Real Housewives of Beverly Hill star Erika Jayne has been served a $50 million lawsuit.
Upon her return to LA from a luxury Hawaiian getaway, the 51-year-old was served papers for a racketeering lawsuit.
In footage obtained by Page Six, the reality star was seen leaving the LA International Airport when a woman approached her in baggage claim and handed her two thick stacks of papers.
Erika Jayne returns home from a trip to Hawaii and is served with a $50 million lawsuit. #RHOBH pic.twitter.com/5RlDi0Gg53
— Anthony Dominic (@alloveranthony) July 26, 2022
“I just wanted to give you these documents. This is a summons and complaint to serve you,” the woman said in the video footage.
The lawsuit, filed by Edelson PC, accused Erika of nine charges – including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful business practice and deceit, in relation to the ongoing legal drama involving her ex-husband Tom Girardi.
“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 alleged.
It also claimed that the RHOBH star’s EJ Global company “was created for the purpose of funnelling money from Girardi Keese to benefit Erika.”
Edelson PC additionally claimed that Erika was aware of Girardi’s “scheme,” which allegedly embezzled settlement funds which were supposed to help the victims of the fatal Lion Air Flight 610 crash.
The documents accused the RHOBH star of “flaunt[ing]” her lavish lifestyle and “acting as the ‘frontwoman’ of the operation, selling to the world (including unsuspecting clients) that Girardi Keese was successful.”
As reported by Page Six, there was a separate but related case filed by Edelson PC in regards to racketeering allegations in April – however, the reality star was dismissed from this lawsuit.
However, Jay Edelson told the outlet that this case is “prosecuting the claims of the clients (the widows and orphans)” whereas the April lawsuit was “more limited, in terms of who we sued, what we were suing about, and the legal theories we are pursuing.”
“As we allege, we believe we can prove to a jury that the Girardi firm was, and has long been, a criminal enterprise,” Jay told the outlet.
Erika has strongly maintained her innocence, and during the RHOBH season 11 reunion, she said, “I feel terrible. This is not who I am. And I hope this is not who he is. … I hope that [Tom] has not done what is alleged here.”
During last week’s episode of RHOBH, Erika told her co-stars that she was in no rush to divorce 83-year-old Girardi.
“It’s ironic, but if I was divorced from Tom, I’d have to pay him alimony,” she laughed. “I’ll stay married, thanks.”
“Like, I’m legally separated, so my life has moved on and everything is separate. But I can’t get a divorce right now. There’s so much legal s—t going on. It’s a weird time and I’m really ready for it to be over.”
