Tom Girardi Begins Prison Sentence Amid Dementia Battle: A Legal Drama Unfolds

SCANDAL ALERT! Tom Girardi, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Star Ex-Husband, Behind Bars for Stealing from Clients!

Get ready for a tale of deceit, corruption, and betrayal that will leave you gasping for air! Tom Girardi, the once-mighty lawyer and ex-husband of Erika Jayne (yes, the RHOBH queen herself!), has finally started serving his seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud. And honey, it's a doozy!

The 86-year-old disbarred trial attorney, who was once the most powerful figure in California's legal world, is now inmate #43156-510 at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles (thanks to Page Six). Girardi's downfall began when he was indicted in February 2023 for swindling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese. Talk about a house of cards built on shaky ground!

Girardi, who pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud, got convicted earlier this year (yikes!). His legal team tried to get him off the hook by arguing that he should serve his sentence in a long-term care facility due to his diagnosed late-onset Alzheimer's and dementia. But Judge Josephine L. Staton wasn't having it! She ruled that prison was the only way to go, citing expert evaluations that concluded Girardi still had the cognitive ability to function independently.

But here's the thing: Girardi's mental health has been a topic of debate since 2020 when his law empire collapsed amid allegations of financial misconduct. A Long Beach psychiatrist diagnosed him with Alzheimer's, prompting his brother to put him under conservatorship. However, prosecutors suspected he was faking the extent of his decline.

Even federal neuropsychologist Dr. Tracy O'Connor Pennuto, who evaluated Girardi during a six-week stint at Butner prison hospital, determined that while he wasn't malingering, he did suffer from "moderately advanced dementia" with signs of Alzheimer's. Her expert testimony warned that Girardi would continue to decline over time.

So, what did Tom do with all that stolen cash? He used it to fund his and Erika's opulent lifestyle! The couple's lavish spending habits were often showcased on RHOBH, but little did fans know the real story behind their extravagant ways. It turns out Girardi was accused of stealing settlement funds from numerous clients, including families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash.

Meanwhile, Erika has moved on and is now dating retired U.S. Army Special Ops agent John "Shrek" McPhee (yikes!). Her divorce from Girardi hasn't been finalized yet, but it's clear she's trying to put this scandalous chapter behind her. As for Tom, his future in prison remains uncertain due to concerns about his cognitive decline.

Stay tuned for more updates on this sordid tale of corruption and deceit!