‘Real Housewife’ Erika Jayne Served With $50 Million Lawsuit in Airport After Vacation
More accusations have emerged that she not only benefitted from her estranged husband's theft of client funds, but aided his crimes.
Celebrities
You know what they say, there’s nothing quite like a multimillion-dollar lawsuit to welcome you home from a luxury vacation—especially one that was probably on someone else’s dime! Such is life for Real Housewife of Beverly Hills’ Erika Jayne.
Upon her return from a Hawaiian holiday with RHOBH co-stars Lisa Rinna and Diana Jenkins, a sweat-suited Jayne, clutching a Gucci duffel, claimed more baggage than she left with as she was met by a process server holding a $50 million racketeering lawsuit. Though Bravo cameras did not capture the exchange, fortunately, the famed celebrity paparazzi Diggzy did.
“I just wanted to give you these documents,” a woman is heard explaining to Jayne in video footage obtained by Page Six. “This is a summons and complaint to serve you.”
The lawsuit, filed by Chicago law firm Edelson PC, charges the disgraced reality television star with nine counts including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful business practice, and deceit. The suit is the latest in an ongoing legal saga that also implicates her estranged husband, Tom Girardi, a now-disbarred attorney and former partner of the defunct law firm Girardi & Keese.
“Tom and Erika routinely misappropriated client settlement money to project an image of wealth and to prop up a lifestyle made for reality TV,” the lawsuit alleges. That “client settlement money” refers to the funds Girardi stole from people he represented in multiple cases, including orphans and widows of victims of a plane crash. It also suggests Jayne was the Bonnie to her husband,’s Clyde, claiming that Jayne’s EJ Global company “was created for the purpose of funneling money from Girardi Keese to benefit Erika,” and that she was the “frontwoman” of that scheme.
Jayne has emphatically denied any wrongdoing—both on camera and in the press—despite damning claims like these. She’s also continued to flaunt what remains of her allegedly stolen wealth via pricey accessories like her Cartier Pantherre ring, and pick catfights with attorneys online. Meanwhile, more victims directly impacted by her husband’s misappropriation continue to seek justice—some of whom she’s accused of lying.
“You want to be on the side of the victims because you think it’s cool!” Jayne snarls at RHOBH co-star, Crystal Kung Minkoff, in a preview of what lies ahead in the remainder of the season. “I don’t give a f–k about anybody else but me!”
It shows!
Representatives for Jayne did not respond to Jezebel’s request for comment.