someone who’s incompetent to divorce. I have to ask the conservator. It’s just not that easy.”

    While Erika confirmed that she’s thought about seeing Tom, she noted that she won’t because it would be “too much.”

    “He’s done. It is what it is,” she reasoned.

    Also on the live airing, after noting that Sutton should rid herself of her ex-husband Christian Stracke‘s last name, since he had “gone so far as to petition the Vatican,” Erika named which castmate she suspected would remarry first.

    “I think it’s Kyle because Kyle likes being married, but Dorit has such game. Did you notice how comfortable she was? She’ll talk to anybody,” she noted.

    Later, on the WWHL: After Show, Erika was asked how she turned a corner with Sutton and questioned about whether Sutton’s truce with Dorit would last.

    “I’m in a place where I don’t want conflict. I’ve gone through a lot, and I would much prefer to get along than not,” she replied. “And as far as Dorit and Sutton, well, I can’t give away the rest of the season.”

    The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.

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    Lindsay Cronin

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  • Tom Girardi’s Son-in-Law Sentenced to Federal Prison

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    David Lira, 65, said his life has been “a raging sea” in the five years since he was indicted for his role as an attorney at Girardi’s when his father-in-law was stealing clients’ money

    The son-in-law of disgraced former lawyer and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Tom Girardi was sentenced to four months in prison Monday for covering up the fact that Girardi withheld settlement funds from clients whose relatives had died in a 2018 Indonesian plane crash.

    David Lira, 65, who is married to Girardi’s daughter Jacqueline, was sentenced to four months in prison by a federal judge in Chicago Tuesday.

    He had pleaded guilty in June to charges connected to his work at his father-in-law’s now-defunct law firm, which included helping Girardi obtain a historic $7.5-million payout for the families of victims killed in the Lion Air plane crash. More than $3 million of that fund was then looted by Girardi and used, in part, to fund his lavish lifestyle with his wife, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne, a crime that Lira admitted he helped cover up.

    Before his sentencing, Lira’s lawyer Damon Cheronis pleaded for mercy from the judge in a sentencing memo, writing: “His life has been a raging sea for five years. David has been excoriated in the press, unfairly being treated as being one and the same with Tom Girardi. He has lost income, clients, prestige, and the respect of some (although far from all) of his peers.”

    “This is not a man who was ‘in it’ solely for the money,” the memo read, referencing his decades of legal service. The memo later stated that: “David did not intend to steal or cheat anyone else out of money.”

    The judge’s sentence was lenient compared to the years in prison federal prosecutors were seeking. U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said that Lira’s “lies to the victim clients perpetuated Girardi’s theft in real time.”

    In addition to the four-month prison term, Lira was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, four months of home confinement and two years of court-supervised release.

    After clients began demanding their money, Lira says he confronted Girardi and then left the firm. The Lion Air victims eventually received their settlement funds under court order.

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    Girardi, 86, of Seal Beach, Calif., was convicted last year by a federal jury in Los Angeles of embezzling millions of dollars in settlement funds from other clients, including Lion Air victims. He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison this year for his swindling of clients.

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    Michele McPhee

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  • RHOBH’s Erika Jayne Shares Real Reason She Hasn’t Finalized Divorce From Tom Girardi, If She’s Open for Love, & If She’d Show Relationship on TV, Plus Kyle’s Marital Drama and Denise Feud

    RHOBH’s Erika Jayne Shares Real Reason She Hasn’t Finalized Divorce From Tom Girardi, If She’s Open for Love, & If She’d Show Relationship on TV, Plus Kyle’s Marital Drama and Denise Feud

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    RHOBH's Erika Jayne shares why she hasn’t finalized divorce with Tom Girardi, reveals if she’s open for love.

    Erika Jayne shared why hasn’t finalized her divorce from Tom Girardi, revealed if she’s open for love, and claimed Denise Richards was “looking for a fight” on the latest season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

    In the season 13 trailer, Erika alleged that a “naked bundle” of Denise on OnlyFans was “only $7.” In response, Denise called her “evil.”

    Speaking with ET, Erika shared that her “heart will always be open” when it comes to love after her breakup with Tom.

    “You have to grieve a marriage and you grieve a lot of things. I had a complete change of life, not just a marriage, a sickness of a spouse, and then losing your home, and your money, and all at one time, so grieving that sort of stuff and working through the legal problems is a lot,” she said. “My heart will always be open. I don’t think I’ll choose to share my private life on camera. I think that I need one thing that’s mine. I just need one thing that’s mine.”

    When pressed to say whether she’d really never showcase her romantic life on RHOBH again, the pop star admitted, “Timing is everything. Let me recover. I’ve got a lot of bills to pay. I’ve got a lot of things to work out. When and if the time is right.”

    The star also shared that she’s currently dating: “My heart is not closed. I’m OK. I’m social, and I should be.”

    Erika then revealed why she hasn’t finalized her divorce with Tom: “In the order of all of the problems I’m facing, it’s probably the absolute last thing … I just don’t think about it. The day I filed for divorce and we were legally separated, that was it for me. We are in very different places. I have a lot to clean up and pick up and move on.”

    She continued, “We all have to do it our own way. Nobody’s gonna look out for you but yourself … Even after a two-decade-plus marriage, that’s what it came down to, looking out for yourself.”

    Regarding Kyle Richard’s marriage difficulties, Erika shared, “I am Kyle’s friend, and I am going to support her through this separation and whatever they choose to do … I’m a friend, I’m a supporter, whatever she wants to share with me that’s her right to do so. I’m not in this marriage and I don’t like it when other people pry. You don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Let them work it out.”

    “Everyone has an opinion and we’re there to get her opinion,” she added. “My opinion is, I’m Kyle’s friend, they are married, and she will let me know what’s happening when she’s ready to. It’s my job as a friend to support her in whatever she chooses to do.”

    Erika then addressed the introduction of newbie castmate Annemarie Wiley. “She is not to be toyed with. I like her. She’s very direct. She’s sweet, but she’s firm,” said Erika. “She was very vocal. It took her half a second [to find her footing on the show].”

    She then teased her upcoming fight with Denise Richards, which “stunned” Erika, who was “so confused as to what [was] happening.”

    “[Denise] was there looking for a fight, so I gave it to her,” said Erika. “That’s not something I want to do. Here’s the thing, if you’re going to push, you need to be ready to get pushed back on, and so that’s all I did.”

    In an interview with Us Weekly, Erika claimed she called Teddi Mellencamp – who seemed to lead the charge against Denise amid Brandi Glanville‘s allegation that she and Denise had sex – to better understand why Denise was still upset with her.

    “I said, ‘Teddi, what is this about?’ Because Denise’s anger should not be directed toward me,” said Erika. “Denise’s anger should be directed at Brandi Glanville, Lisa Rinna, and Teddi Mellencamp, not Erika. I just happened to be the only one [there].”

    The star claimed Denise was “saying all these things,” and Erika “apologized” at the time because she “couldn’t remember” what had happened in the past.

    “Then [Denise] wanted to continue that on Taco Tuesday at Crystal [Kung Minkoff’s],” Erika added. “And that’s when you see me say, I had to be [like], ‘Look, I did not want any part of this,’ but she wanted that. So I gave it to her at the end.”

    The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 13 premieres October 25 at 8/7c on Bravo.

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    Adam Ragsdale

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  • Erika Jayne is Accused of Spreading False Info to the Press as She’s Bashed in Court, Plus RHOBH Star Shades Sutton Stracke

    Erika Jayne is Accused of Spreading False Info to the Press as She’s Bashed in Court, Plus RHOBH Star Shades Sutton Stracke

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    Erika Jayne is Accused of Spreading False Info Over $750K Earrings as Trustee Claims She’s Not Owed Proceeds From Jewelry Sale, Plus RHOBH Star Shades Sutton Stracke

    Credit: Sara De Boer/Milla Cochran/Startraksphoto

    Erika Jayne is now being accused of spreading false info to the press regarding her former $750,000 earrings.

    The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star also threw shade at her co-star Sutton Stracke, claiming she wants “to be liked by the fans” and is “play[ing] that game.”

    In 2020, Erika’s estranged husband Tom Girardi’s creditors pushed him into bankruptcy after the attorney was accused of managing his law firm – Girardi Keese – in the manner of a Ponzi scheme. Erika herself faces a $25 million lawsuit concerning the money Tom allegedly used to pay the bills of her company, EJ Global.

    Radar Online obtained court docs in which the trustee who presides over Girardi Keese’s bankruptcy claimed Erika isn’t owed any money.

    The trustee alleged that Tom bought Erika the diamond earrings with clients’ money, and the trustee requested that Erika turn over the jewelry. The star unsuccessfully tried to oppose the request. She then filed to appeal the ruling, but the jewelry was auctioned off for a quarter of a million dollars before the court was able to rule.

    The trustee is now telling the court, “The District Court affirmed the Trustee’s position that regardless of whether the money was commingled and therefore the Earrings were property of the Estate, or the property of the beneficiaries of the trust account, Erika, as the recipient of the fruits of the money stolen from the trust account, does not have any right or interest in the Earrings or the proceeds of the sale thereof.”

    The trustee added, “The District Court’s order implicitly indicated that these funds either belong to specifically identifiable clients or the Estate and should be administered by the Trustee. In all events, Erika no longer has a ‘dog in this fight.’”

    The trustee also alleged that the star and her PR team spread false information to the press.

    “Erika has falsely allowed her PR team to suggest she won the appeal and has gone so far as to suggest she is entitled to the proceeds from the sale,” stated the trustee. “As the Court knows and the District Court affirmed, the buyer of the earrings has no further exposure as a result of the sale. The auctioneer and other professionals have already been paid for the work related to the sale. The proceeds of the sale under any scenario are not Erika’s. They are the clients whose funds were misappropriated.”

    The bankruptcy trustee continued, “The money used to purchase the Earrings is either Estate property or the clients’ property, but it is not Erika’s property under any scenario. This undisputed finding by this Court and the District Court precludes Erika from any claim to the proceeds from the sale of the Earrings. She cannot profit from her husband’s theft of his clients’ money and that should be cleared up in any order or finding by this Court.”

    Speaking to TV Insider, Erika shared her wish to move on from the years-long issues.

    “I want to move on,” said the star. “And what I mean by that is, I want to move on and I want others to let me move on … It is time for everyone to put down the pitchforks.”

    Erika then addressed her co-star Sutton amid the start of season 13. “I think that Sutton is very much wanting to be liked by fans and wanting to play that game,” she explained. “I don’t know what games Sutton is playing, but she’s playing one.”

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    Adam Ragsdale

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