Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi accused of 'sham' divorce announcement to hide from embezzlement lawsuit
Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" are being accused of a "sham" divorce announcement in order to protect themselves against a lawsuit for allegedly embezzling funds meant for families of the victims of the fatal 2018 Lion Air plane crash.
A month after Jayne, 49, announced she and attorney Girardi, 81, would be separating after a 21-year marriage, the two were accused of announcing their divorce as a "sham attempt to fraudulently protect Tom’s and Erika’s money from those that seek to collect on debts owed by Tom and his law firm," according to legal documents obtained by USA TODAY filed Wednesday by Chicago law firm Edelson PC.
USA TODAY has reached out to their representatives for comment.
Girardi and his Los Angeles-based law firm Girardi Keese are "locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds and the two owe "tens of million dollars to clients, lenders, co-counsel, settlement administrators and experts, to name only a few," the suit claimed.
He was among other attorneys who aided in a lawsuit against Boeing following the 2018 Indonesian plane crash, during which a Boeing 737 Max crashed into the sea and killed 189 people. Girardi is described on his firm's website as an almost 50-year veteran of the legal industry specializing in wrongful death and products liability and "widely regarded by his peers as one of the nation’s top trial lawyers."
The lawsuit claims Girardi, with the help of his colleagues, held on to "a significant portion of that money, and potentially all of it," sharing with his friends and family and "evading attempts" from the crash victims to obtain their shares.
"At the heart of this deception is... Girardi and his need to fund outrageous lifestyles for himself and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Erika Jayne," reads the lawsuit. " To keep up their celebrity status, Tom and Erika must project a public image of obscene wealth at all times, and at whatever the cost."
In a statement to USA TODAY on Nov. 3 provided by representative Jack Ketsoyan, Jayne asked for privacy during her separation.
"After much consideration I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi. This is not a step taken lightly or easily." Jayne said. "I have great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we built together."
She added: "It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserve. I request that others give us that privacy as well."