Erika Jayne Finally Sits Down With Victims Allegedly Defrauded by Husband Tom Girardi

ABC News Studios and L.A. Times Studios announced Wednesday the documentary The Housewife and The Hustler 2: The Reckoning, which will investigate the fall of ex-powerhouse attorney Tom Girardi and his legal empire, amidst scandalous allegations Girardi was stealing from his clients.

The trailer for the documentary shows the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star sitting down at a table with several victims -- after being criticized by her costars and the public for not showing them much empathy throughout this ordeal.

"I'm at sort of a loss for what to say ..." she begins. "Did you see the documentary?" one of the victims asked, referring to 2021's Part 1. Her response? "The Housewife and The Hustler? I did."

The new documentary is a follow-up to ABC News' The Housewife and the Hustler (2021), which unveiled a trail of documents, court records and witness accounts of Girardi’s alleged legal wrongdoings and deceit.

The trailer for the follow-up shows a victim refer to Tom as "a master manipulator" and "the devil," while others wonder how much his wife knew. "

"You can play the villain on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills if you want but don't be [censored] to the victims. I wanted Erika to say I'm sorry face to face," says someone else, though it's unclear whether she made any such apology.

Before the trailer finishes, we hear a victim ask Jayne directly, "Why did it take you so long?"

Jayne says it's because she was "never asked to do this" -- adding, "Nobody was really interested in my side of the story."

Jayne has recently spoken about her experience meeting with the victims on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live. When a fan asked how the meeting went and noted that it seemed like Jayne "didn't have empathy" for them last season on RHOBH, Jayne noted she "always had empathy for them, it's just that timing is very important when you're in litigation."

"I felt very comfortable, I went there with an open heart, they were very nice to me and they did not have to be," she continued. "I'm sure that they were very hurt, still."

When asked whether any of them confronted her or viewed her as "an enemy," she said she didn't know how they truly felt on the inside, but she didn't feel "they were being unjustly harsh" with her in person.

She also revealed that Girardi does still call her "every now and then," but she's not really sure how he's doing because she doesn't see him in person. "He's always cheerful on the phone," she added -- and, when asked by Cohen whether he seemed like he was "with it," said, "Sometimes with, sometimes without, depends on the day."

Girardi is facing trial from accusations he embezzled more than $15 million from his clients, and an additional $3 million from plane crash victims in Chicago, amid a pending divorce from Erika. A federal judge found the disgraced lawyer was competent earlier in January 2024, after the 84-year-old was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and dementia in March 2021.

CBS News reports the 84-year-old is facing multiple counts of wire fraud, a crime carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years on each count. In January of 2022, Jayne was dismissed from the ongoing lawsuit filed against against Girardi in Illinois.

Jayne and Girardi have been separated since November 2020. The reality star has been distancing herself from her estranged husband and trying to rebuild her personal brand separately from his legal troubles.

The Housewife and The Hustler 2: The Reckoning begins streaming Monday, Feb. 12, only on Hulu.