ABC News Studios and L.A. Times Studios Present ‘The Housewife and the Hustler 2: The Reckoning’ ― a New Investigation Into the Accused Greed, Lies and Secrets of Disgraced Ex-Attorney Tom Girardi

ABC News Studios and L.A. Times Studios announced today the explosive documentary “The Housewife and The Hustler 2: The Reckoning,” a shocking investigation into ex-powerhouse attorney Tom Girardi and the fall of his legal empire, which came crashing down amidst allegations he was stealing from the very clients he swore to protect. For the first time, viewers will have a front-row seat to the long-awaited moment when Girardi’s estranged wife and reality TV star Erika Jayne finally meets with some of her husband’s victims. The 90-minute documentary explores how the Girardi scandal exposed systemic failures in the California legal system and whether justice will ever be a reality for Girardi’s victims. This is a follow-up to ABC News’ wildly popular “The Housewife and the Hustler” (2021), which unveiled a trail of documents, court records and witness accounts of Girardi’s legal wrongdoings and deceit. “The Housewife and The Hustler 2: The Reckoning” begins streaming Monday, Feb. 12, only on Hulu.

The documentary features interviews with L.A. Times investigative reporters Matt Hamilton and Harriet Ryan, whose series of investigations for the L.A. Times trace the four decades of client complaints and lawsuits against Girardi that went largely ignored by public agencies; Girardi’s former legal consultant Kimberly Archie, who helped organize the meeting with the victims; Jayne’s attorney Evan Borges; and Jim Wilkes, Jayne’s personal friend and lawyer who has helped her rebuild her life following the public breakdown of her marriage. Girardi’s former clients Danny Barnes, Joe Ruigomez and Josie Hernandez share the heartbreaking details of how they say the former attorney stole money from their settlements. Marco Morante and Chris Psaila, the co-owners of the critically acclaimed design studio MARCO MARCO, who spent years working with Jayne and are now suing her, recount the shocking raid of their studio and the devastating aftermath of the federal investigation prompted by accusations of fraud by Jayne. The documentary features analysis from legal and pop culture experts, including Emily D. Baker, former Los Angeles deputy district attorney and host of “The Emily Show”; Cesie Alvarez and Angela Angotti, attorneys and hosts of “The Bravo Docket” podcast; Kiki Monique, host of “Pop Crime” podcast; Kate Casey, pop culture expert and host of “Reality Life with Kate Casey” podcast, and more.

This is the second collaboration between ABC News Studios and L.A. Times Studios. Their first, “The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump,” premiered in May 2023.

“The Housewife and The Hustler 2: The Reckoning” is produced for Hulu by ABC News Studios in collaboration with L.A. Times Studios. The film is produced by Jake Lefferman, Knez Walker and Katie Muldowney. For ABC News Studios, Eman Varoqua and Victoria Thompson serve as executive producers, and David Sloan is senior executive producer. ABC News Studios is led by Mike Kelley, Reena Mehta is the SVP of Streaming and Digital Content, and Kim Godwin is the president of ABC News. Sharon Matthews, Shani Hilton, Chris Argentieri, Kevin Merida, Leslie Lindsey and Maurice James are executive producers for L.A. Times Studios.

ABOUT ABC NEWS STUDIOS
ABC News Studios, inspired by ABC News’ trusted reporting, is an award-winning, premium news and documentary original production house and commissioning partner of series and specials. ABC News Studios champions untold and authentic stories driving the cultural zeitgeist spanning true-crime, investigations, pop culture and news-adjacent stories. ABC News Studios’ original titles include critically acclaimed documentaries “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” “Sound of the Police,” “The Lady Bird Diaries” and “Aftershock,” plus the upcoming documentary from director Andrew McCarthy, “BRATS” and popular docu-series and documentaries, including “Killing County,” “Wild Crime,” “Betrayal: The Perfect Husband,” “Daughters of the Cult, ”  “The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump” and “Jelly Roll: Save Me.”

ABOUT L.A. TIMES STUDIOS
L.A. Times Studios, a division of California Times, produces a variety of critically acclaimed audio, video and live event projects. We develop projects that are grounded in editorial integrity and driven by the power of storytelling. We collaborate with a variety of partners, internally and externally, on both original productions and branded entertainment. The Studios group is platform-agnostic and pursues compelling narratives and conversations across a variety of media.

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ABC News Studios Media Relations
Lauri Hogan | Lauri.L.Hogan@abc.com
Sydney Tretter | Sydney.Tretter@abc.com

L.A. Times Studios Media Relations
Hillary Manning | Hillary.Manning@latimes.com
Vanessa Curwen | Vanessa.Curwen@latimes.com