Erika Jayne Has Been Dismissed From Estranged Husband Tom Girardi’s Embezzlement Case… But The Lawsuit Will Be Refiled
It’s time for Erika Jayne to fully settle into her new role on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as Single Divorcée Ready to Mingle because she’s no longer Fallen Sugar Baby Under Financial Investigation. An upgrade, if I’ve ever seen one! Page Six says that Erika has been dismissed from Tom Girardi‘s embezzlement lawsuit. Tom is accused of stealing settlement money from the families of plane crash victims and using it to fund his and Erika’s lavish lifestyle, as well as Erika’s pop career. But the legal microscope is off Erika’s back and she can breathe a sigh of relief… for now! Emphasis on “for now” because the lawsuit will be refiled in California.
Back in 2020, Erika and Tom were sued in a class-action lawsuit for allegedly embezzling money from the victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 Boeing plane crash. Tom’s law firm Girard Keese represented the victims. The law firm filed for bankruptcy and the judge let the victims know that they could go after Erika for the money, as Tom slipped into Alzheimers-related dementia and was placed into a conservatorship. And on RHoBH, Erika spent the season crying and screaming at everybody about how she knew absolutely nothing. Well, Erika has to find something else to scream at people about now (she will) because she’s been dropped as a defendant in Tom’s lawsuit.
“Pursuant to stipulation, plaintiff’s claims against defendants EJ Global LLC and Erika Girardi are dismissed without prejudice and without costs,” the Jan. 29 legal documents, obtained by Page Six, read. The ruling came one day after both parties agreed “dismissal is appropriate,” according to a separate filing, also obtained by Page Six.
TooFab adds that Jay Edelson, the lawyer who is representing the victims, took to Twitter to stop the presses on people thinking Erika is off the hook. He says they plan to refile in California for jurisdiction reasons, and that “No chance we are letting Erika Jayne off the hook, especially given the evidence we have found.”
If you can't count on @PageSix, @usweekly, and @OKMagazine to it right, where are we as a society? We have not stopped pursuing @erikajayne, just switching courts. We believe we can prove she benefitted from Tom's ponzi scheme. Her lawyer is –again- misleading the public.
— Jay Edelson (@jayedelson) January 29, 2022
@erikajayne has one strategy: throw up as must dust as possible. That can work on #RHOBH. It doesn't work when someone is under oath in a court proceeding.
— Jay Edelson (@jayedelson) January 29, 2022
E! News says that Erika’s lawyer, Evan Borges, gave a statement saying that Edelson is free to file a new lawsuit but “the truth matters.”
“While Edelson retains the right to re-fie in California, the dismissal of Erika from the federal lawsuit that triggered bankruptcies of Girardi Keese and Tom Girardi is extremely important… For example, the recent three-day evidentiary hearing in the Boeing case showed that Erika had ZERO role in what GK and Edelson discussed, did, and didn’t do, whether as between each other or as to their clients. In fact, I’m informed Erika’s name didn’t even come up at the hearing…
I’d like to see Edelson and everyone else take the high road going forward and not make accusations against Erika without evidence. We want Edelson to get the most complete picture of the evidence as possible, and have no issue with further investigation. But the truth matters. Here, the truth is that Erika had no role in the Lion Air dealings, actions, or inaction as between the attorneys and their clients, and she never received any of the Lion Air client settlement funds.”
Well, I’m sure Jay Edelson WILL find a way to squeeze a dollar out of Erika. Or, considering how much time Erika’s been Maxxing it up at TJ Maxx, at least some TJX Rewards.
Pic: Instagram