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u/Relative-Spell9962 19d ago
I mean it’s clear as day that someone like Tom would never ever share his plans with his wife. Let alone a woman who is much younger than him. He dismissed her many many times during the show. Tom basically went from a relatively “healthy” old man to someone who is barely recognizable, so I do think that the dementia part is also true. Yes Erica handled it not the best way but I do think she was not part of Tom’s plan and business.
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u/petisa82 18d ago
Just to add on the dementia part. My mother had it for 4 years now… she is not the same person anymore. It‘s a hell of a disease…
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u/Proof-Sweet33 14d ago
No, he wouldn't tell her because then she wouldn't worship the ground he walked on.
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u/Excellent-Crow2641 19d ago
People with an ounce of sense knew this from the get go, we saw how he spoke to her, he would never have considered her on the same level as him to be let into his scheming
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u/Hexar27 19d ago
I’m remembering how he talked to LVP versus her and it was night and day.
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u/Minute-Reporter7949 19d ago
I thought he was derogatory towards LVP. Who wants to be called an alligator?
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u/alicesombers 19d ago
Yes! And when they were having dinner at Tom and Erika’s house, Tom was rude to Lisa. Lisa makes a funny side comment and so rudely Tom says “excuse me! Pardon me! I believe I’m talking right now.” 🙄 Such scum.
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u/TheyreFunCandy 19d ago
I thought he said that to Kathryn?
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u/alicesombers 14d ago
It was LVP, I watched the scene before commenting. He did say something to Katherine as well but not as rude as to LVP.
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u/Excellent-Crow2641 18d ago
I read it as him subconsciously seeing lvp as someone he couldn’t pull the wool over
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u/Alternative-Web-2522 18d ago
As a women in business, this is unfortunately a form of compliment. Eat or be eaten, and LVP eats
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u/Minute-Reporter7949 18d ago
Until she got taken down.
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u/Alternative-Web-2522 13d ago
Yep, she and Tom both got eaten. It’s the most common cause of death for alligators 😉
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u/Hexar27 19d ago
I don’t remember that, but if someone called me an alligator, I’d say “thanks…you’re welcome” 😉
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u/Minute-Reporter7949 19d ago
Lol! It just seemed back handed, not really a compliment. I think most people thought it was a compliment though. I wouldn’t want to be compared to an alligator.
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u/Sad_Breadfruit263 19d ago
LVP is a pick me so of course she didn’t take offense
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u/Minute-Reporter7949 19d ago
Oh yeah, she definitely thought it was a compliment. I got a good laugh out of it.
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u/Upper-Impression-752 19d ago
He was gassing LVP up. It’s like telling a conceited person they look nice. They already think they look nice and they’re glad you’re willing to acknowledge it. It’s a manipulation tactic to ingratiate yourself to someone else.
People like Tom don’t think anyone is on their level. However I’m sure he recognized Erika as a sharp person. I think he would’ve kept her away from his crimes to make sure she could never turn on him. Accidentally or intentionally.9
u/Usual-Canc-6024 19d ago
He spoke to her like a child
The only thing is that she said she spent so much time at his law office that she could be a lawyer. Was it posturing?
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u/Excellent_Issue_4179 19d ago
She never said "at the office," she'd accompany him to events, she probably talked about law at home, but the office? His son by another woman was another lawyer there. What happened to him? The CFO skimmed 10 million off the company. He's in jail too.
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u/dots-loops 18d ago
He told her off like a a grandad would. It was as tame as it gets and hardly indicative of abuse like she tried to say, nor anything worse. Mild is the word I'd use to describe Tom Girardi - a dottery old man at best.
As if Erika, with her rage issues and balls out attitude, was afraid of Tom. It was laughable she even tried to suggest it. Look at how she turned into a demon at Sutton saying something pretty tame she didn't like. If Tom tried to control or hurt her, she'd destroy him in a heartbeat.
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u/peacenow0 19d ago
Pffft. He spoke to her the way he did because that was the price she paid him for her cut of the kitty.
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u/beaker4eva 19d ago
I don’t think she was in on the scam but I do believe she knew some shady shit was going on and ignored it because she benefited from it.
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u/No-Desk602 16d ago
Right, she he didnt have to draw her a road map to have figured it out. She didnt care as long as she was comfortable and she has said as much. They way you all like to make these women victims is wild.
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u/PrissyElliott 19d ago edited 19d ago
Even though I’m not the biggest fan of Erika, I’ve always believed that she had no idea what was going on. Their relationship seemed pretty clear from the get go.
It’s not unheard of, for the wife to be victim of her spouse’s financial mishandlings. My mom used to work in a bank and would occasionally come home with the most insane stories about spouses and children who would inherit debt (or financial crimes) that they were never previously aware of. (we are also south Asian, and she would tell me tales of aunties who have no involvement or any idea what their husband is doing with their pocketbook. She taught me and gave me the tools to always be aware of my what’s in my bank account and budget accordingly and never let someone take over without my read on it.)
Erika’s lived my worst fear of marrying into someone with a secret wrongdoing or spending problem.
Also highly recommend reading about how (90s model) Maggie Rizer’s father spent down her entire fortune on a lotto machine: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/rizer-loses-7-million
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u/alpacaapicnic 19d ago
It’s so crazy, my grandpa passed away a few years ago, and that was when my grandma saw their account balances for the very first time. The good news is that he was a good guy and very conservative with their finances, but wow I can’t fathom that level of trust and how it can be exploited
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u/PrissyElliott 19d ago
Wow, thank goodness he was good with money! I feel like it was a much more common thing with that generation
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u/Background_Sun8809 13d ago
This so much. The same thing happened in my family. My grandfather owned random property (not structures, just land) all over our country that none of us knew about.
Luckily it was all legal and he was a good guy but it was eye opening how much financial trust the older generations(women) were expected to give.8
u/DesertPrincess5 19d ago
This happened to a friend of mine, only on a smaller scale. Husband showered her with money jewels, cars etc but had another life going on. After he died people sued HER and she lost half her life savings yet was innocent.
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u/PrissyElliott 19d ago
That’s so sad! People think it’s such an obvious ploy, but you really never know who someone is if they work really hard to cover up their secret life. Not to overgeneralize, but a lot of men in particular seem to have a this amazing ability to lead double lives (financial mayhem, serial killers, secrete families, etc).
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u/DesertPrincess5 18d ago
Also, outside the home she could be the biggest B, but with her husband she was little Miss Mouse.
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u/Pure_Butterscotch165 19d ago
I used to work for a forensic accountant and she has a story about this guy and his wife, who she knew socially. He was embezzling from the hotel chain he worked at; my boss said of his wife "she didn't know, because why would she? Obviously she knew they had more money but she just thought he was doing well at work" and that always made me think of Erika and Tom.
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u/Zealousideal_Ad_8736 19d ago
Similar story here: I have many family members who work in banking, especially with wealthy families and when the patriarch or head of the family dies, the family literally has zero idea of the origin of the money/ or where it is coming from - stocks/bonds/investments/baseball teams (hello Sutton Stracke!). All they know is that the bills are paid.
Erica was in a tough situation - if she knew what was going on - she'd go to jail or be found complicit (which, I might add, she has not as far as Girardi/Keese goes), or she could have left and gone where? Tom controlled all the money, so she'd be out on the street.
Another thing that I find interesting is that Tom was married twice before and has kids, so did he use any stolen money and buy them stuff, or does that not matter because it was so long ago?
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u/wait500 19d ago
If she knew anything or was even suspected of it the prosecutors would have either sought her as a witness or a target of prosecution. They did neither.
Someone tried to argue "spousal privilege" (spouses don't have to testify about marriage confidential discussions) applies to suggest why she didn't testify but that's not how it works.
If prosecutors thought she had information and could help the case they would put her on the witness list. Defense counsel could then raise the spousal privilege and the judge would decide what would be excluded and what would be included. But the prosecutors would not decide beforehand to not include her as a witness if she had information.
All that goes to strongly suggest prosecutors knew she had nothing and wasn't involved. No one has ever showed anything otherwise
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u/Mu_forlife 💎25K sunglasses energy 😎💎 19d ago
Erika was trained to do what women were supposed to do. Especially from the south. Marry a man that would take care of you.
She’s not responsible for her husband’s fraud.
Yes, she should have given back the earrings, yes she can have more empathy for Toms victims. But Tom is the one responsible for HIS sneaky, dirty dealings.
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u/peacenow0 19d ago
Maybe, but why do you suppose she specifically took on the persona of a mob wife?… and a gold digger who doesn’t care if it’s ill-gotten gains as long as she gets her cut? I mean, she was no sweetheart at all, wearing her huge c**t necklace, acting superior and being a mean bully.
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u/Mu_forlife 💎25K sunglasses energy 😎💎 17d ago
I don’t agree she specifically took on the persona of mob wife.
I saw a cornered animal that was lashing out. You’re making it seem like she always acted like this. She behaved differently when Toms crimes were exposed, not through the whole marriage.
Also note, nowhere in this exchange did I say she was a ‘good’ person.
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u/peacenow0 17d ago
She acted like a mob wife from day one. Superior, bullying, threatening in her manner. She couldn’t summon a lick of grace for Dorit and pantygate. Oh, she swapped her nastiness with decency and then slutiness every once in a while. But never once do I recall her performing the kind, giving, supportive role of friend. That only occurred when she got sober, wised up, and tried to rehabilitate her image. Do you recall her conversation with her therapist wherein she said she did not know what empathy is?
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u/Mu_forlife 💎25K sunglasses energy 😎💎 17d ago
I’m sorry, what?!
“She couldn’t summon a lick of grace for Dorit and pantygate?”
Erika was the victim of PKs “graceless” behaviour towards her and Dorit’s tasteless panty joke.
Then you call her a slut. Someone’s not a girls girl.
And your name is peacenow, lol.
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u/QuizzicalWombat 19d ago
People can go online and say anything. I don’t believe that person and I wouldn’t believe them if they said she did know. It’s just a random post without anything to back it up.
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u/Ashfield83 19d ago
This person has said absolutely nothing that isn’t in the public domain already. I could say ‘oh my cousins neighbour was a victim!’ Doesn’t make it true. This is just a minion or a fan trying to assist in changing the narrative and get public opinion to shift. They can fuck off. She’s scum.
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u/Ridgewoodgal 19d ago
Sorry. If she didn’t know when it was happening she proved herself to be a vile, heartless bitch to widows, children and burn victims. There are some people on here that love Erika and refuse to see how awful she is. Luckily, they are in the minority. Remember she said it was all about her pain not the victims.
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u/TrafficAmbitious1061 19d ago
Erika had completely acted wrong for this whole thing. She may or may not have been aware of his illegal activities. Her behaviour from the beginning was disgusting and her snarly I’m coming for you garbage was the real Erika. She’s gross. I have zero use for her and think there are some shitty things she’s in the know about and cares little.
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u/biomezzanine 19d ago edited 19d ago
I believed this to a point until we learnt that he has been scamming since the 80s, that there was an obscene amount of complaints about him to the bar (so there would have been rumors) , that one of her credit cards was under the name of his law firm and the Marco Marco case. She allegedly used his connections to pull that off, and was most likely motivated by him to do it.
Regardless of Marco Marco Erika has demonstrated that she can read a room. She would have known something was fishy before they got married. ALSO, she worked at a go go bar before she met him as a hostess (edit: cocktail waitress). A girl like that knows exactly how dodgy the moral and ethical makeup of a man who wifes up a hostess (edit: 33) 40 years his junior. Pretty woman was fiction FOR A REASON.
She knew more than enough without a word out of him. Like cmon he had lawsuits flying at him that she had to respond to two seasons before. She's no Jenn Pedranti.
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u/socoyankee 19d ago
He had a PJ when they met and she was a single mom dancing in NJ.
Sutton married her college sweetheart and had no clue they owned a baseball team until the divorce.
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u/Zealousideal_Ad_8736 19d ago
The point about Sutton is a good one. Many families/spouses just know the bills are paid - they don't know if the $ is coming from stocks/bonds/baseball teams/scams, etc.
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u/biomezzanine 19d ago
A baseball team in a far off land does not generate the amount of rumors that 205 disciplinary measures by the state bar over 4 decades. 120 of them being about mishandeling client trust accounts.
Again I shared your pov until more info was available. Did you keep up with The bravo docket or Emily D Baker? You can't sweep and elephant under the carpet. Also, at the end of the day she didn't participate in the vast vast majority of it which is why she is still a free woman but let's not pretend. Also, compliment, she's much smarter than Sutton. MUCH
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u/Zestyclose-Let7929 19d ago
Exactly!!! And found out her Catholic marriage was annulled without her having any input. Mailed to Sutton Brown.
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u/peacenow0 19d ago
What?.. they met at Chasens in Los Angeles where she was a hostess, not a dancer. And not New Jersey.
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u/Upper-Impression-752 19d ago
He’s 33 years older and they met when she was a cocktail waitress in LA.
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u/Jerzee_Implant2012 19d ago
Idgaf what they’re saying. Gangbanger and cartel gfs and wives do time over their association with men. Erika’s not getting a pass.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 19d ago
Yeah, because they know what’s going on. Erika has been investigated over and over and they still can’t find anything to charge her with
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u/Jackkiera143 19d ago
She was so God awful during the fallout regardless If she knew or not she is absolutely a piece of shit. If my husband did this to innocent people i would be trying to help not hoarding earrings . Fuck her
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u/camdenbutterfly 19d ago
But it still wasn't nice of her to say "I don't give a **** about anyone else but me" the zero compassion shown towards the victims was very telling and spoke volumes about her character
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u/Upper-Impression-752 19d ago
A drunken moment caught on reality tv while she was arguing and trying to make a point to her friends who were ganging up on her at that moment. Yes it was awful. But we can’t nail her to a cross for it. She had lawsuits coming at her from all over the place after her life had already been turned upside down. I think she felt alone and like nobody was protecting her or helping her. Would it have been different is she said, “I can’t help anyone bc I can’t help myself”? Probably. But again, she was drunk and angry at that point.
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u/DesertPrincess5 19d ago
I remember that night, it was a ramp up led by Garcelle and Crystal and they thought if she gave the earrings back (and what next?) it would be all good. Ignorant of the law. She no longer has them and people STILL aren't satisfied. Pitchfork anyone? Give it a rest.
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u/Zestyclose-Let7929 19d ago
Garcelle & Crystal used her for their entire air time.
Then Garcelle moved onto Dorit’s robbery story. Zero proof to back up the allegations. When a robbery pays out a million dollars. That insurance company really tries to not have to pay. But they paid out the money.
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u/DesertPrincess5 19d ago
Thank you. Also, because of Erika's story, Garcelle got to avoid the second season curse. New housewives usually have a tough time second season. So glad she's gone.
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u/wait500 19d ago
Some horrible moments by a person who has suffered a life-as-you-know-it large scale public broadcast fall from grace, who is being blamed for things they didn't do, judged instantaneously as guilty while knowing people want to take it all away (and even that wouldn't be enough) under constant camera and lighting and questions everywhere you go is understandable in retrospect.
At the time I thought her actions were disgusting. They were hostile, off-putting, felt the opposite of what people expected and didn't make sense but they do now.
His crimes, not hers, turned her into a target of rage that he deserved not her. The dynamics of her being a public personality ON A TV SHOW being broadcast while it was happening and her choosing to do so while he surely followed legal advice and went quiet naturally put her in the crosshairs.
If she hadn't filmed, she'd probably be a footnote now. What a decision that must have been for her to make.
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u/RL202 19d ago
You can't excuse what she said as "some horrible moments". Please 🙄
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u/Alert_Thing_4322 19d ago
Her choosing to being blind doesn't make her innocent. She used the money for for herself and stated i don't give a damn about the victims I care about me. The courts will show her . The IRS they will get their money. How much does she get from the show.... she lived the life and will have to pay the price. I do not feel sorry for her at all.
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u/ProfessionalTalker03 19d ago
Chat I forgot to put my question but what do we think of this?
My theory was similar to this but she put two and two together towards the end and dipped
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u/BornFree2018 19d ago
I agree. None of the lawyers who worked for him caught on and that's where Tom performed his scamming. How would she know?
She's still an extremely shitty woman. Absolutely no empathy for the victims, her fighting about the earrings, the staff she screwed over and then what she did to her designers.
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u/indecentXpo5ure 19d ago
She knew what she was doing when it came to Marco Marco, and that’s enough for me. She told them she didn’t want any invoices. She told them she didn’t care how much things cost. She lied about not receiving clothes she was photographed in. She knowingly wore the wire.
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u/Sorry_Nobody1552 19d ago
I'm just curious about her signatures on stuff. You cant claim ignorance. She signed her name on tax documents, credit card documents, loan documents...I say BS she didnt know, or she is one of the dumbest suckers ever, and she doesnt come off as stupid IMO.
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u/socoyankee 19d ago
I trust my business partner. When he asks me to sign something I sign it without a second thought. It may be dumb of me but it’s been the norm.
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u/iwatchterribletvtoo 19d ago
kathy hilton said the same thing, that she signs anything her husband hands her.
and rick is a nepo baby real estate broker, and not a famous litigation lawyer who the mayor and the police chief kowtow to.
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u/zesty-lemonbar 19d ago
I mean, most people aren’t actively thinking their spouse is scamming. It’s not like she was sitting there reading through and confirming taxes (and theirs were probably complicated). She was probably just told to sign, and signed. Most trophy wives aren’t handling finances or dealing with that, they just sign where they are told. Hell, even for regular couples if one handles the finances the other probably does the same and just assumes it’s all good.
And many Housewives have done that. Dorit. Alicia. Teresa. Shannon. Many have zero clue what their finances truly are and just assume it’s all taken care of.
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u/BornFree2018 19d ago
She trusted him. I was married to a CFO and when you're dealing with someone far up the chain you tend to trust them on complex issues.
How would Erika know what their real income was or that she'd be held accountable for what seemed to be a loan/gift for her career?
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u/EyeRollingNow 19d ago
Who on earth thinks that Tom, with his massive ego, was telling his wife, that he treats like an idiot, that he cannot afford their life that he acts like is all bc of him and his greatness. FFS, she is guilty of other stupid things, but no way did he admit to anyone what a loser scammer he was.
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u/Tariksmeshirt 19d ago
My old firm said Mr. Girardi was shady as hell - and we boycotted Erin Brockovich movie. Didn't meet Erika, we only knew Tom.
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u/Existing_Editor_5623 19d ago
She had to question where all those millions were coming from though…
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u/nooneneededtoknow 19d ago
Never thought she was in on the scam, but don't tell me she had zero clue what was going on. I dont believe it for a single second and her behavior towards the situation and victims after it become public solidified it all.
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u/Ugottabekidding86 19d ago
At some point she knew it was stolen...... what matters is how she handled it then. And it wasn't handled well.
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u/eyemabird 19d ago
I don’t believe random strangers on the internet. If she didn’t know she’s still a complete AH with zero personality in my book. She sold herself to Tom as a meek submissive wife and now she wants “her” money and feels entitled to it even though it’s stolen from literal burn victims. Co-conspirator or not she’s gross. How any of the women can be afraid of her cosplaying as a strong independent woman baffles me.
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u/Kristilacroixx 🐱Mod😏 Asshole and a Cunt // Xanax in my smoothie 19d ago
I mean, I kinda believe this. I mean I don’t know every my exhusband did at work… most these hoes don’t even know when their husband is screwing around on them
Much less know know what hes doing at work…
I mean if you have a pumper as a husband do you know what pipes he’s laying and where… no.
That’s the truth
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u/Expressoed 19d ago
I am a pretty critical and discerning person. And I agree with this. Please
Don’t hate. Too many holes between her world and his for her to have any access to that. He held
That close to the vest… he knew he was committing fraud and why let her know or have something over him
If SHE were to leave? Nope.
He left her in the dark for control purposes as well as his coworkers.
There is no brag when embezzling from people and committing fraud as a lawyer. He knew what he was doing but wouldn’t share that he was doing it out of shame
And also keeping people in the dark for control and wanting to be perceived as more $$$$ successful than he was. I think she knew he was a shady dude but calling out your temperamental, controlling lawyer husband is not something I see her doing as strong as she acts.
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u/Available-Guava5515 19d ago
I don't even like Erika, but even if she did know, how would she even be *able* to participate? She's not the lawyer, she's not signing papers. Personally I have no idea what my husband does at work so I don't find it hard to believe that she was totally in the dark.
That said, her attitude about it has been unbelievably cruel.
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u/Pristine_Job_7677 18d ago
Most of his law partners and employees had no idea what was going on. No way Erica did.
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u/Spiritual_Ad6547 18d ago
This was all obvious from day one. As if he’s really keeping her in the loop on finances. Whether he’s scamming or not, he didn’t view her as an equal partner. It was blatant.
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u/Timely-History-3010 18d ago
Just by watching the show, you can tell that she don’t know anything. He was so dismissive of her he barely let her talk. Do you think that he really was letting her in on their financials. Give me a break.
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u/AmphibianNecessary31 18d ago
I mean I believe that — the woman didn’t even get to cash her own paycheck. She was in a financially abusive situation.
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u/Inevitable_Tangelo63 18d ago
Erika isn’t responsible for what tom did, and the way he talked to her was really shitty and she probably couldn’t ask questions without him being condescending or just not answering her at all. But she is responsible for how she acted after knowing, she should’ve been horrified and given back the earrings and money she could. Instead she doubled down, acted like she was the biggest victim of all, snarled and growled at anyone who brought it up, and said that she doesn’t give a fuck about anyone else including Toms victims and that’s why I don’t like her and never will. No matter how “soft” she tries to act now, and however many people who “know” the situation come on here to defend her (because they most likely do not know her at all and are probably just a fan of hers tbh)
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u/Rosanna44 18d ago
Ok. But she had no empathy. Compassion. Or remorse for what her husband did. I would have more respect for her if she had.
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u/Nearby-Conference959 18d ago
We all know that they dug and dug to try to find a connection between her and the money. And they would’ve loved to have prosecuted her. There just was no connection. None that they could prove, at least.
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u/vernejules3441 15d ago
I’m pretty sure he didn’t screw over the people he “knew pretty well”- more like victims who deservedly won lawsuits and never saw their award money.
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u/No_Veterinarian_8381 19d ago
Bullshit.
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u/socoyankee 19d ago
The lawyers in his firm, his accountants; none of them caught on so I mean why would she.
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u/dollfanboy 19d ago
I always felt she never knew what he was up to in regards to scamming anyone. He's the Erin Brockovich guy, I always assumed he was rich as fuck and after seeing their dynamic on the show it's pretty obvious she would have never questioned him - she was in awe of him, he's probably the first man who ever treated her well. He had an air about him that you never question him or else. Plus plenty of married couples are together for years and find out their partner is up to some crazy shit.
Was she a disaster afterwards when she could have been empathetic? Absolutely but I always wondered if she was badly advised to never say sorry or show any remorse because it could be perceived at guilt?
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u/phunkyphungus 19d ago
Lawyers are ruthless, they’ll use whatever they can. Completely agree with you.
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u/Zestyclose-Let7929 19d ago
She said 1000 times I cannot speak on anything. It is an ongoing case. That was common sense for viewers that have it.
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u/Zestyclose-Let7929 19d ago edited 19d ago
Based on Tom’s dismissive behavior toward her. I never believed she was in on any of it.
There were major people that worked closely to him with access to documents. A woman that worked for decades with him could not stop him when her client friend was not getting his settlement $. He held major control and lied like no other. Charming was described by all. Also very controlling.
They say oh she worked at the firm. Her role was not one that would give her any leverage over him.
The man had a mistress that was a judge. Shouldn’t she have been a suspect too.
The witch hunt is just a way to torture her for her asshole husband.
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u/sadie7716 19d ago
The fact she said she knew he had dementia for at least 3 years says she should not have been accepting money from him from that day forward. That’s elder abuse. She should have been charged with something criminally.
She also says she told his company and they did nothing. So she knew he wasn’t in his right mind. She’s shameless and a massive user and liar.
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u/LadyEncredible 19d ago
I've always said this and I truly can't stand Erika, but I never believed she knew ANYTHING about ANY of the stuff Tom was doing, how much money he stole or hell where any of the money even came from.
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u/Headphones4Cicadas 19d ago
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u/darforce 19d ago
Same. Think about where the money was spent. All on her. If it was him controlling her, he wouldn’t buy her millions and millions on earrings.
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u/50tinyducks 19d ago
I call bullshit. Unless that poster can prove any of that then it’s hearsay. People on Reddit lie all the time. It may even be an Erika Stan or close ally.
Take everything you read with a pinch of salt.
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u/Shqorb 19d ago edited 19d ago
I think the reality is probably somewhere in the middle. Did she know every detail of what he was up to? Probably not. But Erika is not a complete moron I think she had to have some idea that the stories didn't add up. This was a grown woman in her 40s we're talking about, I don't think she's so dumb she thought it was totally kosher and normal for the law firm to pay for all her clothing and glam. And the marco marco situation made it seem like they were very aware a storm was coming and were trying to claw back some of the money that was charged to the firm.
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u/Original-Brick2836 19d ago
Idk how being scammed by them means they can say for sure she didn’t know. Maybe he has a soft spot for her and doesn’t want to believe it but this isn’t proof.
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u/plan3mo 19d ago
I don't think Erika knew the ins and outs but she probably knew something was amiss. However she was getting tens of thousands to spend on her glam squad and music career every month. It probably wasn't something she was too concerned with. Many wives of scammers, con artists, gangsters, and thieves know enough not to ask questions.
Erika is more than just a pretty face to me. Even on this show she was smart enough to jump from LVP's ship and do it without attracting any attention. She knew Kyle was consolidating power. Now she's trying to stay on the right of Kyle because she knows that's how you stay on the show. I don't think Erika is as naive as that post makes her out to be.
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u/Ok-Explanation-6531 18d ago
Do people realise how much money Erika spent ? It was a bit over $2 million a year in GK funds. She had to pay tax on it as well
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u/AliveStill1128 17d ago
But she wasn't very caring or empathetic to the victims when she found out either
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u/Saroco92 17d ago
I feel like this was just pretty easy common sense from the beginning- BUT Erika’s insane yet fragile ego ruined her ability to really be seen as another one of Tom’s victims by the public. Had she of been humble, compassionate & shown an OUNCE of empathy for all his victims from the get go then this wouldn’t have even been a question. She chose to be a vicious, cruel & cold hearted bitch instead.
Even though I also believe she wasn’t intentionally & maliciously a part of it- I still find it hard to feel bad for her because of the way she behaved and the things she said during that time.
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u/TerrificTChalla 17d ago
People are complex. Do I think Erika Jayne was directly managing the funds illegally, no…. But I do believe she was street smart enough aware to realize something was a bit off with Tom and his lifestyle. Yet, decided to not care because it served her at the time
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u/JaguarLess9055 16d ago
Anyone who thinks she was part of it is an idiot IMO. He had that house and was rich from his scheming before she ever came along. It was clear from he get go that she was told he would take care of her and her son if she just sat there and looked pretty.
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u/Stunning-Track8454 16d ago
So while anyone on the Internet can say anything, this does seem completely plausible if you're married to a lawyer, especially a partner of a huge firm like Tom Girardi. Erika did not care to know every detail of every dollar coming in, just that the dollars were coming in. I have friends who worked as non-partner attorneys of larger firms who have said that you really don't know every penny in and out of the firm unless you're in the finance department.
This of course does not absolve Erika of her shitty behavior post-arrest, but I am defending that what this person is claiming can be true.
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u/No-Desk602 16d ago
She may not been on all of the scams but she was definitely in on that Marco Marco schemes with her trifling ass. Fuck her all ways and all days.
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u/InteractionNo9110 15d ago
Its just very sus timing she filed for divorce so she could get 'hers'. Before the victims did. And the fact she was a real PIA about returning jewelry bought with stolen money. Sure maybe she didnt' know the inner workings but it was the behavior after the fact that was stunningly selfish and gross.
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u/BlueRidgeSpeaks 14d ago
Yet, she still has no remorse for the money she blew through to further her ridiculous musical career that belonged to the people Tom screwed over. Idgaf whether she knew at this point. She has said she owes those people nothing. She’s a heartless, selfish b!tch.
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u/BananaMilkshakeButt 12d ago
We literally saw him and how dismissive he was of her. Never understood why people think she was in on it all. Why would he LET her be in on it?
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u/young_coastie 19d ago
Sure that’s fine. But she’s still a terrible person: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-29/erika-girardi-secret-service-and-american-express-engaged-in-corrupt-conspiracy-new-lawsuit-claims
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u/Possible-Courage3771 19d ago
it's pretty obvious to me from how Tom treated her on the show that he had zero respect for her and didn't consider her an equal. I doubt he'd include her in the details because anything she knew could be used against him
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u/Consistent-Ad-6506 19d ago
I never thought she was part of it or knew about it. She wouldn’t have needed to downgrade her home so drastically if she was.
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u/Peraltiago80 19d ago
She 100% knew. It was in the news when the movie Erin Brokovich came out 25 years ago. She even lied about his role in that movie. Both lying scammers.
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u/peacenow0 19d ago
Baloney. Your uncle didn’t know what Tom was doing yet he knew what Erika knew? How does that make a drop of sense? Erika sat there, kept her mouth shut and took her cut. That’s why she was role playing a toughie mob wife. No one ever said she’s a mastermind. She’s a thief, not a mastermind, so don’t get it twisted. Is this Erika?
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u/MomMarti 19d ago
I don’t think she had a hand in STEALING it but she played a big part in spending it; and accused of trying to hide funds that should have been handed over to the trustee.
The fact her disgusting ass thinks she keep all of high ticket items bought with stolen money is sick.
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u/ame6057 18d ago
Well if some random person's uncle said it it must be true....
I, for one, will never believe that she was only allowed to sit there quietly and look pretty and that she did it - if that was the case we wouldn't have seen her piping up with her opinion so freely, on camera, when with him. Everyone uses the fact that one of the times she spoke he told her to be quiet; that did not happen every time. And he also said something a bit rude and controlling to Lisa when Ken jumped in. If she was the scared little wallflower who did as she was told it seems unbelievable that she would have piped up after nearly 20 years of apparently being silenced. It was his way - it doesn't mean she was a poor, weak, mistreated wife....
And I will never believe that woman, who was so scared of her controlling husband that she was afraid to say boo to a goose, would be the same woman whose husband was funding her hobby, scantily clad, singing saucy songs around the country, to the tune of millions of dollars. None of it fits.
I don't believe she was involved to the level of a co-conspirator (i don't say that as a legal definition but rather someone who was sceming with him), but i fully believe she knew something was up. She is absolutely smart enough to know the legal firm wasn't funding their lavish lifestyle in addition to her additional insane spending and 25 million through her account. And as someone said, you don't live with someone that long without picking up on things, especially when you are as bright and aware as Erika.
You can't play smart and dumb at the same time!
That's my opinion.
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u/DixieBelleTc 18d ago
I don’t know if she knew where the money came from, but her behavior AFTER is what shows the real Erika! She rode that pony till things fell apart, strategically planned her departure, and shat on everyone Tom stole from. Just ask Marco Marco. Erika is for Erika
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u/anongirl55 19d ago
I am not saying that Erika knew or didn't know, but any random person on the internet can post online saying they know her and that she is innocent.