Erika Jayne is firing back at claims that she conspired with the Secret Service to take down a fashion designer.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, whose real name is Erika Girardi, filed new court documents responding to an $18 million lawsuit brought against her by fashion designer Chris Psaila, according to TMZ.
Chris, who runs the fashion brand Marco Marco, sued Erika in late 2023 and accused her of playing a role in a scheme that allegedly damaged his business and reputation.
In the lawsuit, Chris claims Erika falsely told law enforcement that he misused her credit card and allegedly racked up roughly $800,000 in fraudulent charges in 2015 and 2016.
However, Erika is denying any wrongdoing.
In her filing, Erika says she was never part of any scheme to target Chris and insists she did not knowingly lie to the Secret Service.
Instead, Erika claims she only spoke with investigators about concerns over certain credit card charges after allegedly having trouble getting receipts from Chris for purchases made on her card.
Erika is now asking the court to throw out the lawsuit in its entirety.
Chris claims the situation caused him emotional distress and damaged both his fashion business and his reputation. He is seeking around $18 million in damages.
When the lawsuit was first filed, Erika’s attorney, Evan Borges, strongly denied the allegations.
“Plaintiff’s claims against Erika are entirely without merit. Independent federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office made the decision to charge plaintiff with crimes, no one else. The notion that Erika controlled the U.S. Government, or for that matter a Fortune 100 company such as American Express, is fantasy,” Borges told TMZ at the time.
The case adds another legal headline to Erika’s already complicated history since her split from estranged husband Tom Girardi and the legal fallout surrounding his former law firm.
Erika has spent years denying allegations of wrongdoing in various legal battles and has maintained that she should not be held responsible for Tom’s actions.
This time, however, the lawsuit centers on her past relationship with designer Chris Psaila and the claims that she somehow influenced a federal investigation.