Who Is Karen Weitzul? The Untold Story Behind Tom Girardi’s First Wife

If you’ve been following the long, messy fallout from Tom Girardi’s legal collapse, you’ve probably come across one name that keeps popping up quietly in court filings: Karen Weitzul. Unlike Erika Jayne, whose life has played out on reality television, Karen Weitzul has spent decades staying almost entirely out of public view. That’s exactly why so many people end up searching her name there’s curiosity, but very little clear information to go on.

This article pulls together everything that’s actually documented about her no guesswork, no filler so you get a clear, honest picture instead of recycled speculation.

Who Is Karen Weitzul?

Karen Weitzul is best known as the first wife of Thomas “Tom” Girardi, the once-prominent Los Angeles trial attorney who was later disbarred and convicted of fraud. She married Girardi in August 1964, long before he became a nationally recognized and eventually notorious legal figure. Their marriage lasted almost two decades before ending in divorce.

Beyond that connection, Karen Weitzul has lived a private life. She hasn’t given interviews, hasn’t built a public profile, and has largely avoided any association with the scandal that later engulfed her ex-husband’s career.

Karen Weitzul and Thomas Girardi: How Their Story Began

Karen Weitzul and Thomas Girardi’s paths are believed to have crossed through the Loyola community in Los Angeles. Girardi earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1961 and his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1964 the same period during which Karen Weitzul appears in the historical record as one of ten finalists for the Loyola Homecoming Queen title in November 1959. That overlap is the most likely explanation for how the two met, though there’s no detailed public account of their early relationship beyond this.

They married in August 1964, at a point when Girardi was just starting out in law years before Girardi Keese made him one of California’s best-known plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Marriage, Pasadena, and Life Away From the Spotlight

During their marriage, Tom Girardi and Karen Weitzul lived in Pasadena, California a detail that comes up often in searches about “Karen Weitzul Pasadena.” Pasadena at the time was, and still is, known for its quieter, more residential character compared to the flashier parts of Los Angeles, and it made sense as a home base for a young couple in the early stages of a legal career.

Karen Weitzul filed for divorce from Thomas Girardi in October 1983, ending a marriage of nearly nineteen years. The exact reasons behind the split were never made public, and Karen didn’t discuss it in the media consistent with the private approach she’s taken throughout her life.

Karen Weitzul’s Age: What’s Actually Known

This is one of the most searched questions about her, and honestly, it deserves a straightforward answer: Karen Weitzul’s exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed through any verifiable record. You’ll find some websites stating a specific birth year, but these claims aren’t backed by primary sources like court documents or public records, so they should be treated as unconfirmed rather than fact. If reliable information becomes available, this is the kind of detail that would need updating rather than guessed at.

Karen Weitzul’s Net Worth: Separating Fact From Speculation

Similarly, there is no verified, publicly documented figure for Karen Weitzul’s net worth. She has never held a public-facing career, hasn’t disclosed her finances, and isn’t a business or media figure whose earnings would be tracked anywhere. What we do know, from actual court records, is more specific and more useful than a made-up number:

• As part of her 1980s divorce settlement, Karen Weitzul was reportedly awarded spousal support.
• During Tom Girardi’s 2020 involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy, court filings showed Girardi owed Weitzul back spousal support reported at around $45,000 by late 2020 and rising to roughly $245,000 by mid-2022.
• In 2022, Weitzul agreed to a $200,000 settlement, paid out through the sale of the Pasadena home Girardi had once shared with Erika Jayne, in exchange for giving up further claims to spousal support.

That settlement is the only financial figure connected to her that’s actually documented and it’s worth noting clearly since it’s very different from a “net worth.”

Tom Girardi and Karen Weitzul in the Bankruptcy Proceedings

Karen Weitzul’s name resurfaced publicly decades after her divorce, not because of anything she did, but because Tom Girardi’s financial collapse pulled every unresolved obligation back into the spotlight including hers. As Girardi Keese unraveled amid allegations that client settlement funds had been misused, creditors, former clients, and even ex-spouses like Weitzul appeared in bankruptcy filings seeking money they were owed.

It’s important to be clear on one point: Karen Weitzul was never accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Girardi’s fraud case. Her involvement was limited strictly to her own, decades-old spousal support claim.

Karen Weitzul vs. Erika Jayne: Two Very Different Chapters

People often bring up Karen Weitzul and Erika Jayne in the same breath, but their roles in Tom Girardi’s life were very different. Karen was his first wife during the early, unglamorous years of his legal career in the 1960s and ’70s. Erika Jayne became his wife decades later, after Girardi had already built his wealth and reputation and her public profile through The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is part of why the scandal became such a widely covered story. Karen Weitzul, by contrast, has no public career and no media presence tied to the Girardi name.

A Note on “Kathy Risner”

If you’ve come across the name Kathy Risner alongside Karen Weitzul in a search, it’s worth flagging that there’s no documented, verifiable connection between the two names in any court record or credible news source. It may be a mix-up, a misspelling, or confusion with an unrelated person. We’d rather tell you that clearly than manufacture a connection that doesn’t hold up.

Where Is Karen Weitzul Now?

There’s no current, verified public information about Karen Weitzul’s present whereabouts, occupation, or personal life. She has kept a low profile since her divorce in the 1980s and hasn’t reappeared in the media beyond the bankruptcy-related filings from 2020–2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Karen Weitzul?

She is the first wife of attorney Thomas Girardi, married to him from 1964 to 1983.

How old is Karen Weitzul?

Her exact age isn’t publicly confirmed by any verified source.

What is Karen Weitzul’s net worth?

There’s no publicly documented net worth figure. The only verified financial detail is a $200,000 settlement she received in 2022 tied to unpaid spousal support from her 1980s divorce.

Did Karen Weitzul and Tom Girardi have children?

This isn’t reliably documented in public records.

Was Karen Weitzul involved in Tom Girardi’s fraud case?

No. She has never been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Girardi Keese or his fraud conviction.

Final Thoughts

Karen Weitzul’s story isn’t one of scandal it’s the quieter, earlier chapter of a much bigger and more public downfall that happened to someone she was once married to. The honest answer to most questions about her personal details is that they simply aren’t public, and that’s worth respecting rather than filling in with guesswork. What is documented her marriage timeline, the Pasadena years, and her role in Girardi’s bankruptcy proceedings tells a clear enough story on its own.