Credit: Fayes Vision/startraksphoto
Erika Jayne was served with documents pertaining to a $50 million racketeering lawsuit after landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) following a luxurious trip to Hawaii with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills castmates Lisa Rinna and Diana Jenkins.
In video footage and photos shared online, Erika was seen being approached by a woman in the baggage claim area, who handed her a couple of stacks of paperwork.
According to Page Six, the woman said to Erika, who was dressed in a white sweatsuit with her hair in a tight bun with a Gucci duffle bag in firm grip and a mask over her face, “I just wanted to give you these documents. This is a summons and complaint to serve you.”
In the $50 million lawsuit, which was filed by Jay Edelson and his firm, Edelson PC, Erika is accused of nine charges, including “racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful business practice and deceit.”
“[Thomas Girardi] 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, adding that Erika’s company, EJ Global, “was created for the purpose of funneling money from Girardi Keese to benefit Erika.”
According to court documents, Erika was supposedly aware of Thomas’ “scheme” against his clients, including the orphans and widows he allegedly stole millions from following their family members’ deaths in a 2018 plane crash in Indonesia.
The lawsuit also accuses Erika of “flaunt[ing]” her over-the-top lifestyle and “acting as the ‘frontwoman’ of the operation, selling to the world (including unsuspecting clients) that Girardi Keese was successful.”
Although Erika was recently dismissed from a prior lawsuit filed by Edelson PC, Jay clarified to Page Six at the time that this new case is “prosecuting the claims of the clients (the widows and orphans),” whereas the former suit 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,” he added.
Page Six also reported that photos taken of Erika and her RHOBH castmates in Hawaii featured the group in deep conversation outside their villa, where Erika looked to be upset with an angry expression in one particular image.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 12 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.