Teresa Giudice Thinks RHONJ Fame Impacted Her Prison Sentence
The glamorous life of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice was rocked when she and her husband, Joe Giudice, were sentenced to prison for multiple counts of fraud. The Giudice's initially pleaded not guilty. However, in 2014, the couple copped to a string of charges, including bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
The charges stemmed from the couple's attempt to conceal their income and assets during a bankruptcy filing in 2009. They also admitted to submitting false loan applications to obtain mortgages and construction loans. Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, while Joe received a 41-month sentence. After serving her time, Teresa was released in 2015 and returned to her position on the show in New Jersey. However, upon Joe's release in 2019, he was deported back to Italy and the couple separated before finalizing their divorce in 2020. While Teresa's life has seemingly returned to normal these days, she's confident that her fame impacted her lengthy sentence.
Teresa Giudice believes her sentence was based on the show
Teresa Giudice strongly believes that her "Housewives" fame contributed to her prison sentence. Both Teresa and Joe Giudice have long maintained that she had no role in the crimes they were both ultimately convicted of. Unfortunately, that didn't sway the judge. During her appearance at BravoCon 2022, Teresa explained that Judge Esther Salas went harder on her because she is a public figure. "I got used as an example. What's the saying? The good comes with the bad. Meaning, like, because I was on TV — if I was just a regular housewife, I probably wouldn't have went to jail," Teresa shared while sitting on one of the panels at the October 2022 event, according to People.
Despite these feelings, Teresa didn't hold this against Salas, especially when the judge experienced her own personal tragedy in July 2020. Salas' son, Daniel Anderl, was murdered, and her husband, Mark Anderl, was shot multiple times when a gunman approached them in front of their home. Salas was not injured, and when Giudice heard of the shocking moment, she lent her condolences to the judge through a statement issued by her attorney, James Leonard Jr., to USA Today Network New Jersey. "She told me that would be praying very heavily for Judge Salas and her family. This is absolutely devastating."
Giudice made the most of her prison stint
Months after her release from federal prison, Teresa Giudice initially shared the awful experiences she endured while behind bars in a chat with "Good Morning America." The lack of heat and the presence of mold were just a few things that made prison extremely challenging. "It was hell," she told former GMA host Amy Robach. However, in retrospect, Giudice has been able to see the good in her experience, particularly in the food. During the January 2024 interview with the "Hollywood Raw" podcast, Giudice revealed, "I'm telling you the food was so good and what was my favorite was when I first got there, they had banana nut muffins. I would have a banana nut muffin every morning, and then they ended up running out of them, and I was so mad."
Thankfully, prison has not defined the vivacious Housewife, who has undergone many changes since being released. Giudice debuted her second memoir, "Standing Strong," in 2017. She also found love again with Luis "Louie" Ruelas, whom she married on August 6, 2022. While her new husband has found himself in some legal drama after being sued by his ex for harassment, it doesn't appear Teresa will be returning to prison anytime soon.