Erika Jayne wants you to know that despite how it appears at times, she does have empathy for the alleged victims of her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s crimes.
via Page Six:
“Of course I have empathy for them,” she exclusively tells Page Six. “I had empathy for them then, and I have empathy for them now. And I trust that they will be taken care of.”
Jayne is referencing the individuals, including widows and orphans, who lost loved ones in 2018’s Lion Air Flight 610 crash, whom disbarred attorney Girardi, 82, allegedly stiffed out of settlement funds.
The “XXPEN$IVE” singer — who filed for divorce from Girardi in November 2020 after 21 years of marriage — has faced myriad questions from her castmates about her knowledge of her ex’s alleged wrongdoings.
“Listen, I want to be very clear here: I have cooperated fully with everything,” she tells us. “Despite what is out there in blogs or tweets or anything on social media, please understand that I’ve cooperated fully.”
In the extended teaser for “RHOBH” Season 12, Jayne and co-star Crystal Kung Minkoff get into a heated argument over the Jayne’s ongoing legal woes.
“You want to be on the side of the victims because you think it’s cool!” An exasperated Jayne tells Kung Minkoff. “I don’t give a f–k about anybody else but me!”
Jayne claims the outburst came after incessant needling from the women of “Beverly Hills,” including Kung Minkoff as well as pals Sutton Stracke and Garcelle, who have notably pressed Jayne the most about the situation.
“I think you also need to remember that I’m fighting with one hand behind my back. I’ve walked right up to the line of what I can and cannot say. And so I tend to get frustrated when I’ve said all I can,” she explains.
“And I can’t say anymore, yet I’m continuously being pressed about it. That’s why you see me [have an outburst],” Jayne elaborates. “And let’s be honest. That’s what they love more than anything, is to needle me because they know I can’t say anything.”
Despite Jayne and Kung Minkoff’s explosive interaction, the latter “Real Housewife” recently told Page Six that they were able for forge a stronger friendship throughout filming.
“Erika was actually very helpful for me this season. She helped me a lot when I was going through my conflicts with others in the cast,” said the Real Coco founder, who believes Jayne regrets blowing up at her.
“I didn’t like any of that that she was saying in that moment. I don’t think anyone did. And I don’t even think Erika did. Everyone has their own regrets,” she elaborated. “The night she was yelling at me and the girls, she wanted to take that back.”
One month after Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi — now an Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patient living in a memory care facility — the estranged couple was sued by Edelson PC for allegedly embezzling the money meant for the families affected by Lion Air Flight 610.
Jayne denied the charges against her and was dismissed from the fraud lawsuit in January. However, she is now facing a $50 million racketeering lawsuit and a $2.1 million “aiding and abetting” lawsuit.
Jayne tells Page Six that she hopes to emerge victorious from her court-related miseries.
‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ airs Wednesday at 8pm ET on Bravo.
