Reality stars seem particularly susceptible to tax troubles, so we’re kicking off with “Jersey Shore” star Mike Sorrentino, better known as “The Situation.” The Staten Island-born star rose to fame in 2009 with the debut of the addictive MTV reality series, which ran until 2012. Two years after the show ended, the star was indicted on charges that he had avoided paying taxes on $8.9 million in income. Per Forbes, both Mike and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, were accused of having filed false tax returns, and of having committed fraud. They were also alleged to have used their companies to evade taxation, using company money for personal expenses like expensive cars and clothing, and claiming them as legitimate business expenses.
In January 2018, he pleaded guilty to the charges, and he was sentenced to eight months in federal prison. A few months later, he shared his thoughts on his approaching jail time with Us Weekly. “We’re taking it one day at a time right now,” he explained. “We’re really hoping for a positive outcome and you know, I worked so hard on myself the past couple years to turn a negative situation into a positive one, so I feel that when that day comes, I’ll be ready for it.”
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Mike started his sentence a year after pleading guilty and was freed eight months later. Aside from the jail time, the reality star was also sentenced to two years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, and 500 hours of community service.
