Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty
Erika Girardihas been asked to turn over a set of $750,000 diamond earrings as a bankruptcy trustee continues to investigate her estranged husbandTomand his former law firm.
As such, the trustee has requested the earrings be returned and sold in order to pay off Tom’s creditors.
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In a statement to PEOPLE, Erika’s lawyer, Evan C. Borges, said theReal Housewives of Beverly Hillscast member, 50, “innocently” received the earrings from her ex.
Erika and Tom Girardi.Steve Eichner/AP
A source tells PEOPLE that the Bravo reality star is “frustrated that she’s being yet again falsely accused of something that she didn’t do,” adding, “She’s been wearing the earrings on the show so it’s not like nobody knew about it.”
Erika’s legal team also filed a response to the trustee’s request on Wednesday, claiming that Erika had no knowledge about where the money for the earrings came from and that it is not clear whether the funds were indeed taken from a client account.
“Erika will agree and has agreed to hold and not transfer or sell the earrings, to maintain the status quo,” the document read. “As a showing of good faith, Erika will provide the earrings to a third party escrow to be held in trust pending the trustee finishing her investigation and, if there is a dispute at that point, until a final order is entered determining the parties' rights.”
The document also stated, “Erika, a non-attorney who had no role in managing GK, should not have to be the one arguing for full investigations and discovery into what GK did in the past. The trustee seeks to blame Erika for events of 15 years ago at a law firm in which Erika had no part.”
Erika Girardi.Amy Sussman/Getty
The legal drama surrounding Erika and Tom, 82, began when shefiled for divorcefrom him in November 2020 after 21 years of marriage.
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Tom’s law partner, Robert Keese, and former business partners alsosuedTom around the same time, leading to the chapter 7 bankruptcy petition.
Erika has been accused of conspiring with Tom and using her “notoriety” tohide assetsas a bankruptcy trustee investigates him and his firm.
Amid the ongoing scandal, Tom wasdiagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s diseaseand was placed under atemporary conservatorshiplast February, which was thenmade permanentmonths later that July. He is currentlyliving in a “skilled nursing facility,“court documents previously revealed.
source: people.com
