pretty mess

Erika Jayne Says She’s ‘Not a Victim’ in Fraud Scandal During RHOBH Reunion

Photo: Nicole Weingart/Bravo

We’re almost in the home stretch of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season-11 reunion — and Erika Jayne is finally getting serious about the legal scandal that surrounded her this season. On part three of the four-part special, which aired on October 27, Jayne spoke more directly than ever before about the scandal’s alleged victims. After host Andy Cohen reminded her of the “actual victims in this case,†Jayne addressed the “widows, orphans, and burn victims†at the center of the fraud claims against her estranged husband, Tom Girardi. The former lawyer had allegedly embezzled millions of dollars meant for victims in class-action lawsuits — and, moreover, allegedly funneled a large portion of that money to Jayne and her businesses — before his law firm’s ultimate bankruptcy. “How do you think I feel?†Jayne said. “Horrible. And I’ve said that over and over.†Yet both Cohen and her castmates reminded her she hadn’t actually expressed remorse during the season. “If anyone in these cases has been proven wrong, I want them remedied,†she continued. She went on to insist that she is “not a victim,†although Sutton Stracke disagreed, saying Jayne had presented herself that way during the season. “My life is upside down, Sutton,†Jayne said. “How can I not be broken? How can I not be sad? How can I not be tired? How can I not be exhausted?â€

Elsewhere in the reunion, Jayne addressed her controversial Instagram, on which she continued to post “glam†photos amid scrutiny over her expenses, specifically her use of funds that could have been meant for victims of tragedies. Garcelle Beauvais said posting like that “just seems tone-deaf,†while Lisa Rinna said Jayne was “feeding the fire.†“She’s getting paid to post,†Jayne replied, referring to herself in the third person. (Erika Jayne is Erika Girardi’s stage name as a singer and stage performer.) “Should I not do that? Should I not pay the bills?†The reunion concludes next week on November 3.

Erika Jayne Says She’s ‘Not a Victim’ in Fraud Scandal