Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice is reportedly facing tax trouble again, over 20 years after she was indicted on federal fraud charges alongside then-husband Joe Giudice. A new report claims the Bravo celebrity owes back taxes, as does her current husband Luis Ruelas.
Teresa Giudice is said to owe just over a quarter of a million dollars
Per a report by Page Six, Teresa Giudice is said to owe $303,889.20 in tax liens. The news outlet reports this information was obtained via documents which reveal the reality star’s current financial woes.
But that’s not all. Her husband Luis Ruelas reportedly owes over $1M to a lender that is due the end of March reports The Sun.
This updated amount is additional to Ruelas’ prior tax lien of $163,523.94 from December 2024. He also faces a tax lien dated March 6, 2025 for a whopping $2,569,842.06.
Teresa was also hit with a $17K tax lien in 2023, but at that time, her lawyer James J. Leonard Jr. clarified the reality star was making payments towards that outstanding balance. Giudice has not commented publicly on this new financial information regarding her and Ruelas’ reported debt.
This is not the first time Teresa Giudice has faced tax trouble
Teresa Giudice and her ex-husband, Joe Giudice, were married from 1999 through 2019. Their tax troubles made front-page news and were a storyline on Real Housewives of New Jersey during Seasons six and seven.
In 2013, the couple was indicted on multiple federal fraud charges, including bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. Prosecutors alleged that they failed to file tax returns between 2004 and 2008 and engaged in fraudulent financial schemes per the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2014, both Teresa and Joe pled guilty. Thus, Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in prison, ultimately serving from January to December 2015. Joe subsequently served 41 months.
At the end of his sentence, Joe was deported to Italy as he was not a U.S. citizen. He currently lives in the Bahamas.
Joe and Teresa divorced in 2020. They continue to co-parent their daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audrianna.
Teressa’s ‘RHONJ’ future remains in limbo
Teresa Giudice’s future on Real Housewives of New Jersey remains in limbo due to ongoing strife between cast members. Her participation in any further seasons of the Bravo reality series rests in the hands of production, who can choose to continue with the core cast or move on with new members.
The reality series ongoing strife, particularly between Teresa Giudice and her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga escalated to a point of no return by the end of Season 14. The cast was irreparably broken into two camps.
Additionally cast members such as Jennifer Aydin and Danielle Cabral were involved in conflicts that created further division within the group, along with drama between Jackie Goldschneider, Rachel Fuda and Margaret Josephs. However, only two women remained out of the infighting; Jennifer Fessler and Dolores Catania.
These personal conflicts, combined with shifting alliances and unresolved feuds, have added to the series’ instability. This deep conflict led RHONJ producer Andy Cohen to question the cast’s future moving forward if they cannot film together.
Cohen clarified on his SiriusXM radio show that the show’s future hasn’t been decided. “We are going to reimagine the show in some way. Who knows, maybe it will be all fresh faces?”
Real Housewives of New Jersey remains on hiatus. Reportedly, filming is currently not taking place.
