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Erika Jayne Feels ‘Betrayed’ as Estranged Husband Tom Girardi’s Legal Drama Plays Out: ‘She Completely Trusted Him’ (Exclusive)

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans have been shocked by the legal drama surrounding Tom Girardi in recent weeks, and according to a source, Erika Jayne may have not known the full story either.

Related: RHOBH’s Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi’s Divorce: Everything We Know So Far

“Erika was completely unaware of the very serious allegations that were being made against Tom in court,” the source claims, referring to the alleged failure to turn over settlement money to his clients from a 2018 plane crash. “Tom always handled all of the finances and that was how they handled things. Erika feels betrayed by Tom because she completely trusted him.”

Erika Jayne Feels Betrayed Amid Tom Girardi Legal Drama
Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi Matt Baron/Shutterstock; YouTube

According to the insider, the 49-year-old reality TV personality never thought her 81-year-old spouse “could be capable of doing what he has been accused of in court.”

Related: Every ‘Real Housewives’ Couple Who Filed for Divorce After Appearing on TV

The source adds, “She is just reeling from all of this, but make no mistake. Erika is a tough cookie and she isn’t stupid. She will get through this.”

Us confirmed in November that Erika filed for divorce from Tom after 21 years of marriage. “After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi,” she said in a statement to Us on November 3. “This is not a step taken lightly or easily. I have great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we built together. It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserve. I request others give us that privacy as well.”

Later that month, class action firm Edelson PC claimed Erika and Tom’s divorce was a “sham,” alleging that the pair “are on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds.”

According to court documents obtained by Us, the lawsuit also alleged that the former couple embezzled settlement money for families of the victims of Lion Air Flight 610, which killed all 189 occupants in a 2018 crash. While Erika is set to testify in the case in January 2021, Tom appeared via a virtual hearing for the case in September.

Related: Real Housewives’ Legal Troubles Through the Years

“At one point I had about $80 million or $50 million in cash. That’s all gone. I don’t have any money,” he told the judge, per the Los Angeles Times, claiming that he hasn’t “taken a penny in salary out of the firm for more than two years.”

More recently, a judge froze Tom’s assets at a December hearing. Tom’s team of attorneys also revealed that they wanted him to undergo a mental examination, suggesting he didn’t understand the gravity of the case. According to the paperwork, Tom “couched everything” related to the fraud case in July as he was forced to be away from his firm amid a secret “illness” that left him hospitalized.

In addition to the fraud lawsuit, Tom’s business partners Robert Keese, Robert Finnerty and Jill O’Callahan recently took legal action against him, alleging he never paid them approximately $315,000 in income from the partnership. News broke earlier this month that Wells Fargo filed a lawsuit against Tom and his Girardi Keese firm, claiming the group owes the bank more than $882,000.

Erika has yet to publicly comment on the legal drama. Earlier on Friday, December 18, sources told Us that she believes Tom has been unfaithful to her. Us Weekly reached out to Tom for comment.

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