How Can RHOBH's Erika Jayne Afford Her Lifestyle After Filing For Divorce From Bankrupt Lawyer Tom Girardi?

Summary

• Erika Jayne clarified she has not been charged with a crime and denied knowingly pocketing funds meant for plane crash victims.
• Erika's move to a smaller rental home after leaving Tom Girardi's mansion was quick and marked by uncertainty and instability.
• Erika revealed unsettling moments in her marriage to Tom, including pressure to please and feeling grateful despite insensitive comments.

Before Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky's controversial separation in season 13, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills saw a shocking twist when Erika Jayne, 53, filed for divorce from Tom Girardi, 85, in season 11. The next season, Erika embraced the "villain" title as she remained unapologetic when the cast turned on her (except Lisa Rinna) due to her alleged involvement in Tom's embezzlement charges.

The XXPEN$IVE singer clarified that she had "not been charged of any crime". She said "there was never $20 whatever million dollars in my LLC," referring to claims that she knowingly pocketed the funds intended for the plane crash victims of Lion Air Flight 610 who Tom represented.

Fans then witnessed Erika's "downfall" — from drinking problems to "out of touch" statements about downsizing, which included moving to a smaller home in a still-expensive neighborhood, opting out of jewelry purchases, and being surprised by her therapy bill and pool heating costs. Here's how she manages to keep up with her co-stars' glamorous lifestyles.

Erika Jayne Moved To A $9,500 Rental After Leaving Tom Girardi's $13 Million Mansion In 2020

In a June 2021 episode of RHOBH, Erika revealed that she'd found a new home and moved out of Tom's 74,914 square-foot estate Pasadena mansion (seen above) all in one day. "After finding a place to go to, I dropped Tom off at work, and I went home and moved out... so I was out within the day," she said. "It's frightening when you think about it."

She continued: "It's the uncertainty and the instability of being really out on your own... so it all of a sudden live somewhere else, to know that you're never going home."

Erika moved into a 2,015-square-foot rental, reportedly listed for $9,500 a month and worth $2,408,937, per Zillow. It's a 1920s Spanish-style, three-bedroom bungalow, which the How Many F**s hitmaker described as her "little baby doll house" during an episode of the show in August 2021.

"I love that it's a little Spanish bungalow with a cute pool in the back and a cabana," she said of her new crib, located in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles. "It's just big enough for my dog and myself. And it's adorable. It's like a little baby doll house. And I have fun there."

During her new home tour, Erika also spilled disturbing moments in her marriage, like when Tom joked to a friend, "If you think you can afford her, you can have her." Reflecting on that time, she said, "It flew right out of this mouth... but I didn't tell anybody because he supported me when there was nothing."

Erika explained: "There's always that underlying pressure of wanting to please someone that's provided for you. I felt like I should shut up and be grateful to an extent."

Erika Jayne has an estimated net worth of $5 million while Tom Girardi's $264 million fortune is reportedly down to $100,000 following his fraud lawsuits.

'The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Is Now Erika Jayne's Main Source Of Income Where She Makes $600,000 A Season

During the season 11 reunion of RHOBH, Erika admitted to Andy Cohen that the show is now her main source of income. The reality star started making $600,000 that season — the highest on the show. In season 10, she made $500,000, which was also the amount Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna made back then.

Before joining RHOBH in season 6, Erika worked as a dancer at go-go clubs in New Jersey and auditioned for shows like Law & Order, where she played the first dead person on the show.

In October 2021, a source told Us Weekly that Erika was set to get a raise in season 12. "It's going to be much more next season," they said, adding that there was "no question" Erika would "demand a higher paycheck" because she was the "sole focus this season."

"The ratings were off the charts because of her storyline and what she's exposed."

In 2017, Erika told Andy that she and Tom didn't have a prenup. "I'm married to a very powerful lawyer. A prenup wouldn't stand in his way anyway," she said. "So it doesn't matter whether you had one or you didn't, it's gonna be all Tom's way, I assure you." In November 2020, Erika requested spousal support from the now-disbarred lawyer. She also asked the court to have Tom pay for her legal fees and block him from seeking spousal support from her.

Tom reportedly requested to terminate the court's ability to award spousal support to his estranged wife, and then asked her to pay for his attorney's fees. In January 2021, Tom's brother, Robert Girardi filed to be his financial conservator because the former attorney was "not capable of making rational decisions" due to his Alzheimer's. In the show, Erika said that Tom was indeed in a "loop" during his last interactions with the cast.

Here's a timeline of Erika and Tom's scandalous relationship:

Erika Jayne Still Faces Legal Troubles After Being Dismissed From Tom Girardi's $2 Million Fraud Lawsuit In 2022

While Tom is set to go on trial in August, Erika continues to face some legal troubles of her own. In March, Marco Marco designer, Chris Psaila reportedly filed a lawsuit against the reality star, Secret Service, and American Express. "Tom Girardi was going bankrupt, and used client settlement funds from his law firm, Girardi Keese, to pay for his and Erika Girardi’s extravagant lifestyle and personal bills," he claimed in his $18.2 million lawsuit.

"Thus, both Erika Girardi and Tom Girardi had a compelling reason to illegally claim that Chris Psaila and Marco Marco had defrauded them," Chris continued, also alleging that "AMEX accepted Erika Girardi's false statements of unauthorized charges and refunded Erika Girardi and Tom Girardi $787,117.88, depriving Chris Psaila of the opportunity to dispute her claims."

Lastly, Chris accused Tom of using his connection with the head of the L.A. office, Lorenzo Robert Savage III, to arrange for Secret Sevice to "recklessly investigate" Erika's claims. This was about his 2017 legal battle with the Pretty Mess performer who wore a wire to get Chris to admit that he "had stolen upwards of 800,000 from them," per his recollection.

In RHOBH season 12, Erika said, "I wore a wire, and was a witness in a government case." Chris acknowledged "excess billing" of "just over $100,000," which he blamed on his bookkeeper. The previous charges against him, which included nine counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, were dropped in 2021. In February 2024, a judge denied Erika's motion to dismiss Chris' lawsuit.

Erika Jayne said she hasn't spoken to Tom Girardi since he was deemed competent to stand trial on January 2, 2024.