REAL Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne’s ex-husband Tom Girardi will NOT testify at an upcoming lawsuit hearing.
The 82-year-old has been accused of “stealing millions from plane crash orphans.”
The Lion Air Flight 610 case hearing- which is scheduled to take place in September- revolves around a December 2020 lawsuit that accused Tom and his law firm of misappropriating funds that were intended for families of the victims of the Lion Air plane crash.
According to Law360, Tom told a Chicago federal judge on Monday that he will invoke his right to remain silent if he is called to the stand.
The outcome of the case does not look good for Tom, as the defense team found that $2million in settlement funds were missing.
Following the shocking conclusion, the judge found both Girardi and his firm, Girardi Keese, in contempt and froze their assets.
TOM’S LEGAL DRAMA
Back in December 2020, the class action firm Edelson PC claimed in court documents that Tom and Erika, 50, embezzled millions in settlement funds that were intended for the Lion Air families.
A report filed by an independent trustee investigating the firm’s assets claimed Tom’s company is in major debt and still owes $26million to “anywhere from dozens to hundreds of clients.”
Additionally, the firm accused the former couple of announcing their divorce as a way to protect their assets.
DIVERSION?
The RHOBH star filed for divorce from Tom in November after 21 years of marriage.
Shortly after their split was confirmed, the former couple have been hit with a number of lawsuits.
Despite claiming she wasn’t aware of Tom’s wrongdoings, the Bravo star has found herself at the center of the legal drama.
Erika was previously accused of “hiding her bank statements,” as a trustee’s special litigation counsel confirmed that Tom’s law firm transferred an eye-opening $20 million to the Bravo star’s many businesses.
The RHOBH star even appeared to create one of the businesses after news broke of the embezzlement scandal.
Following the split, she moved out of their $7 million mansion and into a $1 million condo.
REAL DRAMA
The pair’s legal drama has been heavily documented during the recent season of RHOBH.
During Wednesday’s new episode, Erika stormed off set crying while on a group trip to La Quinta as her costars learned of her alleged involvement in ex Tom “Ponzi scheme.”
The TV personality broke down in tears and locked herself in the bathroom during a discussion about Tom’s legal troubles.
She later got up and abruptly left, declaring she’s “going home” back to Los Angeles.
The blonde TV personality left the house in tears as she exited earlier than expecting – leaving her friends stunned and wondering if there’s “more to the story.”
The following morning, an article by the Los Angeles Times came out that called Tom’s situation a “ponzi scheme.”
The article reported that Tom was “improperly funneling” over $20 MILLION into Erika’s entertainment business LLC.
