- Erika Jayne’s husband, Tom Girardi, is being held in civil contempt after a lawsuit accused him of embezzling money from the “widows and orphans” of a 2018 plane crash, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
- Girardi’s law firm represented the families of several victims of the Lion Air plane crash. The lawsuit claims he withheld the money from the liquidation to help fund his and Jayne’s “lavish lifestyle.”
- On Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin arrested Girardi after Girardi refused to explain why he could not pay the $ 2 million he owed four of his clients, according to the Sun-Times.
- Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi after 21 years of marriage in November, alleging “irreconcilable differences.” The lawsuit claims the couple’s divorce is a “scam” to hide the embezzled money.
- Girardi’s representatives did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.
- Visit the Insider homepage for more stories.
Erika Jayne’s husband, Tom Girardi, was arrested in civil contempt on Monday after a lawsuit accused the personal injury lawyer of embezzling money from the settlement due to the “widows and orphans” of an accident. plane of 2018, as reported by Jon Seidel of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The star of “The True Housewives of Beverly Hills” and Girardi hit the headlines in early December when law firm Edelson PC alleged that the couple was using their divorce to hide money, which they used to to fund their “lavish lifestyle,” which was intended for families. of the victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash.
The new Boeing 737 MAX crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board. The law firm Girardi Keese represented the families of several victims.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin arrested Girardi after Girardi refused to explain why he could not pay the $ 2 million he owed four of his clients, according to the Sun-Times.
Families of victims of the Lion Air JT 610 aircraft at the scene of the Lion Air crash in the port of Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, on October 29, 2019.
Dasril Roszandi / NurPhoto via Getty Images
“They are widows and orphans,” Durkin said, according to the Sun-Times. “Half a million dollars for any of these families means a significant amount of money. Changing lives, given the tragedy they lived through.”
Durkin asked Girardi to explain what happened to the money, the Sun-Times reports. His lawyer told the judge he had “advised him to dismiss this,” according to the Sun-Times, and said Girardi would not be able to pay the $ 2 million figure.
The judge also froze the assets of Girardi and his company, according to the Sun-Times. According to the same report, Girardi spoke only once during the Chicago hearing, which he attended by telephone, so that Durkin could hear his voice.
Durkin plans to refer Girardi’s case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to the Sun-Times.
Tom Girardi’s business partners have also claimed that he used the money owed to them for his own personal benefit.
Girardi’s law firm partner Robert Keese, as well as business partners Robert Finnerty and Jill O’Callahan, allege that Girardi never paid them the $ 315,000 in revenue they owe from their joint venture. known as the 1126 Wilshire Partnership, and which each lost $ 442,500 in capital, according to court documents seen by Insider. Keese and his partners said they also lost $ 442,500 in equity.
Girardi, Keese, Finnerty and O’Callahan’s representatives did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests when they were contacted through Girardi Keese’s company for comment.
Jayne with cast members of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Charles Sykes / Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Erika Jayne surprised ‘Real Housewives’ fans when she filed for Girardi’s divorce last month
Jayne, 49, filed for divorce from Girardi, 81, in November, after 21 years of marriage, alleging “irreconcilable differences.”
“It’s not a step that’s taken lightly or easily,” Jayne told Us Weekly at the time. “I have a great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we built together.”
But Edelson PC’s lawsuit, filed Dec. 2, alleges that the couple’s divorce is a “false attempt to fraudulently protect Tom and Erika’s money from those seeking to collect the debts Tom and Erika have. his law firm, “according to a court document. seen by Insider.
The class action firm claims that Boeing transferred confidential agreements to Girardi Keese after the plane crash, but that the funds were never distributed to the families of the victims. The lawsuit alleges that Girardi kept the money “for his own purposes and distributed it to his friends and family,” including Jayne.
“At the heart of this deception is defendant Girardi and his need to fund outrageous lifestyles for him and his future ex-wife Erika Jayne,” the complaint continues. “Tom and Erika have achieved celebrity status in the glamorous world of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. To maintain their celebrity status, Tom and Erika must project a public image of obscene wealth at all times and at all costs. “
The complaint also states that Girardi’s firm is “on the verge of financial collapse and is closed in a downward spiral of growing debt and declining funds.”
The lawsuit cites an interview Jayne did on E! News in 2018, revealing that he spends $ 40,000 a month on his “look”.
“Erika even performs a song called ‘Exxpen $ ive,’ with the hook ‘it’s expensive to be me,'” the lawsuit adds.
Edelson PC declined to comment when he reached Insider.
Jayne with Bravo host Andy Cohen.
Charles Sykes / Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Jayne and Girardi first met in the 1990s while she was a waitress at a popular Hollywood restaurant.
According to Us Weekly, the couple started dating after a year of friendship and got engaged in six months.
They knotted in January 1999. In 2015, Jayne joined the cast of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Following the news of the divorce filing, a source told Us Weekly that Jayne and Girardi often went “several months” without seeing each other.
“They would travel separately,” the source said. “Tom gave Erika a very lavish lifestyle and she liked it. Erika has gained independence and confidence by being in ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.’ ”
Jayne told Andy Cohen in June 2017 that she and Girardi don’t have a prenuptial agreement because “a prenup wouldn’t be put on her anyway.”
“I am married to a very powerful lawyer,” she told host Bravo. “So no matter if you had one or not, I assure you everything will be Tom’s way.”
Jayne has asked Girardi to help the spouse in his divorce and pay him the legal fees. Girardi has asked the court to rule on the spouse’s right to support and has asked the reality star to pay his lawyer’s fees, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
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