In a fraud story that could only come out of Hollywood, a reality star is facing legal action from the ex of a Hollywood actor. Christina Fulton filed a lawsuit against Erika Girardi, also known as Erika Jayne, for almost $800,000 claiming she defrauded her in the form of stolen property and conversion. This only adds to the mounting legal troubles the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star faces for her association with estranged ex-husband and alleged fraudster Thomas Girardi.

Girardi’s now-defunct law firm Girardi Keese has been since closed due to accusations it stole money from clients, and Fulton’s complaint submitted to the Los Angeles County Superior Court reads that she was “unfortunately a victim of this fraud and theft.” She had hired the firm to represent her in a legal manner related to an automobile crash in 2016. Two other former attorneys for Girardi Keese, John Kelly Courtney and Samantha Gold, are listed as defendants in the suit, too.

While Girardi Keese helped negotiate a settlement of around $924,400 for Fulton in 2019, her lawsuit alleges that the firm was sitting on the settlement funds which were “dissipated and that her Girardi Keese attorneys, Gold and Courtney, had lied to her.” She alleges that Thomas Girardi has mislead her over the years by “dribbling small payments,” and that she has only been paid $195,000 out of the full settlement she is owed.

Erika is named in the lawsuit because Fulton’s attorneys believe Thomas transferred the settlement funds to two companies she controlled. Fulton is claiming her funds helped the Girardi’s fund their lavish lifestyles while the firm went through bankruptcy proceedings that began in late-2020, and accused Erika of spending over $25 million of the company’s money while it was in business.

It remains to be seen whether Erika will be seen as legally complicit in these alleged fraud acts, and her lawyer Evan C. Borges responded by saying, “The focus should be on Girardi Kesse, and, where supported by evidence, the lawyers, accountants, and financiers who enabled the law firm’s misconduct.”

Fulton has one child, Weston Coppola Cage, with Nicolas Cage who was born in 1990. She also appeared in several films throughout the 90s including The Doors by Oliver Stone and Snake Eyes by Brian De Palma.

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