Hand em over. For months now, one of Erika Jayne’s many legal battles have been over a pair of earrings. The $750k diamond baubles, which are now worth approximately $1.4 million, were gifted to her by estranged husband Tom Girardi. But Tom stands accused of stealing millions from his clients’ settlement funds. The disgraced attorney and his firm had to file for bankruptcy and owe a staggering $500 million in claims. And they have to get paid back somehow.
As reported by Page Six, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is now being forced to turn in the earrings. Back in January of this year, the bankruptcy trustee argued that the earrings were bought with stolen funds. Erika refused and the earrings were sitting in a safe deposit box that Erika was unable to access. But just this week, a judge on the case demanded she give them up. The judge noted that the “settlement funds from the trust account created for a class action handled by Thomas’ firm Girardi Keese were used to pay for the diamond earrings.” Meaning, they were bought with money that is alleged to be stolen.
The judge did add that he didn’t believe Erika knew they were purchased with misappropriated funds. But that she is still obligated to return them. A former attorney for the trustee stated, “The ruling was a major milestone in the quest to recover stolen assets by the Girardis. It does not matter whether Erika knew they were stolen client funds or not. This ruling will be used in the future aspects of the case and is now the law of the case.”
Erika’s lawyer, Evan Borges, fought back in his own statement. Evan told Us Weekly, “Once again, Erika is facing consequences for past actions taken by Tom Girardi and Girardi Keese. Erika did nothing wrong. In fact, the judge specifically found no fault or knowledge on the part of Erika regarding the actions by Tom Girardi and his partners at the law firm. Tom Girardi the lawyer did this.” He concluded, “Legally, the judge’s decision raises an important issue of whether the law allows revisiting transactions of 15 years ago to take away a gift received by an innocent spouse. But that’s for a higher court to decide.”
While originally named as a co-defendant in the case against Tom, Erika has since been dismissed from the embezzlement suit. She is still facing a $50 million suit for conspiracy to commit racketeering, which is just one of many other lawsuits against her. Erika has denied all wrongdoing and filed for divorce from Tom in November of 2020. Her filing came just a few weeks before news broke of Tom’s alleged fraud.
Erika told Page Six back in May, “I like where I’m going to end. It’s going to be fine. Even if I didn’t feel that way, I’d still tell you I felt good about it. But I really do. It’s going to be just fine.”
TELL US – DO YOU THINK ERIKA SHOULD HAVE GIVEN UP THE EARRINGS ON HER OWN? SHOULD SHE BE SUED AS A SPOUSE? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ERIKA THIS SEASON ON RHOBH?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
