The Real Housewives of Beverly Hill’s Erika Jayne is reportedly in talks to settle a $25 million lawsuit concerning her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s law firm’s alleged embezzlement, amid claims it was spent on Erika. Meanwhile, prosecutors are asking to view Tom’s full mental evaluation.
In 2020, Tom’s law firm Girardi Keese was reportedly forced by creditors into bankruptcy. The 84-year-old, who was diagnosed with dementia, faced accusations of running the business in the manner of a Ponzi scheme.
Per court docs via Radar Online, the Housewife is now trying to reach a settlement.
Erika and the trustee who’s presiding over Girardi Keese’s bankruptcy told the court they’re in talks to seek a resolution for the case. They requested that the next hearing be pushed back to August 8.
The star has consistently stated she knew nothing about her husband’s alleged misconduct.
Her lawyer expressed, “Ms. Girardi at all times was and is an entertainer with a 12th-grade education. Ms. Girardi was never and is not an attorney, and she trusted that GK, Mr. Girardi, and the outside accountants, given their superior knowledge and expertise, prepared proper, lawful, and legitimate tax returns.”
Meanwhile, prosecutors are attempting to get an unredacted copy of Tom’s mental evaluation, according to the outlet.
A year after the firm’s bankruptcy, Tom was moved to a senior assisted living facility following his dementia diagnosis. Recently, an expert was hired by the government to determine if Tom is competent enough to stand trial.
“Goldstein has concluded her examination and opined, among other things, that defendant is competent to stand trial,” said the motion.
Tom’s legal team, who was allowed to redact private info from the report, allegedly redacted most of the information. Because of this, prosecutors asked the court for full access to the evaluation.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 13 is expected to premiere this November on Bravo.