Erika Girardi cried while denying that her divorce to lawyer Tom Girardi was a 'sham' to hide assets on Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.
The 50-year-old reality star, who performs as Erika Jayne, burst into tears on the season 11 episode titled A Pretty Meltdown as she met Kyle Richards, 52, at a park after the cast was forced to quarantine following a COVID-19 outbreak.
Erika was crying as soon as she took off her face mask and told Kyle, 'It's OK. I'm just overwhelmed'.
Divorce talk: Erika Girardi cried while denying that her divorce to lawyer Tom Girardi was a 'sham' to hide assets on Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills
'Oh, my God, Erika. I'm not used to seeing you like this. I'm sorry,' Kyle told her.
'Kyle, this is so hard to do. This is so hard. What's happening is so hard. It's just ...I have such a story to tell. I can't tell it, 'cause it's not the right time,' Erika said as her mascara streaked from her tears.
'I'm sorry,' Kyle consoled her while fighting back her own tears.
'I've never been this overwhelmed, and in a place where my hands are literally tied. ...I could have never predicted this f***ing s***,' Erika said.
Tears flowing: The 50-year-old reality star, who performs as Erika Jayne, burst into tears on the season 11 episode titled A Pretty Meltdown as she met Kyle Richards, 52, at a park after the cast was forced to quarantine following a COVID-19 outbreak
'Ever,' Kyle interjected completing her sentence.
'Ever. Ever. Ever predicted that this would be what's happening,' Erika told her.
Erika was reeling throughout the one-hour episode as reports surfaced claiming that her filing for divorce against Tom, 82, was a sham to hide assets amid mounting lawsuits against the prominent lawyer.
Showing support: 'Oh, my God, Erika. I'm not used to seeing you like this. I'm sorry,' Kyle told her
Tom is currently under investigation amid accusations he 'misappropriated at least $2 million' meant for the families, including orphans and widows, of those killed in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia in 2018.
A class-action lawsuit filed by Edelson PC in December against Tom and Erika alleged they were 'on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds'.
In March, the LA Times reported that there had been more than 100 lawsuits filed and multiple complaints made to the California State Bar against Tom by disgruntled clients who alleged financial wrongdoing and theft.
Totally overwhelmed: 'I've never been this overwhelmed, and in a place where my hands are literally tied. ...I could have never predicted this f***ing s***,' Erika said
A documentary titled The Housewife And The Hustler was released in June on Hulu documenting the couple's legal troubles.
'There's nothing I can do except wait to tell my side of the story. And, you know, the feeling of just not knowing, and then these huge things being alleged, and just having to defend yourself,' Erika told Kyle.
'It's just a lonely, lonely place to be, because... God, Kyle, my divorce is not a sham,' Erika said.
Lonely place: 'It's just a lonely, lonely place to be, because... God, Kyle, my divorce is not a sham,' Erika said
'I know,' Kyle said.
'It's just not. I mean, nobody wants to be in the position I'm in right now. It is really unenviable. Being the possible target of a federal criminal investigation is, like, not cool. To have all those things said about you, which are not true, and then to have everyone basically question everything, it's lonely, and it's quiet,' Erika said.
'And you would be shocked at how quickly people turn on you, how quickly people distance themselves from you,' she added.
Quickly distanced: 'And you would be shocked at how quickly people turn on you, how quickly people distance themselves from you,' she added
Erika also said she hoped that someone was checking in on Tom 'because he's not good'.
She revealed that she hadn't spoken with Tom since filing for divorce in November and noted that he was a 'proud man'.
'One of the reasons that I filed for divorce is the resistance to anything, the resistance to a conversation, the resistance to, 'Hey, you know, I've noticed that you can't see well.' 'What are you talking about? I'm fine.' 'No, you can't see well. You can't hear. You're f***ing degrading in front of me, and you're ignoring it'',' Erika told Kyle.
Proud man: Erika revealed that she hadn't spoken with Tom since filing for divorce in November and noted that he was a 'proud man'
Kyle then asked if the headline was true that Tom was seeking for Erika to pay his legal bills.
'Oh, yeah. That was great. Well, you now, that just him being a f***ing ass,' Erika said.
Kyle said she was shocked since Tom had always been her financial provider and Erika said that he was 'concerned with himself first'.
Legal billing: Kyle then asked if the headline was true that Tom was seeking for Erika to pay his legal bills
Erika in a confessional said her relationship with Tom changed as she became successful as a singer and entertainer.
'God, I can't believe I'm gonna f***ing say this,' Erika said. 'As much as Tom encouraged me, I think he resented me every step I took forward.'
She was shown crying with mascara reaching her chin while talking to Kyle.
Tough admission: 'God, I can't believe I'm gonna f***ing say this,' Erika said. 'As much as Tom encouraged me, I think he resented me every step I took forward'
'Around the time of 'Chicago,' Tom's view of me had changed. Like, he was like, 'Who the f*** do you think you are?' I was like, 'What are you talking about? You-you gave me the ball. I ran into the endzone with it. What the f*** are you doing?'',' Erika added in her confessional.
She got emotional in her confessional as she described their relationship in halting words.
'I'd go to hug him, and ...he wouldn't hug me back,' Erika said. 'There was another life happening. The outside ...saw a lot of support. But the inside was not. There was a lot of conflict,' she said.
