Erika Jayna aka Erika Girardi has filed an appeal after a judge ordered her to return a pair of diamond earrings estranged husband Tom Girardi bought for her over 15 years ago.
via Page Six:
Jayne, 51, also elected to have her appeal heard by the United States District Court rather than the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, per court documents obtained by Page Six.
In his June 28 ruling, Judge Barry Russell determined that Jayne’s earrings were purchased with “settlement funds from the trust account created for a class-action handled by Thomas’ firm Girardi Keese.”
And while Russell said he did not believe the Bravolebrity was aware that the jewels were bought with misappropriated money, he still ordered her to hand them over to the trustee presiding over the Chapter 7 bankruptcy case involving the now-defunct Girardi Keese.
Girardi, 83, bought the earrings in March 2007 for $750,000, allegedly using money from a client trust account. They are reportedly now worth $1.4 million.
“Once again, Erika is facing consequences for past actions taken by Tom Girardi and Girardi Keese. Erika did nothing wrong,” Jayne’s lawyer, Evan Borges, told Us Weeklylast month.
“Legally, the judge’s decision raises an important issue of whether the law allows revisiting transactions of 15 years ago to take away a gift received by an innocent spouse,” Borges added. “But that’s for a higher court to decide.”
After Girardi Keese was forced into bankruptcy, the court-appointed trustee sued Jayne for $25 million over the money Girardi allegedly stole from the firm and funneled into her company, EJ Global.
The reality star maintains she had no knowledge of her estranged husband’s alleged crimes and denies any wrongdoing.
Jayne, who filed for divorce in November 2020, is also facing a $50 million racketeering lawsuit and a $2.1 million “aiding and abetting” suit.
Do you believe Erika should be forced to return the earrings?
