'RHOBH' Star Erika Jayne Denies Concealing $242k Lottery Payments In Tom Girardi Bankruptcy Battle
Nov. 3 2021, Published 5:52 p.m. ET
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne says she has no knowledge of receiving $242k and is pointing the finger at her estranged husband Tom Girardi.
The Bravo star dropped the bombshell in court this week. She was responding to the $25 million lawsuit filed by the trustee presiding over Girardi’s bankruptcy. Earlier this year, he was forced into a Chapter 7 by his numerous creditors.
The suit claims Girardi used his law firm’s funds to pay the bills for Jayne’s company EJ Global. The problem being many of Girardi’s former clients claim he screwed them over.
In court, the clients all tell a similar story. Girardi won them a big settlement but came up with excuses when it came time to pay out. The people he allegedly screwed over include orphans, widows and a fire burn victim.
The trustee believes Jayne received the benefits of ill-gotten money and wants her to pay it back. The Bravo star has denied knowledge of her husband’s alleged embezzlement. She refuses to turn over assets. During the RHOBH reunion, Jayne expressed feeling bad for the victims.
In the trustee’s lawsuit, he said Girardi assigned the rights to State of California lottery payments to Jayne in 2012. He had received the rights to the payments from a client as payment.
The suit said Jayne “received more than $242,658 in payments from the State of California Lottery from 2012 to 2021.” She was reportedly set to receive an additional $78k in payments in the years 2022 through 2025.
The trustee accuses Jayne of concealing the existence of the lottery payments as part of the bankruptcy investigation. “She willfully concealed this income or assignment from the Trustee AFTER the Chapter 7 relief was entered and was confronted by the Trustee’s Special Counsel,” the suit read.
However, Jayne says she did no such thing. The RHOBH star claims to have no knowledge of the payments and doesn’t believe she ever personally received them.
She claims her legal team is investigating the matter. Jayne says she believes the checks were mailed to Girardi’s law firm and deposited by her estranged husband.
Jayne is demanding the trustee — who has the bank records — figure it out and let her know. She is also asking the judge to dismiss the entire $25 million suit.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, the trustee presiding over Girardi's personal bankruptcy — which is separate from his law firm's Chapter 7 — is moving to have the entire case thrown out due to fraud. He claims Girardi signed a 2020 financial statement provided to lenders that listed a $261 net worth.
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The statement listed $89 million in real property, $116 million in cash, $44 million in securities, and another $12 million worth of jewelry.
The trustee says they have been unable to locate many of the assets listed and believe Girardi transferred them in the year prior to the bankruptcy. The lawyer, who is currently living in a senior living facility, has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
