Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Diana Jenkins made a splash in her freshman season by feuding with Garcelle Beauvais. She didn’t show much love to her RHOBH co-star Sutton Stracke, either. But she is super rich and heavily involved in philanthropy.
Erika Jayne’s estranged husband, Tom Girardi, was accused of allegedly embezzling funds that belonged to clients to support Erika’s luxe lifestyle. A trustee that investigated the former Girardi-Keese law firm found that the firm owed $26 million in settlement funds. The victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash are owed $2 million. Tom is suffering from Alzheimer’s and can no longer practice law. Some cast members questioned how much Erika knew about her husband’s alleged misdeeds.
Diana shared on Instagram that she was donating $100k to the victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash through her charity, The Sunela Foundation. “I was not aware of this tragedy until it became a topic of conversation on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Diana wrote. “I feel so much sympathy for the widows and orphans left behind,” she explained. “I want to do what I can to support those people who suffered so much.”
Page Six reported that Diana is donating $102,000 to the families of the victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 plane crash. Diana teamed up with GVNG.org, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and the Sunela Foundation, to donate.
Diana stated, “The moment I became aware of the tragedy, I knew that I wanted to do something to help the families.” She added, “I know the pain of losing a loved one under tragic circumstances. I thank those who opened their hearts and joined me in this fundraising effort and hope that our efforts can provide some comfort to the victims’ families.”
The president of GVNG, Robbie Tombosky, said that Diana gave the bulk of the money being donated. “Thanks to the generosity of Diana Jenkins and those who have donated to this project, GVNG is now developing the best way to use those dollars to benefit the victims of this tragic plane crash,” he said in a statement.
Diana discussed her involvement in a press release. “Now that the fundraising efforts are coming to a close, I look forward to working with GVNG to put those funds to work to benefit the victims,” she said. “I feel so much sympathy to those who lost loved ones in this tragedy and hope that our efforts can provide some comfort to them.”
In September 2022, Edelson PC, which is the law firm that is suing both Tom and Erika on behalf of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash victim’s families, spoke out about Diana’s donation.
“While Ms. Jenkins may be well-intentioned, we do not believe that issuing a press release and soliciting donations from the public without having done the necessary legwork is an appropriate way to proceed,” Jay Edelson, the founder of Edelson PC, told Page Six. “That being said, we hope that this is not a publicity stunt and will reserve judgment until we hear directly from her.”
Diana’s representative issued a response, stating that the RHOBH star donated because she “feels badly for the families of all 189 people who lost their lives and is taking action to provide support to them.”
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DIANA’S DONATION? SHOULD OTHER MEMBERS OF THE RHOBH CAST DONATE TO THE VICTIMS?
[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation]
