NEWSErika Jayne Will Not Be Settling With Tom Girardi's Victims, 'RHOBH' Star Claims She Had 'No Part' In Missing Funds: Report
Erika Jayne Not Settling
Erika Jayne believes she has been wrongfully accused.
According to legal documents obtained by Radar, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 50, and her attorney Evan Borges have filed a proof of claim in her estranged husband Tom Girardi's involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy case.
Erika Jayne Not Settling
In the newly filed papers, Jayne and her lawyer stated that she had no idea of the former Girardi & Reese partner's alleged mishandling of funds and that any money Girardi owed the victims — who have been given the "ok" by a judge to sue the reality star personally for the funds — should be considered community property.
“[Jayne] should not be liable for and has complete defenses to such third party claims, as they are based on the actions of [Tom Girardi] and others, in which [Jayne] had no part," Borges noted in the motion.
The filing comes as the former Chicago actress was sued in a new lawsuit that alleged that she had "aided and abetted" her former partner's alleged scheme for her own financial benefit.
Erika Jayne Not Settling
- Attorneys Are 'Trying To Resolve' $25 Million Lawsuit With Erika Jayne's Legal Team: Source
- Erika Jayne Hit With $100K Lawsuit Over Alleged 'Fraudulent Transfers' By Tom Girardi's Former Firm As Legal Woes Mount
- 'Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Star Erika Jayne & Estranged Husband Tom Girardi's Tumultuous Year Of Legal & Personal Woes : Photos
"The bottom line is Erika believed, as did most of the legal community, that her husband was extremely wealthy," her attorney told the outlet in her defense after the suit was filed. "Erika has no law degree and never worked at the law firm. She was an entertainer."
"Erika had no knowledge of any of [Girardi’s] misconduct," he continued. "The focus should be on [Girardi], others at his firm who had law degrees, the [Girardi Keese] employees who managed the money, and outside accountants and others who enabled what [Girardi] did."
"Remember that in many [Girardi Keese] client cases, [Girardi Keese] had co-counsel who also had a duty to clients and responsibility to make sure the cases were handled the right way," Borges noted.
The Bravo personality has been embroiled in legal drama since Girardi, 82 — who she has yet to be officially divorced from due to the on-going lawsuits — was forced into bankruptcy by his creditors last year after former clients such as burn victims, widows and orphans claimed that the once well respected lawyer never paid them their settlement funds.
Erika Jayne Not Settling
Girardi's former law firm now reportedly owes over $101 million, with the victims alleging that the legal mind had spent their awarded money on Jayne's lavish lifestyle.
