Erika Jayne Lawsuit Update, The $25 Million Trial, the Designer Case, and Everything That Happened

Erika Jayne — RHOBH star and pop singer — is currently in the middle of one of the most high-stakes civil trials in reality TV history. A trial she refused to settle out of. Here is everything you need to know, explained simply and in order.

TL;DR — Quick Facts

	Main Lawsuit	Designer Lawsuit
Filed by	Elissa D. Miller (Bankruptcy Trustee)	Christopher Psaila (Marco Marco)
Amount	$25,592,261.26	$18 million
Trial date	February 10, 2026	Ongoing — oral arguments pending
Erika’s position	Denies all wrongdoing	Denies all wrongdoing
Status	Trial ongoing / just concluded	Active litigation

Who Is Erika Jayne?

If you’re new to this story, here’s the background you need.

Erika Jayne — real name Erika Girardi — is a singer and longtime cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She came onto RHOBH as the wife of respected attorney Tom Girardi, who was 33 years her senior. She had a singing career and her own chapel in their mansion.

In November 2020 she filed for divorce from Tom. That’s when everything unraveled — because Tom’s law firm collapsed at almost exactly the same time, and investigators started asking questions about where the money went.

In June 2025, Tom was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for wire fraud after embezzling millions from vulnerable clients, including widows and orphans. Erika has never been charged with any crime.

The Main Lawsuit: $25 Million Fraudulent Conveyance Case

What Is It?

As part of Tom’s bankruptcy, a trustee was appointed to investigate his now-defunct law firm Girardi Keese’s finances and recover assets for creditors. In their review, they alleged that more than $25 million was used to cover personal expenses for Erika’s entertainment company, EJ Global, over a 12-year span — including glam squads, luxury shopping, credit card bills, and jewelry.

The exact amount the trustee is seeking: $25,592,261.26.

Where Did the $25 Million Go?

Records submitted in court list over $14 million in American Express charges made directly by Erika, and an additional $11 million in vendor payments allegedly for her benefit. “The payments by Girardi’s law firm were exclusively for the benefit of Jayne and her company,” the trustee wrote. “The expenses consist largely of expenses to promote Erika personally.”

In plain terms — her glam team, her wardrobe, her entertainment career expenses, and luxury lifestyle bills were allegedly paid for using money stolen from Tom’s legal clients, including plane crash victims, widows, and orphans.

What Is Erika’s Defense?

Erika’s lawyer Evan Borges says: “There is no evidence — because it did not happen — that Erika, an entertainer who never worked at Girardi’s law firm, knew about or participated in any of the misconduct. It is undisputed that Erika never received even a penny from the transactions at issue. Her biggest mistake was putting trust in her then-husband.”

The trustee’s attorney Ronald Richards has countered: “We agree with her on that. However, she was the beneficiary of all of those payments and gave nothing in return for them — and that is the essence of a fraudulent conveyance action.”

The Trial

Settlement talks broke down completely. Attorney Ronald Richards posted on December 24, 2025: “Settlement talks have broken down completely between Erika Jayne and the Trustee. A motion was also filed to gut any remaining defenses she had due to admissions in the Psaila case. Erika has little options. Panic sitting in.”

A federal court judge set the trial date for February 10, 2026. The trial is expected to last 7 to 10 days.

As of February 20, 2026, the trial is either ongoing or has just concluded. No public verdict has been reported yet. This article will be updated when a ruling is announced.

Case details:

• Case: Miller v. Girardi (Erika), et al.
• Plaintiff: Elissa D. Miller, Bankruptcy Trustee
• Defendants: Erika Jayne and EJ Global LLC
• Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California
• Trial started: February 10, 2026

The Designer Lawsuit: $18 Million Case

This is the second major active lawsuit — and it’s messy.

Erika Jayne was sued by Marco Marco fashion designer Christopher Psaila, who says the RHOBH star used her husband’s Secret Service connections to swindle back nearly a million dollars in credit card charges that were actually legitimate. Psaila alleges that Tom Girardi conspired with three Secret Service agents to maliciously prosecute Psaila by falsely claiming charges were fraudulent.

A separate Florida lawsuit also alleges that an attorney used COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans to pay lawyers to defend Erika in related cases — then falsely claimed those funds were for employee salaries.

Erika’s motion to dismiss the Psaila case was denied, and oral arguments in related appeals are pending. The designer is seeking $18 million in damages.

What Happens If Erika Loses?

This is a civil case — not criminal. Erika faces no jail time. But if the court finds she must repay the $25 million, she could face financial insolvency. If found liable, Erika could be ordered to repay millions — money she may or may not have access to, depending on how deep this legal matter goes.

The money, if recovered, would go toward repaying Tom Girardi’s victims — the clients whose settlement money was allegedly stolen.

Full Timeline — How We Got Here

Date	Event
2008–2020	Girardi Keese allegedly pays Erika’s bills using client funds
November 2020	Erika files for divorce; Tom’s firm files for bankruptcy
April 2022	Bankruptcy trustee sues Erika for $25 million
2024	Tom Girardi convicted of wire fraud
June 2025	Tom sentenced to 87 months in federal prison
December 2025	Settlement talks collapse
February 10, 2026	Trial begins
February 20, 2026	Trial ongoing — no verdict yet

FAQs

What is Erika Jayne being sued for? The bankruptcy trustee of her ex-husband Tom Girardi’s law firm is suing her for $25,592,261.26, claiming the firm paid her personal and business expenses using money stolen from legal clients over 12 years.

Did Erika Jayne steal the money herself? No criminal charges have been filed against Erika. The lawsuit is a civil fraudulent conveyance claim — meaning the trustee argues she benefited from stolen money whether or not she knew it was stolen.

Has Erika Jayne been found guilty? No verdict has been announced as of February 20, 2026. The trial began February 10, 2026, and is expected to last 7 to 10 days.

Why didn’t Erika just settle? A source told The US Sun that Erika was “never going to settle” and would stand trial to clear her name. Settlement talks were attempted multiple times but broke down completely by December 2025.

Is Erika Jayne going to jail? No. This is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal case. Jail is not on the table. The worst outcome for Erika would be a court order to repay the $25 million.

What did Tom Girardi do? Tom Girardi was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison in June 2025 for wire fraud, after embezzling millions from vulnerable clients including widows and orphans.

What is the designer lawsuit about? Fashion designer Christopher Psaila is suing Erika for $18 million, claiming she falsely accused his company of credit card fraud and used her husband’s Secret Service connections to have him criminally prosecuted.

Where can I follow updates on the trial? The most current updates are being shared by attorney Ronald Richards on Instagram and reported by Us Weekly, Reality Blurb, and Reality Tea.

Last Updated: February 20, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. All information is based on publicly available court records and verified news reports. Allegations are not findings of guilt or wrongdoing. For legal advice, consult a licensed attorney.