Erika And Tom Girardi Call $3 Million Lawsuit Against Them A ‘Publicity Stunt’ And They Want The Lawsuit To Be Removed From Public Eye!

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Erika Girardi and her husband Thomas Girardi are firing back at allegations they cheated a lender over a $5 million loan. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills couple is being sued by Stillwell Madison, who accuses them of failing to pay back the money and instead funding their lavish lifestyles.

“The current action was filed as a publicity stunt.” said Erika and Thomas, “Plaintiff filed in federal court using such highly charged language as “lavish lifestyle” and “glamorous public image” with the goal to try to use the Court system as a publicity campaign.”

The couple is demanding the lawsuit be moved out of the public eye to arbitration. They claim the contract with the lender states all disputes will be handled in arbitration, not federal court. A judge has yet to rule.

As previously reported, A company named Stillwell Madison filed a federal lawsuit against Erika, Tom, and his law firm, according to court documents obtained by The Blast.

Stillwell claims to have loaned Girardi’s law firm $5,110,440.38 back in 2016. They were to be paid back from money made from the firm.

Girardi allegedly promised to hand over financial statements regularly and make timely payments. The lender says they would later learn, “Mr. Girardi re-directed all or part of the proceeds, to which Stillwell was contractually entitled, to himself and his wife in order to sustain their lavish lifestyle and maintain their glamorous public image."

The firm said Girardi failed to make all the required payments per their deal. Girardi then promised to start making monthly payments of $500k starting October 2018 and ending in September 2019. However, they claim, “Mr. Girardi has never followed through on any of his proposals—reinforcing the indication that he (nor the Firm) has, and continues to not have, any intention of repaying the loan balance.”

Stillwell says they, “would not have provided the Loan had it known that Defendants were going to use the Loan proceeds to, upon information and belief, support Mr. and Mrs. Girardi’s high-end lifestyle.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images