Erika Girardi.Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty
The court in Sheldon, et al. v. Girardi, et al. concludes that plaintiffs suing Erika, 53, — for “aiding and abetting” her estranged husband in alleged fraud — failed to prove theReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsstar had any knowledge of the alleged crimes.
As the ruling is tentative, a final status conference for Erika’s judgment is scheduled for Friday. PEOPLE reached out to the Plaintiff’s lawyer for comment on the tentative ruling, but received no response.
The news comes after Erika was named in a handful of lawsuits alongside her estranged husband for allegedembezzlement. However, there’s been no public proof linking Erika directly to the alleged wrongdoings.
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Of the tentative ruling to dismiss Erika’s involvement in the Sheldon case, her lawyer Evan C. Borges told PEOPLE it could be the first of many “exonerations.”
“We expect that other ‘aiding and abetting’ lawsuits against Erika, which accuse her of participating in some sort of ‘fraud,’ will fail for the same reason – they are contrary to the truth and based on no real evidence,” he said.
On Wednesday, former L.A. Deputy District Attorney and legal commentatorEmily D. Bakerspoke to PEOPLE and explained what the ruling means for Erika’s future lawsuits.
“Until you’ve got a final ruling, we don’t know exactly what the facts are. We know what’s been said on social media, we know what’s been in the court files. This is the first time we have a ruling stating what the facts are and that there’s just not enough to prove that Erika knew,” she said.
“I know people want to hold her accountable for what Tom has done, but legally that’s not going to fly in every single one of the cases she’s facing,” she added. “It doesn’t mean there won’t be other consequences down the road.”
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Erika filed for divorce from Tom in November 2020 — though she’s previously stated that finalizing the divorceisn’t her first priority.
Tomcurrently residesin a 24-hour care facility, and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. His brother,Robert Girardi, has become his legal conservator.
Meanwhile, Erika continues to appear onRHOBH, which airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
source: people.com
