Where Is Erika Jayne's Ex Tom Girardi Now? Inside the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 'Alum's Life 5 Years After His Fraud Scandal
In 2020, famed lawyer Tom Girardi was accused of stealing from clients
Girardi was previously married to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, who filed for divorce in 2020
On June 3, Girardi was sentenced to seven years in prisonTom Girardi was once a powerhouse attorney known for suing large corporations and extracting huge settlements for his clients. Now, he will go to prison for seven years for stealing from them.
On June 3, Girardi was sentenced by a federal judge in the Central District of California. In August 2024, he was convicted of four counts of wire fraud after embezzling millions from his clients.
Girardi — who was portrayed in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich — began experiencing his personal and professional downfall in late 2020. That November, his wife of 21 years, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, filed for divorce.
Within the next month, the once-famed lawyer found himself in the center of a complicated web of legal controversies: He was accused of stealing client funds for his own personal spending; he was sued by his former law firm partners; and his law firm, Girardi Keese, was forced into involuntary bankruptcy.
Girardi was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease in March 2021, and placed under the conservatorship of his younger brother, Robert, in July. In 2022, Girardi was officially disbarred by the state of California after being investigated for more than 200 disciplinary matters over his 40-year law career. In February 2023, he was indicted by two separate federal grand juries — one in Los Angeles and one in Chicago — for allegedly misappropriating $18 million in client settlement money, according to the Los Angeles Times. (A judge later dismissed the charges in the Chicago case ahead of his California sentencing, per Reuters.)
Here is everything to know about where Tom Girardi is now — from the status of his legal woes to his future behind bars.
After Girardi was indicted on five counts of wire fraud by a federal jury in California in February 2023, his legal team argued that the disbarred lawyer was incompetent to stand trial due to his declining mental state. But in January 2024, a judge declared Girardi competent to stand trial.
During Girardi's 13-day 2024 trial, Girardi spoke publicly about the fraud and embezzlement charges against him for the first time when he took the stand to testify in his own defense. According to the Los Angeles Times, the disgraced lawyer denied any wrongdoing while testifying, insisting that 'every client got every penny that every client was supposed to get.'
Girardi and his lawyers attempted to shift the blame to Christopher Kamon, the CFO of the now-closed law firm. In their closing arguments, Girardi's defense team portrayed their client as an 'elderly man with cognitive decline' and alleged that the theft of client money was 'Mr. Kamon's scheme,' the Los Angeles Times reported. Prosecutors, however, painted Girardi as the 'thief in chief' who ran a 'house of cards ... built on lies.'
In 2024, Girardi was found guilty of embezzling more than $15 million from his clients over a span of 10 years.
The jury deliberated for just four hours, according to the Los Angeles Times, and voted to convict Girardi on four counts of federal wire fraud. One juror, Miguel Lopez, said that the verdict 'wasn't a hard decision,' per the Los Angeles Times.
'Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a 'Champion of Justice,' ' United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement following the guilty verdict. 'In reality, he was a Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from the needy to support a lavish, Hollywood lifestyle. Today's verdict shows that the game is up — we can all now see this defendant for what he was and the victims he callously betrayed.'
On June 3, Girardi was sentenced to seven years in prison, after facing up to 80 years. He was also ordered to pay $2.3 million in restitution to victims and a $35,000 fine, according to NBC News.
U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton issued the sentence, decrying Girardi for using clients' settlement money on "private jets and country clubs," per the Los Angeles Times.
In a victim impact statement, Joseph Ruigomez — who enlisted Girardi's help after suffering burns over 90% of his body in a 2010 gas line explosion — said that Girardi was 'supposed to be a beacon of hope.' Instead, the case turned into a years-long 'a nightmare,' according to the Los Angeles Times.
Erika spoke out on her former husband's legal woes in an interview with Extra's Billy Bush in November 2024.
'Tom was convicted and that was hard,' she said. 'You know, it's hard to see someone that you loved and respected and honored end like this."
She continued, 'But I also really have to let go and move on. There's nothing left for me there, I can do nothing about it. It's beyond my control. But what I can control is the future of my life.'
Erika filed for divorce from Girardi in November 2020 after 21 years of marriage. While they are legally separated, their divorce has stalled due to Girardi's conservatorship and legal troubles.
Girardi has been ordered to surrender to authorities by July 17, according to The Guardian.
Girardi's lawyers have plans to appeal his conviction, per the Los Angeles Times.
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