Erika Jayne, a member of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, has been implicated in yet another lawsuit.
According to court records acquired by Us Weekly, Nicolas Cage’s ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton has filed a lawsuit against the 50-year-old Bravo star and five former Girardi & Keese attorneys for alleged fraud and theft.
On Friday, July 15, Fulton, 55, filed the paperwork, stating that Erika’s ex-husband Tom Girardi and two of his former coworkers had stolen her settlement money to sustain their own lifestyles.
The Hard Drive actress, who is Cage’s sibling and has a son named Weston, 31, hired the 83-year-old former lawyer and his business to represent her in a personal injury case after suffering injuries in a car accident in January 2016.
Fulton was given $924,300 as part of the settlement, but she claimed she was unaware of “where her money went until today.” According to court records acquired by Us, Fulton learned earlier this month that her previous attorney “lied to her” and that the settlement award had been “dissipated.”
Christina Fulton’s lawsuit also claims that the author of Pretty Mess received a piece of the settlement money through her EJ Global business. She thought Erika and Tom would treat the award money as “their own assets” and use it to support “their opulent lifestyle.” The suit is asking for damages of $750,000.
The reality TV personality hasn’t responded to Fulton’s lawsuit or accusations in the media yet.
After 20 years of marriage, the “Roller Coaster” singer filed for divorce from the Colorado native, which initially made headlines in November 2020.
One month later, the estranged couple was implicated in a fraud action where they were charged with stealing $2 million from plane crash victims’ settlement money. Throughout the legal dispute, Erika continues to document RHOBH and has maintained her innocence. Later, in January, complaints against her in Illinois were withdrawn, but other legal disputes are still pending.
In a subsequent complaint filed by Edelson PC earlier this month, the veteran of Broadway claimed to have “particular knowledge” of Tom’s alleged wrongdoings.
Erika was one of several defendants charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, fraud, aiding and abetting concealment of stolen property, and other offenses, according to the documents obtained by Us.
Edelson charged Erika in April with exploiting her public profile to “prolong” the legal proceedings. In a statement at the time, Jay Edelson from Edelson PC said, “We believe we will be able to prove to a jury that Tom’s organization was a long-running criminal enterprise, spanning over a decade and taking over $100 million, much of [which] went into sustaining Tom and Erika’s lavish lifestyle.”
The reality star has consistently denied knowing about Tom’s alleged transgressions.
“I am in the foreground. Erika previously spoke to Us in May about coping with the court’s processes. “I am the face of this instead of the lawyers that worked at the firm and referral attorneys and, you know, law funding people — instead they point to me,” she said.
“It has been challenging for my mental health. Of course. But once more, I was determined not to lose and continued to put up a fight in every manner.
