Robert Girardi, the brother of Tom Girardi is asking the court to reconsider evicting the estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Girardi in the midst of his ongoing legal and health battles.
Robert was named temporary conservator over the 81-year-old lawyer and his estate. Shortly after, he filed a request to put eviction notices on pause as he attempts to fully grasp the extent of Tom’s legal troubles and finances. Robert is also concerned about how eviction could impact the state of his brother’s health.
“I understand that my brother’s home may ultimately need to be sold. In this regard, I am making plans for him to have a place to live should his home be sold,” Robert wrote in a declaration filed to a California court on Friday, February 12, obtained by Us Weekly. “Although presently he has no place to live that is familiar to him and near his medical professionals. … I do not believe that immediately removing my brother from his home is justified.”
Robert was appointed temporary conservator over Tom’s estate and personal matters during a February 1 hearing and will remain in control over his brother’s finances until March 30. Attempting to understand the “personal and professional issues” Tom is facing has been one of “the most trying times in my life,” Robert claimed in his declaration.
“My brother presently needs me to make all decisions related to this bankruptcy case, all legal matters in which he is presently involved, and also to make all decisions related to his personal matters, such as health decisions,” Robert added, noting that he sought advice from other legal professionals to help him “make decisions that are in my brother’s best interest.”
She then accused the 81-lawyer of having an affair with a California judge in a now-deleted Instagram post. “This is Justice Tricia A. Bigelow. She was f–king my husband Tom Girardi and he was paying her Saks bill and paying for her plastic surgery,” Erika wrote alongside a series of alleged text messages between her estranged husband and Bigelow.
After Erika deleted the post, Bigelow’s attorney released a statement to the Los Angeles Times on December 22, saying Erika’s “actions in maliciously doxxing the Justice were nothing short of criminal. We are considering our options to protect Justice Bigelow from further harassment.”
During another hearing last month, Keith Griffin, an attorney at Tom’s firm, revealed that the estranged husband of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was secretly hospitalized in 2020. Griffin said his boss was “unavailable in recent weeks due to a serious illness that caused him to be hospitalized for which he sought treatment.”
Tom previously failed to hire a lawyer to represent him in the case. One of his recently hired attorneys, Evan Jenness, told the judge during a December 14 hearing that he wanted Tom to go through a mental examination. “I’m unsure that he understands either the nature or the gravity of the current situation,” Jenness told the judge.
Tom is currently under fire as he is facing multiple lawsuits, including a class-action case filed by Edelson PC against both him and Erika. According to court documents obtained by the publication, the spouses have been accused of embezzling settlement money for families of the victims of Lion Air Flight 610, a 2018 crash that killed 189 people.
A judge has subsequently frozen Tom’s assets and Erika has been asked to stop selling her used clothes through the French company Vestiaire.
“There’s an asset freeze,” the judge told Erika’s lawyer in court on December 22. “His assets are frozen. I think you need to convey that to your client. … If she is selling assets that are property of Tom Girardi, you need to inform her of the danger that puts her in [of being in contempt in court].”
Erika’s attorney, Matt Wasserman, went on to question her role in the case. “Erika was completely unaware of the very serious allegations that were being made against Tom in court. Tom always handled all of the finances and that was how they handled things,” one source said. “She is just reeling from all of this but, make no mistake, Erika is a tough cookie and she isn’t stupid. She will get through this.”
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