prism
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We don't live in a world of reality, we live in a world of perceptions
Posts: 533
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Post by prism on Jun 16, 2021 23:33:01 GMT
Thanks for the reminder, Amber! OMG! I kinda knew about Tom's connection to the Brockovich situation and a suit about winning awards for the victims of a crashed Lion flight in Indonesia. But I had no idea about his connection to the victims of a nearby neighborhood of San Bruno, CA where a huge Pacific Gas and Electric gas line exploded and incinerated a whole neighborhood. This hit close to home in more than one way! My oldest and dearest friend lived 5 blocks from the inferno! I knew she and her husband were at their summer home in Russian River and I phoned them there to be sure they were watching the news. They were with much apprehension, but neighbors were telling them that their home was OK for now. I later learned that an old boyfriend of mine, who I was still close to, was one of the two PG&E employees who rushed to where the gas could be cut off (though that barely mitigated the horrific damage and loss of life). They were highly lauded for their actions! I'd never heard that Tom, the Ice Queen's husband, was involved and stealing from those victims as well to support her ridiculous "career". OMG! That shallow bitch! And the rest of those dingbats on RHoBH for being equally shallow. Makes you wonder how Bravo finds so many narcissistic psychos who are stupid enough to put their grifting out in public. And there have been several of them! I wonder of her cop son is proud of her? Or if she even gives a shit. Wow. The explosion was devastating! It's incomprehensible that Girardi could take money from people who suffered so. " I so agree with you! .... your "shallow" and "dingbat" observations; and the narcissistic grifters. I'm astonished that people praise and make excuses for behavior of these depraved women. Bravo must select these people solely based upon how grotesque their lives are.... so few are actually civilized. The Erika woman was still acting her ice queen role when she must have known she and Girardi were being exposed in court.
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Post by momrek06 on Jun 17, 2021 0:24:43 GMT
I wasn't talking about Tom Kar - I was talking about Erica. Oh ok, acookertv.....sorry, ohhhh ok I thought you were referring to Tom. Thanks for clarifying that.
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Post by momrek06 on Jun 17, 2021 0:28:11 GMT
www.hulu.com/startFor anyone interested HULU has a 30 FREE DAYS trial. My son loaded this up on his tv and shared his logon with us. So anyone interested in The Housewife and the HUSTLER but do not want to pay for another channel, try the 30 free days!!!
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Post by JustJuls on Jun 17, 2021 2:34:07 GMT
Thanks for the reminder, Amber! OMG! I kinda knew about Tom's connection to the Brockovich situation and a suit about winning awards for the victims of a crashed Lion flight in Indonesia. But I had no idea about his connection to the victims of a nearby neighborhood of San Bruno, CA where a huge Pacific Gas and Electric gas line exploded and incinerated a whole neighborhood. This hit close to home in more than one way! My oldest and dearest friend lived 5 blocks from the inferno! I knew she and her husband were at their summer home in Russian River and I phoned them there to be sure they were watching the news. They were with much apprehension, but neighbors were telling them that their home was OK for now. I later learned that an old boyfriend of mine, who I was still close to, was one of the two PG&E employees who rushed to where the gas could be cut off (though that barely mitigated the horrific damage and loss of life). They were highly lauded for their actions! I'd never heard that Tom, the Ice Queen's husband, was involved and stealing from those victims as well to support her ridiculous "career". OMG! That shallow bitch! And the rest of those dingbats on RHoBH for being equally shallow. Makes you wonder how Bravo finds so many narcissistic psychos who are stupid enough to put their grifting out in public. And there have been several of them! I wonder of her cop son is proud of her? Or if she even gives a shit. Wow. The explosion was devastating! It's incomprehensible that Girardi could take money from people who suffered so. " I so agree with you! .... your "shallow" and "dingbat" observations; and the narcissistic grifters. I'm astonished that people on this forum so often praise and make excuses for behavior of these depraved women. Bravo must select these people solely based upon how grotesque their lives are.... so few are actually civilized. The Erika woman was still acting her ice queen role when she must have known she and Girardi were being exposed in court. I'm not making excuses for anyone. I'm just laying out the facts....we don't know the full story. Fact. I'll wait to hear more on it before I make any conclusions. Also....have at it with the housewives. But let's remember not to bring our fellow Forters into it
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prism
FORT Addict
We don't live in a world of reality, we live in a world of perceptions
Posts: 533
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Post by prism on Jun 17, 2021 3:57:53 GMT
Wow. The explosion was devastating! It's incomprehensible that Girardi could take money from people who suffered so. " I so agree with you! .... your "shallow" and "dingbat" observations; and the narcissistic grifters. I'm astonished that people on this forum so often praise and make excuses for behavior of these depraved women. Bravo must select these people solely based upon how grotesque their lives are.... so few are actually civilized. The Erika woman was still acting her ice queen role when she must have known she and Girardi were being exposed in court. I'm not making excuses for anyone. I'm just laying out the facts....we don't know the full story. Fact. I'll wait to hear more on it before I make any conclusions. Also....have at it with the housewives. But let's remember not to bring our fellow Forters into it You’re right, I made it more general, knowing people see things differently.
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amber
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Post by amber on Jun 17, 2021 4:20:23 GMT
Another possibility with Erica's attorney that can't be ignored is that they could have identified a conflict between his law firm and Tom's dealings. I've had friends who tried and failed to secure an attorney repeatedly because of small retainers paid out to multiple law firms to block them from serving as opposing counsel. Not in this matter. If to read the motion, it pretty much says Erika and her attorney are not in agreement as to how to wage her defense. Also, I watched a YouTube video featuring Ronald Richards earlier today who stated, although much more eloquently, what I said. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIFk3-hoVU8
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amber
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Post by amber on Jun 18, 2021 9:08:59 GMT
Looky, looky! It appears that Erika has acquiesced.
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Post by woodiedog on Jun 18, 2021 10:12:19 GMT
Thanks for the update Amber!
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Post by stargazer161 on Jun 19, 2021 16:19:46 GMT
Just watched The Housewife and Hustler...Erika is guilty in my eyes. And her name is on a lot of her husband’s companies documents. I bet she regrets being on the show now showcasing her lavish and ridiculous lifestyle. I feel for all the victims they have conned out of their settlements. I hope they investigate Erika, hard!
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Post by acookertv on Jun 19, 2021 17:59:34 GMT
I watched it last night too, and I’ll admit I had issues with it. Primarily I don’t think they did an effective job of explaining why they focused so much on Erica. Hey interview housewives who barely knew her? Or a comedian whose a huge housewives fans who had her on her podcast once? It seemed like they were pushing the idea that Tom did all this to find a lavish lifestyle to get Erica on the show. While there are certainly women who’ve rented houses and pretended to be rich to become a housewife, they showed nothing to suggest that Erica did that. Tom had all the money before there were any housewives. He simply blew through all of it. I wish they’d spent more of the show exploring how Tom got away with what he did for so long. At the end, they said the Bar association admitted they had not Dolores past complaints about him reply enough. So why not grill the bar association rep they interviewed about that? They implied Tom bought a lot of political influence in California. Why not dig into that? What was evident to me was that Tom acquired wealth and power and learned how to abuse it. I think it’s hard to tell now what the truth because he so obviously knows how to work the system - so is the divorce, claims he’s mentally incompetent, etc true, or legal maneuvering? Hard to tell. I think it would have been more newsworthy to dig further into those things than to get wrapped up in a housewife where they didn’t have anything f substance to say.
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Post by annifran on Jun 19, 2021 18:21:43 GMT
Does anyone remember how Harvey Weinstein, after being arrested and charged, suddenly became an invalid using a walker or wheelchair? Seems to be part of a pity defense with these guys.
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Post by acookertv on Jun 19, 2021 18:36:14 GMT
Yep, and Tom would be a master of playing the system since he’s been doing it for years!
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Post by momrek06 on Jun 19, 2021 19:26:53 GMT
I watched it last night too, and I’ll admit I had issues with it. Primarily I don’t think they did an effective job of explaining why they focused so much on Erica. Hey interview housewives who barely knew her? Or a comedian whose a huge housewives fans who had her on her podcast once? It seemed like they were pushing the idea that Tom did all this to find a lavish lifestyle to get Erica on the show. While there are certainly women who’ve rented houses and pretended to be rich to become a housewife, they showed nothing to suggest that Erica did that. Tom had all the money before there were any housewives. He simply blew through all of it. I wish they’d spent more of the show exploring how Tom got away with what he did for so long. At the end, they said the Bar association admitted they had not Dolores past complaints about him reply enough. So why not grill the bar association rep they interviewed about that? They implied Tom bought a lot of political influence in California. Why not dig into that? What was evident to me was that Tom acquired wealth and power and learned how to abuse it. I think it’s hard to tell now what the truth because he so obviously knows how to work the system - so is the divorce, claims he’s mentally incompetent, etc true, or legal maneuvering? Hard to tell. I think it would have been more newsworthy to dig further into those things than to get wrapped up in a housewife where they didn’t have anything f substance to say. I agree, I thought Danielle from NJ and Heather the comedian were an odd choice. Why them? I am thinking the reason they focused more on EJ was possibly because everything involving Tom is not up for discussion because of pending lawsuits from all over the place naming Tom as a DEFENDANT? Unlike Tom, EJ's life has played out in front of television cameras for the past 5 years. I am not sure what you meant by that sentence I bolded.
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Post by acookertv on Jun 19, 2021 20:44:26 GMT
Oops autocorrect botched that sentence! Guess I should have read it! What I meant to say was that at the end they said the bar association admitted they had not properly investigated past claims about him. I took that to mean other flags were raised but because he was so powerful they swept it under the rug.
I agree with you they focused on Erica because of her fame. But there’s nothing that says she’s the story. They went for views instead of news! And from a news perspective, I think it was a huge mistake. They offered this narrative that he stole from clients to give Erica a lifestyle that would get her on tv. But we know they had that lifestyle before she was on tv. I think it’s quite possible he stole because he’d tried other things in the past and got away with it so he tried more. Because that is something that could be even more widespread if the CA bar is sucking up to powerful attorneys I wish they’d explored that more.
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Post by stargazer161 on Jun 19, 2021 21:12:47 GMT
I will say I rolled my eyes when I saw Danielle. I was like why??
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Punkin
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Hi, it's me, Lynda! Fort member since Jan. 16, 2003.
Posts: 1,031
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Post by Punkin on Jun 19, 2021 21:22:26 GMT
I think they're saving up Tom's story for CNBCs American Greed, exposés like "Pharma Bro", Martin Shkreli, or Ponzi cons like Madoff. I think this was just 'entertainment' for the Housewives crowd! I found it quite entertaining to see The Ice Queen brought down to where she'd be without Mr. Money Bags. Spending money awarded to actual victims on her outlandish lifestyle is beyond vile. And I personally believe she was aware of the grifting going on. I don't see Bravo keeping her on the cast after this season which they're now filming. The other women wouldn't want to be be tainted by association. Lord knows many of them have their own scandals to cover for!
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amber
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Post by amber on Jun 20, 2021 8:17:30 GMT
Finally, receipts! ----- Girardi Keese Loaned $20M To Erika Girardi's Biz, Atty Says Reality television star Erika Girardi's companies may have received over $20 million in loans from her husband's law firm, Girardi Keese, along with improperly assigned fees from a client settlement, a bankruptcy trustee's special counsel claimed Friday in court documents. "The loans are detailed in "tax documents spanning multiple years," according to attorney Ronald Richards, who is investigating whether she has assets that could be seized by Girardi Keese's bankruptcy trustee. Richards said he gave Erika Girardi's attorney evidence of the loans and the alleged improper client settlement fees last week. Days later, the attorney tried to drop her as a client. ... [M]ore allegations that the attorney skimmed clients' settlements have come to light, some dating back decades. A bankruptcy trustee for his law firm recently said that there appeared to be around $25 million missing from ex-clients' settlements. ... On Friday, Richards revealed details about payments made to Erika Girardi in a motion seeking to force her landlord to turn over financial documents and answer questions under oath about how Erika Girardi is paying rent. She lives in a roughly 2,000 square foot home in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood. The allegations in the motion appeared to support a litigation lender's claim in 2019 that Erika Girardi's entertainment company, EJ Global LLC, borrowed $20 million from Girardi Keese. ... www.law360.com/articles/1395233/girardi-keese-loaned-20m-to-erika-girardi-s-biz-atty-says
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Post by momrek06 on Jun 22, 2021 0:28:10 GMT
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Punkin
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Hi, it's me, Lynda! Fort member since Jan. 16, 2003.
Posts: 1,031
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Post by Punkin on Jun 22, 2021 1:06:46 GMT
Wow! She looks like shit! Even her assistant looks better put together.
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Post by acookertv on Jun 22, 2021 1:23:39 GMT
I think she did that on purpose. They probably put hours into making her hair look that messy. She's just been blasted for flaunting her luxurious lifestyle to the world. So of course she's going to respond by saying "Fine, you want downtrodden, here you go". She plays the role regardless of the environment she's in.
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Post by JustJuls on Jun 22, 2021 4:24:14 GMT
You could be right acookertv - Erika surely knows how to brush her hair on her own
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Post by momrek06 on Jun 22, 2021 5:52:14 GMT
And the clothes EJ had on. I have never seen her in a T shirt and sneakers. Look at the car. It appears to be very dirty. AND EJ is pumping the gas. Really? She is DEFINITELY trying to send us all some kind of message.
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amber
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Posts: 1,189
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Post by amber on Jun 22, 2021 22:08:59 GMT
Heather McDonald interviewed Kimberly Archie, for the second time, during her June 22, 2021 publication of Juice Scoop (24:40). Kimberly was the best friend of Kathy Ruigomez, the mother of Joe Ruigomez who is the San Bruno gas fire victim Tom represented and stole from.. Good interview, lots of insight into Erika and Tom, their relationship, what makes them tick and other insider perspectives. Highly recommend to watch. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKr_zxb7vbE&t=2067s
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Post by woodiedog on Jun 24, 2021 0:32:40 GMT
Shoot, I just missed the start of the show, I started watching just as EJ threw Tom under the bus. Tom said to one of his coworkers “if you think you can afford her, you can have her.”
She felt obligated to Tom because he supported her with the lavish lifestyle. Poor EJ.
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amber
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Post by amber on Jun 24, 2021 8:58:01 GMT
Said it before and will say it again. There exists a perfect example of how a humiliated wife of a crooked husband should behave: Georgina Chapman, ex-wife of Harvey Weinstein. She stood up, said she had no idea of what he had done, and profusely apologized to all of Harvey's victims and to the world, then stepped out of the limelight and has stayed out of it, focusing only upon her family and craft.
Instead, Erika, decided to have her cake and eat it, too. Not to protect herself, but so she (and Tom) could keep the stuff paid for by the millions of dollars stolen from orphans, widows, and all the other victims and, of course, at the same time, keep her fame.
We are watching Erika lie during this episode and she doesn't appear to be a very good liar.
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Post by acookertv on Jun 24, 2021 12:13:31 GMT
My impression was that Erica was very honest in what she shared about their marriage last night. As was confirmed by the clips they showed, pretty much everything she said could be backed up by what we've seen over the years. Erica has always been rather honest about being a trophy wife - so I think she was genuine in talking about how she stayed as long as she did because it was nice to have nice things and a comfortable life. We saw, as reminded in the clip, the controlling "world revolves around me" side of Tom when he snapped at both Lisa and Erica for talking while he was talking - so it's not a surprise at all if Erica was expected to maintain an image that everything was wonderful. So I totally believe the story of Tom telling an associate that he could have her if he could afford her. I think that men with that kind of ego will needle each other all the time in normal conversation, and I can see where Tom would care more about getting a leg up on a man who got in a dig than he would his wife's feelings. I've always thought that the Housewives shows have a BIG underlying theme of "be careful what you wish for because you might get it" and the sacrifices Erica made for wealth shine a light on that.
All that said - I do not believe that Erica told ALL of the story for a second. She's always been a rare housewife who can keep the walls up around her and get away with it. I think she was doing that last night, just like she has for all the seasons she's been around. She gave just enough to tell the story she wanted to tell, and kept the rest back. And a couple of the women are smart enough to see that. Rinna on the other hand is so afraid of Erica that she'll accept, believe, and repeat anything Erica says or does.
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Post by JustJuls on Jun 24, 2021 16:46:29 GMT
I had forgotten how Tom was in the earlier seasons.
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amber
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Post by amber on Jun 24, 2021 17:15:54 GMT
I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it is necessary to be to point out the obvious. But I suppose I must be here.
In the last episode, the exotic dancer, Erika, who knowingly married an asshole and has lived with the asshole for 20 years, is lying about why she is leaving the asshole. Said and done.
Oh, wait. Let me add to that. I personally believe Erika is just as much of an asshole as Tom is. Birds of a feather.
acookertv, why do you believe Rinna is afraid of Erika?
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amber
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Posts: 1,189
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Post by amber on Jun 24, 2021 17:23:53 GMT
My impression was that Erica was very honest in what she shared about their marriage last night. As was confirmed by the clips they showed, pretty much everything she said could be backed up by what we've seen over the years. Erica has always been rather honest about being a trophy wife - so I think she was genuine in talking about how she stayed as long as she did because it was nice to have nice things and a comfortable life. We saw, as reminded in the clip, the controlling "world revolves around me" side of Tom when he snapped at both Lisa and Erica for talking while he was talking - so it's not a surprise at all if Erica was expected to maintain an image that everything was wonderful. So I totally believe the story of Tom telling an associate that he could have her if he could afford her. I think that men with that kind of ego will needle each other all the time in normal conversation, and I can see where Tom would care more about getting a leg up on a man who got in a dig than he would his wife's feelings. I've always thought that the Housewives shows have a BIG underlying theme of "be careful what you wish for because you might get it" and the sacrifices Erica made for wealth shine a light on that. All that said - I do not believe that Erica told ALL of the story for a second. She's always been a rare housewife who can keep the walls up around her and get away with it. I think she was doing that last night, just like she has for all the seasons she's been around. She gave just enough to tell the story she wanted to tell, and kept the rest back. And a couple of the women are smart enough to see that. Rinna on the other hand is so afraid of Erica that she'll accept, believe, and repeat anything Erica says or does. Actually, that clip of Tom snapping at Lisa and Erika is frankenbiting. He actually expressed admiration towards Lisa during that scene.
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Post by acookertv on Jun 24, 2021 18:59:17 GMT
I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it is necessary to be to point out the obvious. But I suppose I must be here. In the last episode, the exotic dancer, Erika, who knowingly married an asshole and has lived with the asshole for 20 years, is lying about why she is leaving the asshole. Said and done. Oh, wait. Let me add to that. I personally believe Erika is just as much of an asshole as Tom is. Birds of a feather. acookertv, why do you believe Rinna is afraid of Erika? Amber, you don't have to "point out the obvious". What you do need to do is accept that we all watch the same show but don't necessarily see things the same way. We all share our opinions here. Being opinions they are neither right nor wrong. No need to expect everyone to see it your way, and might as well accept that you won't convince everyone. I think that Rinna is afraid of Erica because when other women have been the center of gossip and speculation, Rinna has been front and center demanding that they be honest and put it all out there. But with Erica, she's very vocal saying that everyone needs to give Erica her space and give her time. I think that Erica's demeanor intimidates Rinna and she doesn't want to get on her bad side.
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