Erika Jayne has won a lawsuit over a $750,000 pair of earrings she had to sell last year following the bankruptcy of her estranged husband Tom Girardi and allegations of fraud against him.
The Central District of California issued an order on May 1 regarding The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star’s earrings, declaring that they were not part of the estate affected by Girardi’s bankruptcy.
The court ruled that the earrings should not have been withheld by the receiver and that the bankruptcy court must decide ownership of the earrings.
The court documents were released by Emily Baker, a former Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney and entertainment legal analyst Twitter On Wednesday.
has reached out to Jayne’s representatives for comment on the latest developments in the case.
The latest: Erika Jayne, 52, has won a court case over a $750,000 pair of earrings she was forced to give up last year following the bankruptcy of her estranged husband Tom Girardi and allegations of fraud against him. Pictured in LA in April
The Central District of California issued an order on May 1 regarding The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star’s earrings, declaring that they were not part of the estate affected by Girardi’s bankruptcy
The 52-year-old Bravo star, who met with people who claim Girardi stole from them in Los Angeles last Sunday, handed in the earrings last summer.
“It wasn’t easy for me [Erika] “She wanted to part with something that was sentimental to her,” an insider close to the production of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills told People at the time, “but she knew she had to do it, and she complied.”
In June 2022, Judge Barry Russell said that while Jayne “did not know that the earrings were stolen property,” he said, she needed to turn them in because she was using “settlement funds from the escrow account used for a class action lawsuit that was being processed.” set up, have been paid”. by Thomas’ company Girardi Keese,” reported Law360, according to US.
According to Radar, Jayne attempted to appeal the case in July 2022.
Ronald Richards, an attorney who once worked for the trustee in the case, said on Twitter in December 2022 that “the earrings were sold for $250,000” to raise money for Girardi’s alleged victims.
Another complication in the case came the month before, when Richards claimed Jayne didn’t turn in the exact set of earrings she should have turned in.
Adding to the confusion, Richards’ wife Lauren Boyette Richards was seen wearing the alleged earrings and saying she bought them at auction in a December 2022 Instagram post.
As of Wednesday, it was unclear whether the situation regarding the authenticity of the jewelry had been rectified.
The Bravo star, who met with people in Los Angeles last Sunday who say Girardi stole from them, gave up the earrings last summer. Pictured in LA in March
The court documents were posted Wednesday via Twitter by Emily Baker, a former Los Angeles assistant district attorney and entertainment legal analyst
In March 2023, Jayne filed damages related to the earrings, saying the court made an “error of law” in the auction, Radar reported, citing court documents.
Jayne “has elected and is entitled to monetary damages based on the proceeds of the sale of a marital gift she received in 2007 which was taken from her and sold by the trustee as a result of the erroneous sales order,” her attorney said in the court papers.
Girardi, 84, bought the Atlanta-born reality star’s jewelry in March 2007 using funds from a customer escrow account and claimed it was case-related expenses, Us reported in February 2022, citing court documents in the case.
Girardi initially claimed the earrings had been stolen, but they were said to be in a safe.
Ronald Richards told US at the time that Jayne “was trying to argue that too much time had passed and that it was the company’s former customers who should be making this claim, not the trustee.”
“The court dismissed that argument, saying the trustee could issue a warrant to sell the earrings and forfeited all of Erika’s rights in the earrings.”
Richards noted that the court “found that the company had embezzled the funds” and that “the earrings were property of the estate.”
Richards told Page Six in June 2022 that “the verdict was an important milestone in the quest to recover the assets stolen by the Girardis” and that “it doesn’t matter if Erika knew it was client funds stolen or.” not.”
Flashback: Jayne and her now estranged husband Tom Girardi pictured in The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.
Girardi, 84, bought the Atlanta-born reality star’s jewelry in March 2007 using funds from a customer escrow account, claiming it was a case-related expense, according to court documents. He was pictured in LA in 2018
Ronald Richards, an attorney who once worked for the trustee in the case, said on Twitter in December 2022 that “the earrings were sold for $250,000” to raise money for Girardi’s alleged victims
Richards’ wife Lauren Boyette Richards was seen wearing the alleged earrings and said she bought them at auction in a December 2022 Instagram post
Jayne’s attorney, Evan Borges, said the reality star “did nothing wrong” and would face consequences for Girardi’s wrongdoing.
“Erika again faces consequences for previous actions by Tom Girardi and Girardi Keese,” Borges told the magazine. “Indeed, the judge specifically found that Erika had no fault or knowledge of the actions of Tom Girardi and his partners at the law firm. Tom Girardi, the lawyer, did that.
“Legally, the judge’s decision raises an important question as to whether the law allows transactions from 15 years ago to be reexamined to take away a gift received from an innocent spouse.” But that’s for a higher court to decide.”
Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in November 2020, after 21 years of marriage, just before the first lawsuit was filed.
She said at the time, “After much deliberation, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi.” This is not a move to be taken lightly or lightly. I have great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we’ve built together.”
Jayne was originally named along with her estranged spouse in Edelson PC’s December 2020 class action lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges the couple’s fraud and embezzlement in connection with $2 million in settlement funds earmarked for victims of the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash, which killed all 189 people on board .
In January 2022, she was released from the pending lawsuit against Girardi in Illinois.
Girardi lived in a nursing home after being diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s and in July 2021 he was admitted to a nursing home by his brother Robert.