Former “Real Housewife” of West Vancouver and reality TV star Jody Claman has been ordered to pay special costs to her ex-husband because of what a judge deemed “reprehensive” conduct during their divorce trial last year.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper ruled March 30 that Claman — who appeared on the reality TV show Real Housewives of Vancouver for two seasons — will have to pay the costs to her ex-husband Eran Friedlander for the way she behaved during the very public trial.
Gropper ruled that Claman deliberately attempted to deceive the court “on numerous occasions” including making damaging and unsupported allegations about her ex-husband and his family and his parenting of their daughter.
Gropper agreed with Friedlander that Claman had disobeyed court orders by speaking badly about him in front of their daughter.
During the trial, in June and July 2014, Gropper ordered the warring spouses not to speak ill of each other in front of their child. She also made an order that “nothing from the trial be tweeted by any party, particularly Ms. Claman” and that anything referring to the trial or their daughter be removed from social media.
In her decision, the judge also slammed Claman for refusing to disclose her finances during the divorce trial. Gropper noted she had to make an educated guess at Claman’s income and corporate assets because Claman failed to provide any documentation about them, including information about her high-end West Vancouver boutique Glass House.
The judge noted Claman did not declare any income from her role on Real Housewives in 2013 or include it on her income tax return.
The lack of financial disclosure “was not inadvertent,” Gropper wrote, “it was deliberate and persistent and is deserving of rebuke.”
The amount of the special costs Claman has to pay hasn’t been determined.
Gropper awarded Claman and Friedlander joint custody of their daughter, with Friedlander getting final say on her education and religious upbringing.
Claman was ordered to pay Friedlander just under $594,000 as part of the division of the couple’s assets. The judge dismissed Claman’s claim for spousal support.
