It may be “XXPEN$IVE” to be Erika Jayne — but that doesn’t mean she’s always had access to her own money.
In part two of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Season 11 reunion, the Bravo star, 50, told host Andy Cohen that she “was not in control” of her finances during her decades-long marriage to estranged husband Tom Girardi.
“I gave every paycheck to my husband,” said Jayne, who wed the disgraced attorney in 2000. “I’ve handed every paycheck I’ve ever made over.”
The “Pretty Mess” author’s admission came after Cohen, 53, asked if she remained married to Girardi, 82, “for the money” despite accusations of his infidelity.
“I stayed because I had no access,” she explained, later adding, “You’re characterizing it as ‘for the money.’ I’m telling you I could not leave because I had no access to the money.”
Jayne also explained how the pair’s 32-year age difference contributed to a balance of power that she described as “out of whack.”
“I’ll say this. I was 27 when I went in. He was 60 … I trusted this man,” she elaborated, alleging that her finances were kept “down at” Girardi’s now-defunct law firm, Girardi and Keese. “Everything was kept there.”
Elsewhere, while pressing Jayne about her financial independence or lack thereof, Cohen noted that her “RHOBH” salary “ain’t bad.” According to the New York Times, the TV personality makes close to $600,000 a season.
“Listen, it doesn’t matter how much is on deposit. If you can’t access it, you’ve got nothing,” she said of her income. “What are you going to do?”
Jayne is being sued for $25 million by the trustee handling the bankruptcy case for Girardi’s former law firm.
In late 2020, the former couple was accused of allegedly embezzling funds meant for trauma victims represented by Girardi and Keese, including the families of those killed in 2018’s Lion Air Flight 610 crash. Jayne and Girardi later faced accusations that their November divorce filing was nothing but a “sham attempt” to protect their assets.
Part three of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Season 11 reunion airs Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.