RHOBH producers are ‘prepared to turn over’ behind-the-scenes footage of Erika Jayne if ‘asked by the courts’ amid ex Tom Girardi’s embezzlement scandal
The producers of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills are reportedly prepared to give the courts a fuller view of behind-the-scenes statements Erika Jayne made if requested by the courts.
A source close to the Bravo reality series says the show’s producers are ‘prepared’ to release ‘unaired footage and multimedia’ featuring both Jayne, 50, and her estranged husband Tom Girardi, 82, The Sun reported on Friday.
The former couple are currently embroiled in a lawsuit accusing them of embezzling funds intended for the families of victims of a fatal Lion Air plane crash from 2018.
Behind the scenes: RHOBH producers are ready to turn over unseen footage featuring Erika Jayne, 50, if asked to by the courts amid an embezzlement suit brought against her and her estranged husband Tom Girardi, 82, The Sun reported on Friday; seen in 2019
‘Producers are aware the legal case is only going to intensify and are prepared, if asked by the courts, to help the discovery process by releasing unaired footage and multimedia featuring the Girardis,’ the source claimed.
‘Producers have been advised by their legal team they may be forced to turn over any footage or audio which may help the court get a clearer picture of the case,’ they continued.
‘This is because much of the wealth she flaunted early on in the series is believed by so many to have come from the Lion Air crash victims.
The source also claimed the producers were willing to put aside their positive feelings for the reality star in order to assist in the court proceedings.
‘Producers are on Erika’s side because they have had, up until this point, a good working relationship with her, but they want to help the case and do what’s right,’ the source added.
‘Producers are aware the legal case is only going to intensify and are prepared, if asked by the courts, to help the discovery process by releasing unaired footage and multimedia featuring the Girardis,’ a source claimed
Fuller picture: The footage may be requested ‘because much of the wealth she flaunted early on in the series is believed by so many to have come from the Lion Air crash victims’
Despite the alleged fond feelings for Jayne from the production staff, the feelings don’t seem to be reciprocated by the singer and actress.
The sourced added that she feels ‘betrayed’ by the show’s producers, and she allegedly doesn’t think they’ve been supportive amid her ongoing legal battles.
Jayne’s costar Lisa Rinna may have illustrated some of the reported tension between Jayne and the producers when she claimed that the singer had gotten into a ‘screaming fight’ with a producer while filming.
The shouting match allegedly occurred on a trip the RHOBH stars took to La Quinta, near Palm Springs.
‘Dang it… I wish they had shown the screaming fight between the producer and Erika last night on the show in La Quinta,’ Rinna dished in an Instagram Stories post from Thursday.
‘Now that would have been epic TV. Too bad. Bravo Bravo f****** Bravo..’
The actress joked that she would likely ‘get in trouble for this in…. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 .’
Drama: RHOBH’s Lisa Rinna claimed on Thursday that a ‘screaming fight’ between Jayne and producers was cut from this week’s episode, where the girls went to the Palm Springs area
Missed opportunity: Addressing the unaired scene on her Instagram Story, Rinna wrote: ‘Dang it… I wish they had shown the screaming fight between the producer and Erika last night on the show in La Quinta’
Rinna’s statement may help clear up some confusion about a fiery exchange Jayne had with her costar Garcelle Beauvais on Wednesday’s episode.
Jayne accused Beauvais of ‘betraying’ her by revealing that Girardi still called her despite their ongoing divorce proceedings, but an insider claimed to Page Six that she was actually upset with producers for egging on Beauvais to bring up the subject with the cameras on.
‘They cut it and paste it in a way to make it look like she was upset, but she was actually mad that Garcelle was told what to say three times and she took the bait,’ the source said. ‘They had three different conversations about the same subject.’
They added: ‘What they didn’t show is that Erika and Crystal [Kung Minkoff] had a private conversation where no cameras were on, and producers heard it via their mics. When they got in the car, producers said they overheard it and asked Crystal to ask [Erika] on camera. Bravo didn’t want to do the fourth wall. They pulled a fast one.’
However, a source described as ‘close to the production’ disputed that characterization and called Jayne’s reaction to Beauvais ‘genuine.’
Upset: Rinna’s statement may help clear up some confusion about a fiery exchange Jayne had with her costar Garcelle Beauvais on Wednesday’s episode
Angry: Jayne accused Beauvais of ‘betraying’ her by mentioning that Girardi still called her, but a source claimed to Page Six that she was actually mad at producers for talking Beauvais into bring it up
Late last month, Ronald Richards, an investigator in Girardi and Jayne’s bankruptcy trial, told Us Weekly that he planned to use footage from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills in court, though it’s unclear if he was also referring to unaired footage.
‘There’s a lot of inconsistent statements and admissions made by the non-scripted actors that we’re putting together to use in court,’ he said.
Richards added that his team is ‘going to take discovery from people that used to work for her,’ and her former costars and employees could be called in for questioning.
‘There’s a lot of things we’re still trying to uncover,’ he told the publication. ‘We are going to be deposing her [Jayne] at some point, but I want to get all the documents first. What’s important right now is following the money.’
Evidence: In July, Ronald Richards, an investigator in Girardi and Jayne’s bankruptcy trial, told Us Weekly that he planned to use footage from RHOBH in court
Back in December 2020, a federal judge in Chicago froze Girardi’s assets, saying the popular LA-based lawyer had ‘misappropriated at least $2 million’ intended for families of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia.
In March, the Los Angeles Times reported that more than 100 lawsuits have been filed against Girari, and multiple complaints have been made to the California State Bar against him by disgruntled clients alleging financial wrongdoing.
His estranged wife was also ‘ordered to turn over financial records’ from her accountant, lawyer and landlord to aid the embezzlement investigation.
It has been alleged that the split provided a way for the couple to embezzle funds, and that Jayne had received ‘tens of millions of dollars’ from her husband’s firm to fund her projects, UsWeekly reported in June.
Girardi’s lawyers claimed earlier this year that he had ‘issues’ with ‘mental competence’ and it was subsequently disclosed that he had been diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
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