Stars in lockup. Plenty of reality TV personalities have faced legal trouble over the years, but only a handful have served time for their crimes.
Teresa Giudice and her ex-husband, Joe Giudice, both spent time behind bars after they were convicted on fraud charges in 2015. The Turning the Tables author served 11 months at Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut before being released in December 2015. Joe, for his part, spent three years in prison and was deported to Italy following his March 2019 release.
“The girls are really upset. You know, it’s hard for them,” Teresa said during a Good Morning America interview in November 2018. “Adults can handle anything. It’s hard for children to go through this. They’re asking themselves, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ Like, ‘I want my daddy to come home.’”
The former couple, who wed in 1999, share four daughters: Gia (born in 2001), Gabriella (born in 2004), Melania (born in 2006) and Audriana (born in 2009). After Joe was deported, he and Teresa called it quits, finalizing their divorce in September 2020.
Teresa has since offered advice for other reality stars facing time in prison, including Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie Chrisley. After the Chrisley Knows Best alums were convicted of tax fraud in June 2022 and sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star shared her thoughts on the situation.
“Stand strong for their family and manifest while being in prison what they want when they come out,” the Ultimate Girls Trip veteran told TMZ in December 2022 when asked whether she had any words of wisdom to share with the Chrisleys. “And just to be strong for their children.”
The Bravo personality, however, didn’t have much to say when it came to her fellow Housewife Jen Shah‘s legal drama. After the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, Teresa said she “can’t relate” to the Utah native’s situation.
“I wouldn’t steal anybody’s money,” the cookbook author said during a January 2023 episode of her “Namaste Namaste B$tches” podcast. “I would not do that. I would never do that. That’s so bad.”
Shah, who is set to begin serving her sentence in February 2023, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July 2022. After she changed her initial not guilty plea, the judge dropped a second charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
During her sentencing hearing, the former marketing pro apologized to her husband, Sharrieff Shah and their sons. “I am profoundly and deeply sorry,” she told her family. “Reality TV has nothing to do with reality.”
Keep scrolling to see which reality stars have served time over the years: