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Russia: One Week Itinerary

Russia , the largest country in the world has been on my bucketlist for the longest time. This is where the first ‘women only’ tour of Ticking the Bucketlist is headed. We are off tomorrow and would be spending one week in this enchanting land!

Here is what our ‘one week in Russia’ itinerary looks like….

Day 1: Moscow – Izmailovsky Flea Market and ‘Moscow by Night’

We start our trip from Delhi on an Aeroflot flight and reach Moscow at about 0835 in the morning. We head straight to our hotel to stretch our legs and get some shut-eye. We need to charge our batteries for the Russian sojourn. We are staying in the Best Western Vega at the Izmailovsky area, which is very famous for its local flea market. The  Izmailovsky Market is the best place in Moscow for souvenir shopping …dolls, porcelain, jewelry boxes…we will buy them all from here.

Day 2: Moscow – Moscow City Tour and Kremlin Tour

A red building at the Red Square of the Kremlin

Having seen the city’s light the previous night, it is time to see the city’s colours this morning. We will set off on the Moscow City Tour shows us the highlights of city, starting with the Red Square. This is our day to click a 1000 pictures in front of all the monuments that represent Moscow…St Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi theatre, the Olympic Stadium and the Sparrow Hills.

Exploring the Kremlin

Today is also the day to visit and learn more about the most famous monument in Russia. Kremlin, literally means a fort inside a city. Dynasties built on the site, one century after another and the site came to known as the Kremlin in the 14the century. The walled structure of the Kremlin includes palaces and cathedrals… and a historical past!

Later in the evening, we will enjoy the Russian circus that many of us have seen to television ever so often. Acrobats, clowns and animals….its is time to let the little girl in you come out and clap her hands!  

Day 3: Moscow – Metro Stations and Arbat Street followed by the Bolshoi Ballet 

Mosaics on the walls of the metro station

Today, we set out to explore the metro stations of Moscow, each of which is a stellar work of art. Stunning frescos and chandeliers in marble surroundings… it’s a work of art! We will then walk along the Arbat street, which is the city’s only pedestrian street, lined with shops and cafes.

As the night unfolds, I intend to don a classy dress and get set to watch one of the finest shows on earth at the Bolshoi Theatre. I have always been awestruck by the art form and would love to see some of the best performers in the world move gracefully. A performance that is rated as one of the best in the world has to be ticked off my bucketlist!

Day 4: Moscow – Day Tour to Sergiev Posad followed by a crazy bar hopping night!

Sergiev Posad is one the strongest spiritual centres in Russia. Home to stunning churches, Sergiev Posad will give us a flavour of the famous ‘Golden Ring’ of Russia. The tour will take 5-7 hours and we will be back at the hotel in second half.

Exploring Sergiev Posad

This will be our last night in Moscow, and we are not going to leave the city without sampling some fine Russian vodka. So, this night is dedicated to bar hopping and pub crawling. Hope to meet some travellers and make new friends.

Day 5: Saint Petersburg – Sapsan train experience to Saint Petersburg and Matryoshka Doll painting class

Saint Petersburg , our next destination, is at least 700 km away from Moscow… and we will zip zap zoom on the Sapsan (the high speed train) to get there in about four hours! The high speed trains are engineering marvels, worth experiencing and we ride this iron horse in the afternoon, reaching St Peterburg in the evening.

As a group, we also join a masterclass to paint our own nested Matryoshka dolls… our own little souvenir to carry and remind us of a fun week in Russia.

With our very own Matryoshka dolls!

Day 6: Saint Petersburg – City Tour and Peterhof Palace

The day starts with a city tour of Saint Petersburg that will give us a peek into what this city has… many bridges, stunning castles, colourful cathedrals and fortresses.

Post lunch, we will head to the Peterhof Palace, also called the Russian Versailles. With spring having set in, the gardens would be green and the fountains will put up a show…I am excited!

Peterhof Palace

Day 7: Saint Petersburg – Hermitage Museum and Shopping

The highlights tour on the previous day will surely make us want to see more of Saint Petersburg…and we will do so by visiting the Hermitage Museum, which is also called the ‘Louvre of Russia’. The Hermitage complex itself is of architectural delight … and the collections have stories to speak which will hopefully, spike our interest enough to make to go back read our history textbooks.

The Hermitage Museum

The rest of the day is totally free to visit any of the other monuments or simply shop … it’s every girl’s favourite sport, isn’t it?

Our last night Russia… Oh Russia!!!! Tonight we will explore the party scene in SPB … or maybe … pack for the next day?

Day 8: Saint Petersburg …Bye Bye Russia

Memories, souvenirs and new friendships… it’s time take them all back to India! We check out of our hotel and take the flight from SPB to Delhi, via Moscow.

Farewell Russia!

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About post author, 11 responses.

Your photos are beautiful! I have always wanted to visit Russia, especially after seeing Anastasia (the Disney movie) 🙂 I can’t believe those mosaics are on the walls at the METRO STATION! How unreal. Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

Wow that is quite an awesome itinerary. I mean… huge Russia in 1 week. I am still dreaming of St. Petersbourg. So many people told me that it is gorgeous. And I would die to see the Ballet

You know I have never considered Russia but this itinerary looks amazing. St. Petersburg looks beautiful. I will certainly consider a trip there now

I’ve only been to St Petersburg so far, and did a few tours in the city and around. But I have a good friend in Moscow, so the incentive is definitely there to go back. I enjoy doing those by night experiences and see how cities transform in different times of day – especially if it’s topped with a circus visit, amazing 🙂

We are thinking of heading to Russia next Summer so will deffo use this itinerary, looks amazing! Would love to visit the Kremlin in Moscow! Thanks for sharing!

I have always been fascinated by Russia. I like the colourful rounds domes on the Palaces just like an Aladin’s Palace. FIFA Football World will be held in Russia next year and I will try my best to visit this beautiful country and will follow your itinerary and contact you. 🙂

Moscow and Kremlin city tour looks amazing. Your one week itinerary is helpful and complete tour of Russian delights. St.Petersburg city tour is also enchanting and splendid. I really want to have Russian vacation now after seeing your pictures

Wow, this is awesome. Well weaved itinerary! We had always dreamed of taking pictures of those onion-domed palaces and those colors on the palaces are just mind blowing. We didn’t know that there is a Versailles in Russia the exterior paint and the colors look much similar. We had loved it in France and would love to visit it in Russia too.

The Peterhof Palace is a delight to visit. Highly recommend it if you are in SPB

I haven’t visited Russia, but it’s definitely on the list! This a great itinerary, I love how you included things to do but also gave some leeway to do things on your own as well (like shopping haha). Beautiful pictures, the buildings and Russian dolls are stunning! I wonder if they’re all hand painted.

The dolls are all hand painted. The cost increases depending on the quality of work and the artist.

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The Writing Life of Erin Roberts

• Games & Interactive Fiction

Sour Milk Girls

Clarkesworld

“Anyone could tell Hope smelled like cinnamon and honey, same as those babies on the first floor and the second-floor girls with their pigtails and missing-tooth smiles.”

Selected for The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 4, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2019, and The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2019

Snake Season

“It was a month past Junior’s first birthday when the smell of death crept into the air, bitter and heavy with a tang of copper, like vinegar and musk.”

The Grays of Cestus V

“I call it the land of amashta , endless gray, and coat each syllable with just enough hate that even he can understand the meaning.”

Wolfy Things

“Wolf just has to go sniffing over by the edge and we give one good push and we’ll be Nicky and Lee, honest-to-God wolf-killers.”

Honor Thy Mothers

“Still, we will never stop smiling. The Mothers have taught us well enough for that.”

Games & Interactive Fiction

Tabletop roleplaying games (ttrpgs), journeys through (and beyond) the radiant citadel (d&d).

Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is a D&D adventurebook featuring a collection of thirteen stand-alone adventures, each in a new setting, with challenges for character levels 1–14. Every adventure has ties to the Radiant Citadel, a magical city with connections to lands rich with excitement and danger, and each can be run by itself or as part of an ongoing campaign. 

My adventure, “Written in Blood,” for third-level parties, takes place in Godsbreath, a region inspired by Black agricultural communities in the US South.  Adventurers’ visit to the annual Awakening Festival is disrupted by a mysterious attack that must be investigated in the dangerous farmlands of the Rattle.

Read more about my inspiration for the adventure and setting here and  here , or watch this video !

Want more information about Godsbreath and the other Radiant Citadel locations? Interested in a few more encounters to extend your party’s visit to the area? Check out Journeys Beyond The Radiant Citadel on the DM’s Guild, which provides new information about seven of the locations introduced in Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel , including Godsbreath! 

You’ll find the following in the expanded Godsbreath Gazetteer:

• The Gods of Godsbreath  – names, domains, symbols, and more
• A New Background: Proclaimer  – Be one of the oral storytellers of Godsbreath in this cleric-meets-bard background.
• Encounters and Opportunities for Adventure  – What happens when two Godsbreath farmers try to “cure” the land under the powerful Kindred moon? Who is to blame for the Nightwater Island houses that are being dragged into the sea? Get involved in these adventures and more!

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Highhelm

When the first dwarves reached the surface of Golarion, they built enormous keeps as a monument to their legacy and to serve as their new home. The mightiest of these keeps was Highhelm, a Sky Citadel deep in the Five Kings Mountains. While other Sky Citadels have fallen since the Quest for Sky, Highhelm holds strong, serving as one of the major centers of dwarven culture. Lost Omens Highhelm  delves deep into the Emperor’s Peak to present Highhelm in all its glory, including everyday life in the city, dwarven culture, and the various clans that influence the Sky Citadel.

What I Wrote:

• Stonebreach, a work-hard play-hard segment of the city that includes the only market geared to outside traders
• Stonebreach options, including the Fightbreakers background, grub gloves, and a tattoo of inspiring words.

Pathfinder Lost Omens: The Grand Bazaar

What It Is: The Grand Bazaar is Absalom’s greatest marketplace featuring items from all over Golarion. Here, an adventurer can find equipment of all kinds to help them on their next quest like new weapons, armors, magic items, accessibility items to enable adventures for anyone, and more! What I Wrote: 

• Khisa , the NG female human historian proprietor of Relics & Remembrance who thinks of herself as a collector of stories and has a tale for every item she stocks.
• Empowered Cuisine – Alchemical and magical tapas with an array of effects that include Brewer’s Regret , Impossible Cake , Follypops, and Server’s Stew .

Starfinder Bounty #3: A Green Place

When an automated power plant in the newly developed but ever-expanding city of Thamal goes offline, casting swaths of the city in darkness, the government deploys repair and scouting drones to investigate. None have returned. Armed with a few aerial images of the power plant, now mysteriously overgrown with local flora, the PCs are dispatched to bring the power plant back online!

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Knights of Lastwall

When the armies of the Whispering Tyrant marched on Lastwall, the keeps and cities may have fallen, but its people and their spirit did not falter! A detailed look at the knights that continue the fight against the undead hordes and evils that roam the world.

What I Wrote: 

• Intro to the Factions section
• Buttons & Fenn Tunwalker , an adorable gnome/halfling couple who train young knights and have a love for the ages
• Milani the Everbloom

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Travel Guide

See the scenic Inner Sea with the  Lost Omens Travel Guide ! This book is your companion to the culture, life, and sights of the Inner Sea. Learn about Inner Sea cuisine and art, experience the thrills of Inner Sea sports, and uncover the secrets of Inner Sea myths and magic. The Travel Guide features dozens of illustrations to show you the fine details of the latest fashion or put you into the center of one of the Inner Sea’s greatest festivals. Enjoy!

• Time & The Calendar , including timepieces, calendars, and time-telling among various lands and cultures of Golarion.
• Art & Architecture , including famous structures, building styles, well-known artists, and pieces of art.

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Firebrands

Rebels with a cause!  The Firebrands were born in the flames of rebellion, eventually becoming some of the Inner Sea’s most well-known adventurers.  Lost Omens Firebrands  takes a detailed look at the characters that choose to take on oppressors or simply head out on adventures for fame and fortune. This book presents information on the Firebrands organization, from membership, to spreading the word of rebellion, to the missions to defeat tyranny, and the types of daredevil antics they perform for fun. The book also features new rules content including new equipment, magic items, spells, and support for archetypes for players who want to play a Firebrand in their campaigns!

• The Salt Breakers , who pursue the cause of justice through the waters of the Inner Sea.
• Shimali Manux , who founded the Firebrands and now leads the Salt Breakers
• Vulmia Manux , navigator of the Nightwave

Starfinder Interstellar Species

This new rulebook provides deep dives on 25 playable Starfinder species, each with thematic player options usable by any character, plus new options for 7 Starfinder character classes. There’s also a system for easily creating your own playable species, and a catalog of around 100 thematic nonplayer characters ready to slot into any adventure!

• An expansion of the lore for the Vlaka , a wolf-like species whose planet is slowly dying
• Envoy Improvisations and Expertise Talents inspired by the Vlaka
• Four Guide NPCs – the Personal Concierge , Courier , Captains Club Guide , and Stowalong

Hunter: The Reckoning Fifth Edition

Humanity clings to a comfortable illusion that the world belongs to mankind, that they lead lives of free-willed individuality, completely unaware that they occupy a world of grim mysteries inhabited by monsters. Hunters are among those who have seen past the veil of secrecy and know the world for what it is — a bauble in the claws of monsters. Hunters fight back against the threat because they have glimpsed the truth, and have resolved to do something about it.

What I Wrote (see  this thread  for a bit more about each):

• Two Antagonists – The mysterious Whatisname , who is always close at hand when things go wrong., and Johnny Sweets , who is looking for love in all the wrong ways.
• Two Organizations – The Order of the Rose , which is what happens when a suburban HSA and a controlling religious order make friends, and Re:Venge , because everything can be monetized by the right tech bros.

Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (D&D)

Takhisis the Dragon Queen has returned to the world of Krynn. Across the land, her armies of fanatical draconians wage a brutal war of conquest. As the Dragon Armies march on the unprepared nation of Solamnia, only the defenders of the city of Kalaman stand in their way. But the Dragon Armies want more than just to crush their foes. An ancient evil in the Dragon Queen’s service seeks a magical weapon that could dominate Krynn for all time.

Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen  is a tale of conflict and defiance set during the legendary War of the Lance. Create characters from Krynn, the world of the Dragonlance setting, then march them to the front lines of battle against the terrifying Dragon Armies.

Anansi's Tapestry of Lives

Anansi’s Tapestry of Lives is a 320+ page compendium built around over 100 fully illustrated unique and useful NPCs, each paired with a professionally voice-acted monologue to kick off the action.

• Xarietta Flinn, an optimistic fortune-telling gnome who believes the client is always right.
• Cintoran, a perpetually lost traveling salesman.

Interactive Fiction & Scripts

Thanks for the memories.

Sub-Q Magazine

A woman wakes up with no memories of her past or even her name. Uncover her past and decide who to trust.

NaughtyBits

Strange Lusts (Strange Horizons Special Issue)

Play as a sex chatbot with the opportunity to win themselves some rights. Your tools? The sexy words you use every day with clients, ready to fill in all your conversational blanks. But don’t worry – you can ___ it!

Zombies, Run!

Contributor, Season 7-present

Only a few have survived the zombie epidemic. You are a Runner en-route to one of humanity’s last remaining outposts. They need your help to gather supplies, rescue survivors, and defend their home.

Be the first to hear about my new stories and writing adventures – sign up today!

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Spectacular Adventures has been nothing short of SPECTACULAR! Not only was Erin Roberts very accommodating to all of our last minute information requests, her attention to detail and honesty was very reassuring! She also took care of getting us home safe and sound (and on time!) when the airline we used unexpectedly went on strike. Thanks Erin for going the extra mile, or in our case the extra 1500 miles! You've got a customer for life! - Bryan

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Traveling Adventures by Erin

Discovering the Magic of Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando

A Visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum

Discovering Turkey Run State Park

The Power of Day Trips

Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan

Discovering the Magic of The Ringling

Exploring the Charm of Savannah: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

Cincinnati Museum Center

The Wonders of Hocking Hills State Park

The Golden Lamb

Visiting the Ohio Reformatory

Toy Story Land

Indianapolis Children's Museum

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INNOVATIVE ADVICE MEETS RELIABLE ACTION

Serving the palouse for over a decade.

With values rooted in community, tenacity, building relationships, and leadership, Erin obtains innovative and reliable resolutions. Her diverse expertise is well-suited to many of her clients' legal needs. Erin is a lifelong learner, challenging herself to develop new expertise and gain valuable experiences while maintaining a steadfast presence on the Palouse, which has always been her home. She is down-to-earth and approachable. Her career and leadership experience includes: 

• Owner & attorney at Tomlin Law Office, PLLC
• Licensed in ID & WA
• Idaho State Bar Access to Justice statewide steering committee member, 2023- Present
• Idaho Women Lawyers, Advocate Committee, chair, 2022- Present
• Editorial Board member for the Idaho State Bar publication, The Advocate, 2018 - Present
• Adjunct faculty at the University of Idaho College of Law (Domestic Violence & the Law and Lawyering Process) and Washington State University (Mock Trial), 2016 - Present
• Alumni Excellence Award, University of Idaho, 2023
• Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Idaho College of Law, 2022 - 2023
• Board member for the Moscow Chamber of Commerce + Visitor's Center, 2021 - 2023
• Moscow ArtWalk featured artist in 2022 & 2023
• Associate General Counsel for the University of Idaho, 2021 - 2022
• Certified Family Law mediator with the Idaho Supreme Court, 2020 - 2022
• Attorney & Partner at Westberg Roepke Moore, PLLC, 2018 - 2021
• City Attorney, Genesee, Idaho, 2014-2017; 2018-2020
• Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI) Certified, 2018
• Katy Benoit Safety Forum Keynote Speaker, 2017
• Virginia Wolf Distinguished Community Member Award, 2017
• Vice-President Second District Idaho State Bar Commission, 2015
• Idaho Victim Assistance Academy Leadership Award, 2015
• City of Moscow Prosecutor, 2013 - 2017
• J.D. awarded from the University of Idaho College of Law, 2012, with emphases in Native American Law and Litigation & Appropriate Dispute Resolution
• Craig Lewis Trial Team, 2010 -2012 (President, 2012)
• National NALSA Moot Court Competitor, 2012, held at Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii
• Legal Intern at the Law Office of Charles E. Kovis, 2010 - 2012
• Latah County Youth Accountability Board, 2009 - 2012
• City of Moscow Historic Commission, 2008
• B.A. awarded from the University of Idaho, History, 2006

Erin enjoys spending time with her family, creating art, rafting and being outside near a river, attending live music concerts and community festivals, and rooting for her favorite sports teams. 

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Tom Girardi, ‘Real Housewives’ Erika Jayne’s Husband, Is On Trial For Allegedly Embezzling Millions

Senior Reporter, Crime

Subscribe to HuffPost’s true crime newsletter, Suspicious Circumstances , to get captivating cases, unsolved mysteries and courtroom drama delivered straight to your inbox every week. Sign up here .

When Erika Jayne Girardi first joined “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” in 2015, she shocked even her affluent castmates with her ostentatious displays of wealth, including a palatial mansion, private jet , extravagant jewelry, designer outfits styled by her personal “glam squad,” which included a creative director and choreographer for her aspiring career as a pop performer — all bankrolled by her husband, a high-powered personal injury lawyer 33 years her senior.

Now, Tom Girardi, 85, is a defendant in a criminal trial that began in Los Angeles this week, charged by federal prosecutors in March 2022 with embezzling $15 million from vulnerable clients. He is also charged in Chicago with stealing millions more in settlement awards from Boeing to families of a plane crash that killed 189 people . (That case, tentatively scheduled to be tried next year, is on hold until the conclusion of his trial in California.)

In opening statements Tuesday, prosecutors said that Girardi treated settlements he secured from his clients like “a personal piggy bank” that he used to fund, among other things, “the entertainment career of his former wife,” according to a reporter for Law.com.

Girardi gained fame for winning the landmark environmental lawsuit dramatized in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich,” for which Julia Roberts won an Academy Award. As his wife shot to fame in “RHOBH,” he became better known as her benevolent benefactor in his occasional appearances on the Bravo TV show.

In court on Wednesday, one former client testified about the settlement he received from utility company PG&E. Joseph Ruigomez suffered burns over 90% of his body , and his girlfriend was killed when a gas main exploded outside of his house in 2010. Girardi had told him he’d received $5 million; the actual settlement was $53 million, he said, according to Law.com .

“I trusted Tom,” Ruigomez added.

The Competency Questions

Girardi has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, and the trial comes after a yearslong dispute over his competency. His attorneys, who did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost, said in court filings that he has dementia and is unable to “properly assist in his defense.” However, a judge ultimately agreed with prosecutors, who argued that although Girardi was diagnosed with a mild cognitive impairment, he was exaggerating his symptoms.

In court documents filed in January and reviewed by HuffPost, the judge cited numerous examples of evidence produced in court that demonstrated Girardi’s competency and “confabulations.” That included his saying that he didn’t remember he had a third wife but then answering a call from Jayne during a clinical examination in which he spoke “cogently” to her, remembered she was leaving for Spain that day to film “RHOBH” and identified her as his “ex.”

Jayne filed for divorce from her husband of 21 years in November 2020, which has not yet been finalized. She has not been charged in connection to her husband’s alleged crimes.

The Lavish Lifestyle

While few “Real Housewives” stars talk openly about money or the source of their wealth (“show, don’t tell” seems to be an unspoken policy), Jayne made it part of her brand.

She joined the show in its sixth season in 2015 with the tagline , “I’m an enigma, wrapped in a riddle — and cash.” In a 2017 music video, she produced for her song “XXpen$ive,” cash rains down on her lingerie-clad body, like feathers from pillowcases stuffed with bills in a “pillow fight” on a bed with two models.

“It’s expensive to be me,” she sings.

Jayne was 27 when she met the twice-divorced Girardi, a frequent customer at the restaurant where she worked as a cocktail server. She launched her pop career after years of being in what she described to People as a “ wealthy coma .”

“There are only so many material things you can have before it becomes boring. There are only so many dinners, so many things you can buy. I was complacent. I was in a wealthy coma and I wasn’t looking inward,” she said.

She created her own record label and released her own music videos, hiring producers, directors, choreographers, costume designers, hair stylists and makeup artists for her glitzy, provocative performances, including small live nightclub bookings. Her audacious Erika Jayne stage persona became her public identity, making her castmates gasp and delighting “Housewives” fans.

The Lawsuit

One month after Jayne’s divorce filing, an Illinois class action law firm that was working to recover settlement funds owed to Girardi’s alleged victims — including family members of people killed in the Indonesian plane crash — sued her, her husband, and his law firm and associates, calling the divorce a “sham” to protect their money from their creditors.

(She was later dropped from the lawsuit, which she touted as a victory on “RHOBH.” Proceedings against Girardi and his firm are ongoing.)

Asserting that Girardi and his law firm were “on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds,” plaintiff attorneys Edelson PC alleged that Jayne was “at the heart of” efforts to forestall debtors and said Girardi used settlement proceeds “to fund outrageous lifestyles for himself and his soon-to-be ex-wife.”

“To keep up their celebrity status, Tom and Erika must project a public image of obscene wealth at all times, and at whatever the cost,” Edelson said in the lawsuit, which was viewed by HuffPost.

Edelson also alleged that Jayne used her company, EJ Global, to shield money paid out by Boeing for the victims of the crash.

Jayne’s attorney, Evan Borges, told HuffPost that Girardi and his firm used EJ Global merely as a “book entry” to “code” expenses and that no money was ever paid “to” her company.

“Erika had no role in this process,” Borges said.

“All Erika did was put trust in her attorney then-husband, Tom Girardi, who insisted on exclusively handling all the marital finances, including the finances of EJ Global LLC,” he told HuffPost.

The Shocked Castmates

Hours after the Los Angeles Times published its first explosive exposé about Girardi’s alleged misdealings in December 2020, Jayne’s shocked castmates gathered to discuss the bombshell story, a scene that was aired in a later episode of “RHOBH.” (Kyle Richards famously said then that she didn’t read the whole article because it was “too long.”) The women generally sympathized with Jayne, who loudly proclaimed her innocence, portrayed herself as a victim, and bristled — and was often combative — when she was questioned by her castmates. She repeatedly claimed that pending litigation prevented her from discussing the case.

The Diamond Earrings

But Jayne, a fan favorite on the Bravo reality show that is now filming its 14th season, faced increasing criticism from viewers and her fellow castmates for not showing compassion for the people who were killed, severely injured, or lost loved ones and then were allegedly defrauded by Girardi and his associates after he negotiated settlements for them.

She drew fire for referring to them as “purported” victims in a Season 12 episode filmed in Aspen, which focused on a pair of $750,000 diamond earrings that Girardi had given her. She told her castmates that she refused to relinquish the jewelry despite a bankruptcy trustee finding, which asserted that her husband had purchased them using money from his clients’ trust account.

Her costars, Crystal Minkoff and Garcelle Beauvais, said they would give up the earrings out of compassion for the victims.

“There’s dead people that money was stolen from,” Minkoff said.

Later in the episode, Beauvais told the camera she couldn’t understand Jayne’s insistence on keeping the earrings.

“For two decades, Erika was living this lavish lifestyle off the backs of these victims,” Beauvais said at the time. “Even if Erika is innocent, her refusing to give anything back is beyond me.”

At another point in the episode, when Minkoff again said that she would be focused on the victims, Jayne had a shocking retort.

“I don’t give a fuck about anyone else but me!” Jayne said.

“Why am I showing compassion for people who are dogging me for something that I didn’t even do?” she added.

When a court overturned a bankruptcy judge’s order to relinquish the earrings , Jayne trumpeted her victory on the Season 13 cast trip to Spain — after that phone call with her husband mentioned in his competency hearing. She was disappointed that her friends weren’t celebrating with her.

Beauvais commented in a confessional that she still wished Jayne would relinquish the earrings.

“Even though you’re not guilty, you’re giving back to the victims. You need good karma,” Beauvais said.

‘The Housewife And The Hustler 2: The Reckoning’

Earlier this year, Jayne expressed her compassion publicly for the victims of the plane crash and other tragedies. She also met with several victims, which was filmed for this February’s “Reckoning,” the sequel to the 2021 ABC News documentary, “The Housewife And The Hustler.”

Arriving in an unusually (for her) muted outfit — slacks, a print blouse and plain heels — Jayne shared a table with three women allegedly defrauded by her husband. She offered an apology — of sorts.

“I’m sorry that my husband did this to everybody. And I mean that as heartfelt as I can. But a lot of it is new to me, too. … Nobody was interested in my side of the story. They were interested in blaming me,” she told the women.

“Certainly, I didn’t know, but on behalf of everyone else, I’m very sorry,” she said.

The Jury Questionnaire

So much of Jayne and her husband’s legal wrangling played out on “RHOBH” that prospective jurors in Girardi’s trial were asked about the show in a questionnaire they filled out ahead of jury selection. The questions HuffPost reviewed included: “Have you watched shows or other media on the Bravo network?”; “Have you watched/do you watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills shows on the Bravo network?” and “Have you seen, heard or read any other form of media… related to The Real Housewives or The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?”

Bravo did not respond to a request for comment by HuffPost. Testimony in the trial is expected to continue on Friday.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the film “Erin Brockovich” premiered in 2020. It premiered in 2000.

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