Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi divorce: What's going on with the RHOBH star's split?

The divorce between Real Housewives' Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi, the powerful attorney, has been anything but glitz and glam. Instead, it's full of legal woes, embezzlement and fraud, and plenty of he-said, she-said. 

If you're curious about the latest developments or how they will affect her time in the Bravo spotlight, read on for updates. 

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Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi divorce—what caused it?

Erika Jayne, 50, and her husband Tom Girardi, 82, have been idolized on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since she joined the reality show in 2015. Despite their considerable age difference, it appeared that the two were happily in love. However, that facade began to crumble in late 2020. After roughly 20 years of marriage, news of their divorce broke last November.

“It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved,” Erika Jayne stated, according to Page Six. “I request others give us that privacy as well.”

At the time, fans believed different schedules and priorities drove them apart. But soon after the details unfolded, shocking financial allegations against the prominent attorney also began to surface. Many had alleged that he had stolen money from various clients, which is the main focus of the Hulu documentary titled The Housewife & the Hustler, a look inside the legal drama.

Cheating allegations against Tom Girardi were also brought to light at the end of 2020, as well as his declining health; Girardi had been hospitalized late in the year and has been diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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Erika Jayne Hulu doc: "The Housewife and the Hustler"

"The Housewife and the Hustler"—which debuted on Hulu on June 14th— gives Tom Girardi's alleged victims a chance to share their stories. According to US Weekly, viewers meet Joe Ruigomez, who was severely injured in the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. Ruigomez is accusing Girardi of robbing him of millions of dollars of settlement money. 

The Hulu doc also dives into a rather disturbing accusation that the couple embezzled settlement funds that had been intended for the families of victims killed in Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018. Many believe that the divorce between Girardi and Erika Jayne is simply a coverup for their financial trouble. 

“While Erika publicly filed for divorce on information and belief, that ‘divorce’ is simply a sham attempt to fraudulently protect Tom's and Erika’s money from those that seek to collect on debts owed by Tom and his law firm GK,” class action firm Edelson PC claimed in court documents, according to US Weekly. 

Additionally, people are making the argument that Erika Jayne could not have been entirely out of the loop when it came to Girardi's financial difficulties. Reportedly, Girardi updated the courts about his finances and said: "At one point I had about $80 million or $50 million in cash. That’s all gone. I don’t have any money."

Meanwhile, Erika Jayne was subpoenaed to give a deposition about her and her husband's finances in May 2020 and September 2020, but that deposition has yet to come to fruition. 

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Tom Girardi conservatorship

The term "conservatorship" has been tossed around quite a bit as of late, what with all of the hoopla over the Britney Spears conservatorship hearing, and now Tom Girardi is the latest celebrity to enter into a legal agreement due to a neurocognitive disorder, according to Page Six. As of July 2021, Tom's brother Robert has been appointed as the head of Tom's estate.

Tom Girardi net worth: How much is at stake?

This divorce will be a doozy, especially where money is involved. When it comes to Tom Girardi's net worth, there are differing reports out there. Just a few years ago, back in 2015, Girardi was reportedly worth a whopping $264 million.

However, Girardi and his law firm were forced into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy in December 2020. He is reportedly worth $100,000.

What does this all mean for Real Housewives? 

Erika Jayne is planning to air it all out during her confessionals on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; season 11 is currently underway on Bravo. 

Ahead of the RHOBH's July 14th episode, Jayne—without any reference—tweeted: "I watched these people talk about me on TV like we were friends. Truth is, I don’t know them. Bizarre." She also included a GIF of Heath Ledger as The Joker from The Dark Knight. 

Although it's not entirely clear what she is referring to, it seems there might be trouble in paradise for her and her co-stars. 

"It's lonely and it's quiet, and you would be shocked how quickly people turn on you, how quickly people distance themselves from you," Jayne reveals in a confessional, according to E! News. "Automatically they turn because they don't want to be involved. But they were there when it was good, though." 

She's also likely going to dive into details about her divorce in the July 14th episode, particularly to costar Kyle Richards, as previews suggest. 

"Tom is a proud man,” Jayne discloses in the preview. “One of the reasons I filed for divorce is the resistance to anything. The resistance to a conversation, the resistance to, ‘Hey, you know, I noticed that you can’t see well.'”

Stay tuned for more details about Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi as this season of RHOBH continues!