Erika Jayne, an American singer and television personality, has prevailed in a $5 million fraud suit brought by her ex-husband Tom Girardi’s former colleagues.
According to Page Six, Girardi was sued by former colleagues Philip R. Sheldon and Robert P. Finn for her alleged role in her husband’s alleged fraud and embezzlement case.
Jayne’s attorney, Evan C. Borges, told the newspaper that Los Angeles Judge Richard Fruin found no evidence of “any misconduct” in the 2020 lawsuit against Jayne.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the judge ruled on August 29 that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that the actress from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills had “actual knowledge” of Girardi’s alleged misconduct. Erika announced her victory on Instagram on August 31, 2018.
“I would like to salute my friends for their support. I only requested tolerance and time.”
The attorneys had accused Jayne of “aiding and abetting” her now ex-husband, age 83, in committing his alleged crime. They asserted that the reality star was aware that Girardi was using their settlement money to finance her extravagant lifestyle.
The evidence presented by Erika Jayne was deemed “irrelevant” by the judge.
During the trial, Judge Fruin defended his decision by citing Erika Jayne’s testimony. She stated that she did not manage any bills at Girardi & Keese and that her husband and his coworkers were in charge of all ledgers.
“I presumed that everything would be taken care of. I did not inquire thoroughly. It’s not like I was making millions of dollars… “I was unaware of what they were doing below.’
The plaintiff’s allegations that Erika Jayne had “real knowledge” of money misappropriation, according to Judge Fruin, were based on “inferences” regarding “circumstantial evidence,” such as her affluent lifestyle, rather than concrete proof.
“The proof is irrelevant.”
According to the court, the reality star’s “extravagant and expensive hobby funded by the couples’ communal property is not evidence of actual knowledge of a breach of fiduciary duty” between Tom Girardi and the plaintiffs.
Jayne declared her triumph with a screenshot of a Los Angeles Times article describing Tom Girardi’s alleged affair with a former judge. According to the report, the 83-year-old retired attorney bought the woman’s home and sent her $300,000 from his business.
She added the following caption to the screenshot:
“Wow. I was familiar with jewelry, shopping sprees, and plastic surgery, but this really astonished me.”
Several lawsuits against Erika Jayne
Erika’s victory occurred after she was accused of diverting money intended for the victims of Lion Air Flight 610 in a series of cases with Tom Girardi, including a class-action lawsuit brought by Edelson PC.
Additionally, they were accused of skimming $2 million from a settlement. Erika Jayne insisted throughout the proceedings that she was unaware of Tom’s financial mismanagement and misconduct. After 21 years of marriage, Erika Jayne and Girardi split up in November 2020.
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