Embattled reality star Erika Jayne was spotted for the first time since reports surfaced she had spent $25million of Girardi Keese money on personal expenses.
The 50-year-old Real Housewife was seen looking rather chipper all things considered as she left a dance class in West Hollywood on Friday afternoon.
Prior to her spending receipts being exposed she had claimed on the current season of the hit Bravo show that she was ‘kept away from the books’ with regards to ex Tom Girardi’s legal woes, and has now been on the receiving end of death threats.
Stepping out: The Real Housewife, 50, was seen leaving a dance class in West Hollywood on Friday afternoon in first spotting since it was revealed just days ago that she had spent $25 Million of Girardi & Keese money
Erika was seen exiting her dance class wearing black leggings and a royal blue Adidas shirt with a pair of APL sneakers.
She carried a black leather purse that was stuffed with personal belongings and a water bottle after what looked to be an intense movement session.
Her platinum tresses were left down and she shielded her face behind oversized black sunglasses as she clasped the keys to her Range Rover.
And while leaving she refused to answer any questions about her ongoing legal battle but said she was ‘hanging in.’
‘Hanging in’: Erika refused to answer any questions about her ongoing legal battle but said she was ‘hanging in’
Just days ago it was revealed that Erika had racked up a $25million spending bill that was split between American Express charges and money poured into her electro-pop career between 2008 and 2020.
A legal demand letter obtained by Page Six on August 19 alleged that immense funds were transferred from estranged husband Girardi’s law firm directly into her personal company, EJ Global LLC.
And despite claiming on the current season of the hit Bravo show that she was ‘kept away from the books’ — even with regards to financial dealings of her own LLC — the letter read that she ‘approved the charges.’
‘Mrs. Girardi signed under penalty of perjury the return and personally approved the charges allocated to the breakdown,’ the letter read in excerpt.
Hefty bill: Days ago it was revealed that Erika had racked up a $25 million spending bill that was split between American Express charges and money poured into her electro-pop career between 2008 and 2020
Her attorney fired back: ‘No money whatsoever went to Erika’ and maintained that she never had a role in managing her now bankrupt husband’s company.
The breakdown of her hefty spending bill — which utilized settlement money intended for orphans and widows — reads as such:
$14,259,012.84 charged to her American Express card, $1,532,774.88 spent at the McDonald Selznick Associates Agency (which represents dancers and choreographers) and an additional $1,417,587.50 on unknown purchases.
As more information about the embezzlement scandal — and Jayne’s alleged involvement — continues to pour out, Erika has now been on the receiving end of death threats.
On Friday August 20, she put a few trolls on blast via Instagram after she received comments such as: ‘@theprettymess needs to be executed.’
Death threats: After one troll told her she needed to be ‘executed’ she clapped back: ‘Trying to kill me now? Stop threatening my life’
‘More threats’: Another troll DMd her ‘Feeling scared yet? The further the season gets, the more you should be worried about being in public …. talk about a marked woman’
She commented back: ‘Trying to kill me now? Stop threatening my life.’
A second DM read: ‘Feeling scared yet? The further the season gets, the more you should be worried about being in public …. talk about a marked woman.’
On the most recent episode of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, her upper echelon friends began to question how much she knew about the use of victim settlement money after a scathing LA Times expose.
Despite her spending receipts spanning over a decade, she had claimed that she only saw a difference in husband Tom’s mental state over the course of the last three years, and seemed to ascertain that to his misuse of funds.
Unfolding: On the most recent episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills her friends inquired how much she knew about Tom’s utilization of victim settlement money to which she replied ‘I was kept away from the books’
In cahoots? Despite her spending receipts spanning over a decade, she had claimed that she only saw a difference in husband Tom’s mental state over the course of the last three years and seemed to ascertain that to his misuse of funds
And as Erika continued to maintain that his financial dealings were ‘kept very far away from me,’ she confessed: ‘Credit cards. Life was on credit cards and I would get cash from Tom. He always had cash on him.’
In September 2020 — two months before she filed to divorce Tom — he explained: ‘At one point, I had about $80 million or $50 million in cash’ before saying it was ‘all gone’.
His firm Girardi Keese has now begun to auction off a handful of Erika Jayne personal memorabilia and collectibles including art and furniture to pay creditors amid the bankruptcy case.
Down he goes: The once prominent lawyer was placed under a temporary conservatorship in February after it was said he is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and is unable to care for his own personal or financial matters — which Jayne ascertained to his misuse of victim funds; pictured 2014
As the very complicated inner workings of the embezzlement scandal continue to unfold both on and off screen, producers of the Bravo show are now ‘prepared’ to turn over any and all footage.
‘Producers are aware that the legal case is only going to intensify and are prepared, if asked by the courts, to help the discovery process by releasing unaired footage/multimedia of the Girardi’s,’ a source told The Sun on August 7.
As it was said that ‘anything Erika says on the show is being scrutinized by the lawyers,’ it was added that although they are on ‘[her] side,’ ‘they want to help the case and do what’s right.’
Lavish lifestyle: The breakdown of Erika’s $25 million reads: $14,259,012.84 charged to her American Express card, $1,532,774.88 spent at the McDonald Selznick Associates Agency (which represents dancers and choreographers) and an additional $1,417,587.50 on unknown purchases; pictured May 2021