The Erika Jayne legal situation has gone from a buzzed-about rumor to a very scary reality.
For The Real Housewives oof Beverly Hills cast member herself, that is.
Following several months’ worth of speculation over whether or not Jayne would face legal trouble for her estranged’s husband’s alleged fraud scheme, we now have an answer.
And that answer is yes.
On Friday, we learned that Jayne is being sued for $25 million by the trustee who is overseeing the bankruptcy case involving her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s law firm, Girardi Keese.
As you likely know if you’re reading this, Girardi is suspected of a truly heinous crime.
Working as a lawyer years ago, he represented the children and widows of those who died in a plane crash.
After earning them a substantial sum of settlement money… Girardi has been accused of funneling that money into his own bank account.
Jayne, meanwhile, is believed by some to have played an active role in this scheme.
Yes, she filed for divorce from Girardi late last year… but only to help hide the assets she purchased with these illegally-obtained funds.
Or so the theory goes.
The long-time Bravo star has denied any knowledge of Giradi’s alleged malpractice and has said she divorced Tom because he cheated on her all the time.
Now, though, after Giradi filed for bankruptcy in the face of these allegations, trustee Elissa Millerto is coming after Erika.
Millerto says Jayne has allegedly been paying for for her “extravagant lifestyle” using money from Giradi’s law firm.
“The glam cannot be supported by a sham,” writes Miller in the lawsuit.
Jayne, along with her EJ Global and Pretty Mess companies, supposedly received jewelry and other luxury items that were purchased using funds from Girardi’s company.
“Erika has taken the ludicrous position that since she did not receive the payments directly from the [firm] she is not liable,” the legal documents state.
“She attempts to create a distinction between handing her money directly versus paying all of her bills directly.
“The distinction, like her prior motion for reconsideration is meritless. Any payments made for her benefit are her responsibility.”
According to the lawsuit, $14 million was charged on her American Express card and another $11 million was paid to shopping vendors.
And even if Jayne truly was somehow unaware of just where this money was coming from?
If she never knew Giradi embezzled the funds from past clients, as he has been accused of doing?
“It would be a miscarriage of justice if [she] was allowed to simply walk completely free of owing over $25,000,000 to the estate,” the filing reads, adding:
“Erika signed all of her tax returns, numerous credit card slips, and was well aware of the money she spent on the Debtor’s credit cards and the Debtor’s payment of her personal expenses.
“Her feigned willful blindness and ostrich approach to these expenditures will do absolutely nothing to limit her liability.”
The trustee’s asking the court to order her to pay it all back to the estate, plus interest.
In response to the lawsuit, Erika’s lawyer, Evan Borges, asserts that “no one was deceived” and “nothing improper was done,” saying via statement:
“The fact that the trustee continues to try to assert claims based on transactions going back 12 years, which are barred by statutes of limitations, is an example of the overreaching and willingness to say and do anything to hurt Erika, despite the law.
“Erika will defend the case, and we will seek sanctions and all appropriate remedies for the claims brought in bad faith and without any legal merit.”