Erika Girardi And Tom Girardi's Marriage And Divorce As 'RHOBH' Fame Settles USD 25 Million Lawsuit

Erika Girardi has finally settled the long-running USD 25 million legal fight before the case could make it to trial. During a final pre-trial conference, Judge Anne Hwang said that "the case has settled", according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. However, the court records do not disclose the settlement amount.

The lawsuit was filed in 2021, when the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy of Girardi Keese, Tom Girardi's now-defunct law firm, accused Erika and her companies of using more than USD 25 million of the firm's funds for personal expenses. As the lawsuit finally gets settled, netizens have grown curious about Erika's marriage to Tom and what led to their divorce after 21 years. 

Tom Girardi first met Erika while she was waitressing

image credit: Steve Eichner/AP

Tom and Erika first met while she was cocktail-waitressing at the L.A. restaurant Chasen's. Tom was a regular there, and after a yearlong friendship, he asked Erika out on a date. They tied the knot at the establishment in 1999. For the unversed, Erika and Tom had a 33-year age gap. However, that didn't affect how they felt about each other. During a conversation with PEOPLE in 2018, Erika said:

"What was really important to me was my relationship. Tom wasn't going to change. He was a grown man. It really was two people coming together who really enjoy each other's company. Tom is so bright. He understands the trick to life. I love getting his advice."

Erika Girardi filed for divorce from Tom Girardi after 21 years of marriage

Erika filed for divorce from Tom on November 3, 2020, after 21 years of marriage. In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Erika wrote, "After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi. 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." According to Erika's divorce filing, obtained by PEOPLE, she had asked the court to make Tom pay spousal support and to terminate the court's ability to award spousal support to her ex-husband.

Erika revealed the pair did not have a prenup during an appearance on Andy Cohen's Then & Now in 2017. However, Tom responded to Erika's filing by asking the court to terminate its authority to award spousal support to Erika. He also requested that she pay the attorney fees and costs. Eventually, in July 2021, during an episode of RHOBH, Erika confirmed she would not receive any spousal support moving forward.

Erika Girardi allegedly filed for divorce due to Tom Girardi's infidelity

In December 2020, a source revealed to the media that the actual reason behind the couple's divorce was Tom's infidelity. The source shared that Tom was "cheating on her with multiple women," before adding that Erika claimed "she's known about his infidelity for years" but "wanted to try and save the marriage." The insider revealed that it was her last week on Broadway when Tom left her and was "frolicking around town instead of supporting her and attending her shows."

It was then that Erika realised she would never be a priority to him, and that was her breaking point. In a July 2021 episode of RHOBH, Erika Girardi revealed she "found the evidence" of Tom's "years-long" affairs through text messages and pictures on his phone. She even claimed that Tom didn't even deny the affairs, which acted as the final nail in their marriage.

Tom Girardi was diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease in March 2021

Almost a year after their divorce, Robert Girardi was appointed temporary conservator for his brother, Tom Girardi, amid ongoing legal and financial scandals. A month later, he was diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease during his divorce from Erika Jayne. However, while Tom initially opposed the conservatorship, a judge later ruled that he accepted the arrangement, giving Robert permanent control over his care and estate. By July 2021, he was shifted to a nursing facility, but unfortunately, his condition continued to deteriorate, which led to Tom being transferred to a restricted memory care unit in October 2022.

The December 2020 lawsuit and Tom Girardi's indictment

In December 2020, Edelson PC filed a federal lawsuit against Tom Girardi, his then-wife, Erika and his law firm, Girardi & Keese. The case alleged that Tom had embezzled settlement funds meant for the families of victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash. According to the complaint, Edelson PC claimed that the money, which was supposed to go to the widows and orphans left behind, was diverted to fund Tom and Erika's luxurious lifestyle. The lawsuit also claimed Erika's divorce filing was a strategy to protect their assets from creditors while Girardi's law firm faced financial collapse.

It was on December 14, 2020, when Tom was held in civil contempt after he failed to explain where the USD 2 million from the crash settlement went. A day later, Robert Keese, who was also his law partner, sued him for allegedly withholding partnership income and taking unauthorised loans for personal gain. Almost two years later, in February 2023, Tom was indicted on federal fraud charges, including wire fraud and contempt of court, for allegedly stealing more than USD 3 million. Since the scandal, Erika attempted to keep her distance from Tom. 

image credit: Bravo

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