Here's What We Know About RHOBH's Erika Girardi's Lawsuit

Nearly everyone was shocked to learn Erika Girardi and her husband of over 20 years, Tom Girardi, were divorcing. The star said in a statement last month, "After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage...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. It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved I request others give us that privacy as well." Previously, it seems like Gerardi didn't have a negative thing to say about her husband. In fact, she went to great lengths to defend her relationship, saying at one point, "I mean, I'm tired of having to justify my 20-year marriage. Yeah I married a guy that's 33 years older than me and yeah he's got a lot of money, but you know what? He's a f-----g good man. And that is the most important thing." But now, some sources are claiming that the shocking divorce is actually a pretense to protect Tom's assets in the wake of massive debt — and that he may even be attempting to embezzle money from plane crash victims, according to Page Six. These wild accusations are part of a lawsuit brought by Edelson PC, which is a class-action firm that represents a number of Lion Air Flight 610 crash victims' family members. The suit, filed Wednesday, alleges that Tom and his law firm, Girardi Keese, embezzled millions of dollars while settling claims for clients. According to the suit, Girardi Keese is, quote, "on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds." And thus, the suit says to protect his assets, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills couple is engaged in a sham divorce. The lawsuit elaborates on this claim, alleging, "While Erika publicly filed for divorce this month, on information and belief, that 'divorce' is simply a sham attempt to fraudulently protect Tom's and Erika's money from those that seek to collect on debts owed by Tom and his law firm GK." The divorce is also an attempt to make sure Tom, quote, "continues to use that money to fund his and Erika's lavish lifestyle, release personal guarantees, pay down loans, route the money to friends and family and satisfy other outstanding debts." It's no secret that Erika, known professionally as Erika Jayne, enjoys expensive things, with the star writing in her memoir, Pretty Mess, "After our engagement, Tom said, 'Listen, I'll buy you anything you want. I don't care what it is. You name it.' Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lawsuit also cites the "opulent and expensive" lifestyle of the star couple, specifically mentioning Erika's $40,000 per month spending habit, with assets such as a private jet, a $5,000 toilet, and a $250,000 car. While we don't know the veracity of the lawsuit's claims, they are extremely shocking. We also don't know if the eyebrow-raising drama will be part of any storylines on RHOBH episodes. While Erika herself hasn't publicly commented on the lawsuit, she did post a picture of herself on Instagram with the caption, "High drama." It's worth noting the Girardis do not have a prenup, with Erika telling Andy Cohen previously about her husband, "A prenup wouldn't stand in his way anyway… It's gonna be all Tom's way, I assure you. He'll rip that piece of paper to shreds in two seconds!" Also worthy of consideration is the fact that Erika asked for spousal support from Tom in the divorce filing, according to People. She also requested that she not have to pay support to him. Finally, a source told Us Weekly the divorce actually makes sense — so perhaps it isn't a sham. The source claimed, "They would travel separately. Tom gave Erika a very lavish lifestyle, and she enjoyed it. Erika has gained independence and confidence from being on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The exposure it has given for her singing career has given Erika a much larger fan base." #ErikaGirardi #RHOBH