In a new court document obtained by PEOPLE, Erika claimed that she cannot afford to pay the money she allegedly owes to the state of California from 2019. Erika reportedly got a notification in May 2022 about owing back taxes. In her filing, Erika states, “I am in the midst of trying to figure out the basis of this tax bill with the assistance of my business manager, who is also an accountant … I do not have the ability to pay the tax bill.” The “XXPEN$IVE” singer also addressed the ongoing legal suits regarding Tom and his now-defunct law firm, Girardi & Kreese, saying, “I never worked at the law firm of GK [Girardi & Kreese]. I never managed the finances of GK. I never had access to or knew anything about how TG [Tom Girardi] or GK managed any of their client trust accounts.” The Girardi & Kreese firm is accused of embezzlement and fraud. Legal documents obtained by PEOPLE in July 2021 regarding Girardi & Kreese’s bankruptcy case claim that Erika knowingly hid some of the law firm’s assets as luxury items and lottery payments to the tune of a whopping $25 million. Erika’s financial and legal troubles first started in November 2020, when she filed for divorce from husband Tom Girardi after 21 years together. A month later, the two were hit with the first lawsuit claiming that they used Girardi & Kreese to embezzle funds from settlement cases of families who lost loved ones in the 2018 plane crash on Lion Air Flight 610. There have been other lawsuits, as well as bankruptcy case and relationship problems, which were documented in the Hulu documentary The Housewife and the Hustler in June 2021. Currently, Erika is still a cast member on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Next, Erika Girardi shares tips to feeling fierce at home during quarantine.
