Erika Jayne, 51, cuts defiant figure with chin up amid scandals

Erika Jayne cut a provocative figure with her chin firmly up when she was spotted stepping out in Beverly Hills on Friday.

The 51-year-old has been dogged by scandal for years following her explosive divorce from husband Tom Girardi, 83, amid his embezzlement allegations.

But Jayne, who has firmly rejected allegations that she was complicit in her ex’s alleged misconduct, seemed brave and confident this week.

She cut a casual figure in black workout clothes, shielded her eyes with large sunglasses and swept her signature platinum hair into a high bun.

Her latest sighting comes after she denied dating recently arrested attorney Jim Wilkes II, whom she was seen with in Las Vegas last Sunday.

Mover and shaker: Jayne, who has adamantly denied allegations of complicity in her husband’s alleged crimes, seemed brave and safe this week

A representative for Jayne denied any romance between the couple, telling DailyMail.com that Wilkes has been “just her lawyer and family friend for over 20 years.”

The RHOBH star — whose disbarred lawyer ex Girardi, 83, was recently charged with alleged theft of $18 million from clients — stepped out with Wilkes, 72, at Caesar’s Palace last weekend.

Wilkes is currently facing criminal charges after firing two shots into his home last month during a domestic dispute with an unknown woman.

Glimpsing along with him, Jayne, who is in Sin City for a residency at the House of Blues, looked classy in a graphic print jumper.

She paired the top with red latex leggings and stiletto heels while walking with Wilkes — who was a longtime collaborator from her ex Girardi.

Wilkes, who specializes in suing nursing homes on behalf of battered residents, looked cool in a leather jacket, T-shirt and jeans as he walked alongside Erika in the photo obtained by Blonde Hair Black Heart podcaster Blake Adam Sunday.

There is confusion over Wilkes’ marital status – he filed for divorce from wife Jessica Collins in March 2021, but posted a photo with her on Tuesday, showing the couple cozying up and captioning: ‘My wife and I. Have a nice moment.’

The American sun reports that he helped Erika with her financial problems during the divorce and allegedly sent her nearly $500,000, according to court documents.

Family friend: Her latest sighting comes after she was falsely linked to recently arrested attorney Jim Wilkes II when they were seen together in Las Vegas last Sunday

Gone: The RHOBH star’s former attorney, ex Tom Girardi, 83, was recently charged with alleged theft of $18 million from clients (2016 photo)

Court documents previously obtained by the outlet read: “Erika filed for summary judgment to get herself out of the case, and in response the law firm noted that Erika received hundreds of thousands of dollars for her legal fees from an attorney named James Lewis Wilkes , II, through Wilkes’ law firm.’

He describes himself on Instagram as: “US Army ’69-72 Vietnam Vet songwriter, music publisher, lawyer, elderly advocate, world champion boxing manager, political consultant, humanitarian.”

Wilkes faces criminal charges following the gun incident last month.

The Tampa Bay Times reports Wilkes claimed the unnamed woman hit him in the head, causing him to grab a gun for fear she might get it.

The woman is said to have been heard yelling in the background that Wilkes “pointed a gun at her and shot it into a wall.”

Wilkes said that as the argument continued, he fired one bullet from the gun into a bed and another into a bathroom wall to scare the woman and stop the argument, the report said. He claims not to have pointed the gun at the woman.

The woman claimed to police that she punched Wilkes and then he fired into the bed and wall, before putting the gun to her temple and then her torso and threatening to kill her, the report also says. Wilkes has denied the allegations.

Confusion: He filed for divorce from his wife Jessica Collins in March 2021, but posted a photo with her on Tuesday, showing the couple cozying up together and captioning, “My wife and I. Have a nice moment

Interesting: Hunky Wilkes was a long-running collaborator of her ex Girardi

The woman told police she punched Wilkes and that after firing at the bed and wall, he placed the gun on her temple and then on her torso and threatened to kill her, the report said. Wilkes denied that.

Wilkes’ lawyer Ronald Kurpiers II told the publication: “He was attacked and he defended himself. That’s the size of it.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Erika Jayne’s representatives for comment.

Girardi was recently indicted for allegedly stealing $18 million from customers, including the grieving families of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash.

Girardi is already facing a mountain of civil lawsuits over claims he stole money from his law firm.

Earlier this month, he was indicted by grand juries in Chicago and LA on charges of stealing $3 million from the plane crash victims, and another $15 million from other clients. Prosecutors say he stole the money to pay exorbitant American Express bills and membership fees for two country clubs.

Mugshot: Wilkes faces criminal charges after firing two shots into his home last month during a domestic dispute with an unidentified woman

Girardi is being sued in Los Angeles federal court for wire fraud alleging theft of more than $18 million from customers, including an Arizona widow whose husband was killed in a boating accident, a Los Angeles couple injured in a car accident involving their son became paralyzed and a man who was severely burned during the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion in 2010. He had no guilty plea filed on his behalf by U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson on Monday.

He and Erika Jayne are estranged but have not yet finalized their divorce. In 2020, she filed for divorce.

Girardi’s alleged theft and fraud came to light in 2020, the same year Jayne filed for divorce from the disgraced lawyer. The divorce has yet to be officially finalized.