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Credit: Jenny Kim/Bravo, SURQ/BACKGRID
Erika Jayne is reportedly going through a wave of emotions after her estranged husband, Thomas Girardi, was sentenced to more than seven years behind bars due to the charges he faced as a result of the millions he stole from former clients.
After Thomas, 86, was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud in August 2024 and sentenced to prison time earlier this month, an attorney for the 53-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has shed some light on how she’s coping.
“Erika spent many years with Tom, she is experiencing a wave of emotions. I’m sure she’s emotionally destroyed, but there’s a part of her that’s shut off and compartmentalized,” Jim Wilkes told The U.S. Sun on June 9. “If someone you loved and trusted, and everyone else told you to trust, broke every bit of trust you had in them and didn’t even tell you, covered it up, how would you feel?”
Jim, a longtime friend of Thomas, said he believed that the former powerhouse attorney was suffering from dementia, but he also felt that Thomas deserved to be in prison.
As for Erika, Jim explained that she likely had no opinion of whether Thomas should be in prison or a mental care facility.
“The court makes that decision and she wasn’t a part of this process,” he noted. “He’s been charged and sentenced to prison, that’s what happens to people who do this. Am I happy about it? No. I’m not happy to see anyone suffer. But Tom was a prominent figure and he did some stupid stuff, he deserves to be punished for what he did.”
“It looks like he did a lot for a long time. He lost everything. You have to deal with the consequences, the system is not perfect but I’m sure he’ll be in minimum security as he’s no threat, but prison is still prison,” Jim added.
According to Jim, when it comes to Erika and Thomas’ divorce, it is unlikely that it will ever happen now that Thomas’ mental health is dwindling and he’s behind bars. So, while separated, Erika will likely remain legally married to Thomas until he dies.
Following Thomas’ sentencing, prosecuting attorney Bill Essayli released a statement, viciously condemning Thomas’ past treatment of his clients.
“This self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’ was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of millions of dollars,” he said. “My office will vigorously prosecute corrupt lawyers and those who assist them in criminal activities.”
IRS special agent Tyler Hatcher also spoke out about the verdict, saying, “This sentencing brings a level of recompense for countless victims of Mr. Girardi’s long-running scheme to enrich himself on the backs of clients who trusted him in some of their worst days.”
“Mr. Girardi thought he could outsmart his victims and investigators, but this sentencing demonstrates criminals cannot evade the unrivaled acumen of IRS-CI special agents in following the money, as well as the effectiveness of our partnerships with fellow law enforcement organizations like the FBI,” he added.
