Erika Jayne speaks out on looming civil fraud trial tied to Tom Girardi case

Erika Jayne has spoken candidly about her looming $25 million civil fraud trial, as she reflected on her legal troubles and her turbulent marriage to estranged husband Tom Girardi during the latest The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion.

The reality star, 54, is facing a lawsuit filed in 2021 by a bankruptcy trustee overseeing Girardi’s former law firm, Girardi Keese. 

The trustee alleges that Jayne and her businesses spent more than $25 million from the firm on personal expenses. Jayne has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.

During the reunion, which aired April 23, host Andy Cohen asked what options she could face if she loses the case when the trial begins May 19.

“You can file for bankruptcy, or you can fight it out in court,” Jayne said. “You can go to trial, you can cut a deal, you can die in the streets I have no idea.”

On the same day, the trustee reportedly sold the litigation claims to a third party, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal proceedings.

Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in 2020, shortly before the former high-profile attorney became the subject of multiple lawsuits and federal investigations. 

He was later accused of embezzling millions from clients over a decade, leading to bankruptcy proceedings involving his firm.

In 2024, Girardi was convicted of four counts of wire fraud after a 13-day trial and sentenced to seven years in prison.

 He was also placed under a conservatorship following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Reflecting on her relationship, Jayne said she feels emotionally and financially burdened by the fallout, describing her situation as overwhelming.

“Why did he throw me out like that?” she said, adding that she feels trapped in “an almost impossible situation” while facing multiple lawsuits.

Jayne also alleged that she experienced emotional abuse during her marriage, saying there were periods of prolonged silence and volatility in their relationship. 

“Tom one time did not talk to me for six weeks, and we lived in the same house,” she claimed. “As sweet as Tom could be, is as vicious as Tom could be.”

She further reflected on the psychological toll of the relationship, saying she often questioned what was real and what was not during her marriage.

“I was in the Tom Girardi influence,” she said.