REAL Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne is “dealing with a lot of stress” over her civil lawsuits and friend Teddi Mellencamp’s cancer battle, her lawyer has claimed.
Attorney Jim Wilkes, who has been a close friend of Erika’s for many years, is representing her pro bono in a case in Florida.
Wilkes recently missed a court hearing in the $300,000 suit brought by designer Marco Morante of costume business Marco Marco.
Erika accused Morante and his partner Christopher Psaila of illegally overcharging her American Express card for up to $900,000.
The pair is accusing her of a conspiracy to try and win back money she was never wrongly charged for in the first place.
Psaila is suing her in California, while Morante has filed a separate lawsuit in Florida.
Erika, along with the other defendants, have denied any wrongdoing.
The Bravo star is now facing a default judgment in the latter case after her attorney failed to show up, according to court documents.
In an exclusive chat with The U.S. Sun, he insists it was a clerical error and he is “fighting all the way” for Erika, who has spent years trying to get out of suits.
Erika’s life imploded after her estranged husband Tom Girardi was accused of stealing from his clients, and the reality star was dragged into his legal battles.
Erika is dealing with a lot of stress.”
The star’s attorney, Jim Wilkes
Wilkes said, “My staff made a mistake. I am in the process of winding down my practice to focus on fewer cases.
“All I’m going to say now is, ‘Your honor, I apologize.’ I’m going to file a new motion and go from there.”
RHOBH’s Erika Jayne looks totally unrecognizable as she breaks down in tears without makeup in rare unedited video
Wilkes still believes Morante doesn’t have a case, saying, “They have no chance.
“I’m doing everything I know how to do to end this.”
Talking about his friend, he admitted, “Erika is dealing with a lot of stress.
“She’s got a close friend that she’s done the internet podcast with who’s got an incredibly difficult health issue,” referring to Teddi Mellencamp who is fighting for her life with Stage 4 cancer.
“That’s been very difficult for Erika,” Wilkes added.
Erika and Teddi previously did a podcast together, Diamonds in the Rough, where they discussed pop culture and relationships.
The pair launched the show in December but have paused recording as Teddi goes through treatment.
She recently revealed that a melanoma diagnosis she initially received in 2022 had metastasized to her brain and her lungs.
“I’m fighting for my life,” she recently told Us Weekly. “But also for my family’s life and all the people I love.”
UPCOMING TRIAL
Erika is also said to be heading to trial after being sued for $24 million by her ex’s bankruptcy trustee.
She has never been accused of a crime and has always denied any involvement in her husband’s dodgy dealings.
Girardi was found guilty last year of four counts of wire fraud after being accused of embezzling $15 million from clients in a “10-year Ponzi scheme.”
Erika’s attorney told The U.S. Sun, “I’m stunned at how Erika has gotten through the depression of it. It astounds me that she’s done such a great job. Erika is good people.
“ I’m glad I was able to help Erika. But I wish I had been in California, close enough to do more.
“They’ve got a trial set up, they wanna do with Erika, but we’ve seen in the state court cases, they’ve gone through it and there’s no evidence.
“And the judge said that he sees no evidence Erika was involved in anything.”
The trustee argued in court docs that Erika used her husband’s personal American Express credit cards “to pay for expenses she incurred in pursuit for her entertainment career.”
Erika’s legal team insists the payments were booked and accounted for solely as an alleged debt of EJ Global, not an individual liability or debt of the reality star.
They further claim, “No promissory note exists to memorialize the alleged debt owing to Girardi Keese by EJ Global, LLC; and Girardi Keese was fully capable of preparing such a written memorialization of EJ Global, LLC’s alleged debt obligation but never did so.
“The Trustee’s above-referenced accusations that Ms. Girardi knowingly and willingly participated in a criminal enterprise are false, not supported by any evidence whatsoever, malicious, and should be stricken.
“Not even the federal prosecutors in Mr. Giardi’s recent criminal trial (where neither side called Ms. Girardi as a witness) alleged that Ms. Girardi did anything wrong at the time, including in connection with Girardi’ Keese’s payments of EJ Global, LLC’s expenses.”
A trial date will be set in the coming months and Erika is expected to take to the stand.
