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‘Real Housewives’ Stars Who Have Been Arrested: Jen Shah, Teresa Giudice & More

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July 11, 2022 10:39PM EDT
Real Housewives arrested
Michael Simon/Shutterstock

‘The Real Housewives’ franchise brings plenty of drama on-screen, but there’s also a lot that happens behind closed doors. Learn about previous cast members’ arrests here.

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Jen Shah

Jen Shah
Bravo

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah was arrested on March 30, 2021 along with her assistant for a telemarketing scam they spearheaded. ‘Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on ‘reality’ television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah’s ‘first assistant,’ allegedly generated and sold ‘lead lists’ of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam,’ Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss noted in a press release. ‘In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims’ money. Now, these defendants face time in prison for their alleged crimes.’

Jen faced up to 30 years in prison for the telemarketing scheme, to which she originally pleaded not guilty. Stuart also did as well, but he changed his plea to guilty in Nov. 2021. Jen followed suit in July 2022. 

‘Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line. She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed,’ Jennifer’s lawyer said in a statement to People on July 11, 2022. ‘Ms. Shah is also sorry for disappointing her husband, children, family, friends, and supporters. Jen pled guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family.’

As part of her guilty plea, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star will reportedly have to return $9 million to the hundreds of victims she defrauded and an additional $6 million, per Page Six. She also faces up to 14 years in jail.

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Teresa Giudice

Teresa Giudice
Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo

Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey were served a 39-count indictment in July 2013 which included conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications, and bankruptcy fraud. The following year, Teresa was sentenced to 15 months and Joe to 41 months in prison for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud, per People.

‘On one hand, I see you’re a savvy businesswoman,’ judge Esther Salas, who was presiding over the case at the U.S. District Court in Newark, told Teresa following the ruling. ‘But then you’re going to tell me you don’t know how to cooperate with probation? Full disclosure of your financial assets was a requirement. The lack of transparency, that’s what offends the court.’ Apparently, the former spouses were supposed to arrive in court fully prepared with probation and financial reports and failed to do so, which possibly led to a harsher sentencing. 

The parents of four served their sentences at staggered times, since their girls were minors at the time. After Joe served his time, he was deported from America.

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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NeNe Leakes

NeNe Leakes
Bravo

NeNe Leakes is no stranger to the jailhouse. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star was arrested in 1992 at the age of 25 and charged with ‘one misdemeanor and three felony counts of ‘theft of services’ for ripping off her phone company’, according to the IB Times. She violated her probation and was arrested three more times for that. NeNe is not ashamed of her past and even rocked a t-shirt with her mugshot on it in 2018.

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Luann de Lesseps

Luann de Lesseps
Sophy Holland/Bravo

Luann de Lesseps was arrested in Palm Beach, Fla. in Dec. 2017 for ‘disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, battery of an officer, and making threats against a public servant,’ per ABC News. In a tweet following the incident, Luann deeply apologized for her behavior. ‘I want to offer my most sincere apologies to anyone that I might have offended with my behavior. This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding and being here brought up buried emotions,’ she said. ‘I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.’

The Real Housewives of New York City star pled guilty to felony charges of battery, trespassing, and disorderly intoxication and agreed to one-year probation, 50 hours of community service, attend two AA meetings per week, attend a Victim Impact Class organized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and stay sober. Luann admitted to drinking during her probation, per People, and therefore had three new terms added in 2019: weekly counseling sessions via telephone, monthly psychiatric appointments, and a breathalyzer installed in her car.

July 11, 2022, 3:56PM
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Sonja Morgan

Sonja Morgan
Sophy Holland/Bravo

Sonja Morgan of The Real Housewives of New York City was arrested on drunk driving charges as well as driving without a fastened seatbelt and failure to keep right and to stop at a stop sign in Southampton, N.Y. in June 2010, per CBS News. Her attorney responded to the publication by claiming he would “vigorously defend her.” There are no further details about her legal issues available. Sonja was reported to be starring in a Real Housewives of New York City spinoff with co-star Luann de Lesseps in June. Nothing has been confirmed. 

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Kim Richards

Kim Richards
Bravo

Kim Richards spent a night in jail in Aug. 2015 after she was spotted shoplifting at a Van Nuys Target. She was thought to be attempting to steal $1,000 across several shopping carts, per Entertainment Tonight. Just months prior, she was arrested for public intoxication at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She was charged with public intoxication, trespassing, resisting arrest, and battery of a police officer, per the outlet. She was also issued a citation for a misdemeanor. Following her fourth round of rehab for sobriety, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told Entertainment Tonight she was relieved to get more treatment. ‘I’ve always loved sobriety, and relapsing was very hard for me. It was not easy,’ she noted. ‘I have to say, don’t take this wrong, but I really wanted to go to treatment because I needed a break from what I was going through at home.’

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Danielle Staub

Danielle Staub
Rodolfo Martinez/Brazo

Former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Danielle Staub had a huge run-in with the law in 1986 when she was arrested ‘for her role in a kidnapping plot that grew out of a cocaine deal gone bad,’ per federal documents published by The Smoking Gun website. According to the documents, she was holding a man’s son hostage and asking for a $25,000 ransom after the son allegedly made the drug deal go downhill. When she was arrested, Danielle and her partners in crime were found with ‘six kilos of cocaine and about $16,000 in cash,’ per the documents. She was charged with eight felonies.

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Michael Darby

Michael Darby
Charles Sykes/Bravo

Michael Darby, who was married to Ashley Darby until their split in 2022, was charged with sexual assault in 2018, per TMZ. According to the outlet, the Real Housewives of Potomac star ‘allegedly grabbed and groped the butt of a cameraman who was filming an episode of the show.’ The cameraman told his supervisor, and charges were filed. However, the charges were later dismissed due to ‘insufficient evidence,’ per Us Weekly. 

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Kelly Bensimon

Kelly Bensimon
Shutterstock

Kelly Bensimon of The Real Housewives of New York City was arrested in March 2020 ‘for punching her fiancé in the face,’ the New York City Police Department confirmed to People. ‘She was arrested for assault – it’s a misdemeanor,” they added. She pleaded not guilty, despite reports saying there was a bloody mark on her partner’s face. 

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Marysol Patton

Marysol Patton
Zach Dilgard/Peacock

The Real Housewives of Miami star Marysol Patton was arrested for driving under the influence in 2010, per E! News. However, she ended up pleading no contest ‘to a lesser charge of reckless driving to evade jail time’, per the outlet. She also paid a $1,000 fine and $581 in court fees. Her mother was also arrested for driving under the influence, but the charges were dismissed.

July 11, 2022, 3:55PM
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Leah McSweeney

Leah McSweeney
Sophy Holland/Bravo

Leah McSweeney of The Real Housewives of New York City fame was arrested in 2002, but it was a huge mistake that actually benefitted her. She recalled to People that she and her then-boyfriend were locking lips outside of New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom after a concert at 4 a.m. in a bustling crowd of other concert-goers. All of a sudden, her boyfriend was pulled away from her by a group of policemen. ‘It was really scary. And I had a half-empty plastic water bottle with me and I threw it — not even directly at someone, just threw it in that direction. It was just a total knee-jerk reaction. But it hit a cop in the back,’ she recalled. “He turned around and lunged at me and punched me in the face. I fell onto the sidewalk, and suddenly I had four cops on my back, cuffing me. I just felt so many knees on my back. And one of them slammed my face into the subway grates and knocked my tooth out.’

Leah ended up suing the New York City Police Department and was awarded $75,000 for the incident, which she then used to fund her fashion brand, Married to the Mob.

 

July 11, 2022, 3:56PM
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Gina Kirschenheiter

Gina Kirschenheiter
Tommy Garcia/Bravo

The Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Gina Kirschenheiter was arrested for driving under the influence after being originally pulled over for a traffic violation. ‘I made a very bad choice the other night after a mom’s night out,’ she said in a statement following the incident, according to People. ‘I am extremely disappointed in myself and regret my actions wholeheartedly. I have learned a valuable lesson and hope to show you all that this one incident does not define me.’

July 11, 2022, 3:56PM
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Porsha Williams

Porsha Williams
Bravo

Porsha Williams was arrested following the Season 6 The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion in Oct. 2020 after a physical altercation with co-star Kenya Moore. According to Essence, the issue was ‘over in a matter of seconds,’ but that did not stop Kenya from pressing charges. Porsha turned herself in and was released with a battery misdemeanor charge. 

Porsha was also arrested in Aug. 2020 during a rally outside the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron over Breonna Taylor‘s death. She received three charges: intimidating a participant in legal process, second-degree disorderly conduct, and third-degree criminal trespassing.

July 11, 2022, 3:56PM
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Brandi Glanville

Brandi Glanville
Bravo

Brandi Glanville was arrested for driving under the influence after she was pulled over for a traffic violation. ‘She was driving on Sunset and was stopped by police,” a police spokesperson told Radar Online at the time. ‘She failed her sobriety test and was arrested.’ The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star reached a plea deal and was sentenced to 36 months probation and a $390 fine, plus a three-month alcohol education program.

July 11, 2022, 3:56PM
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Tinsley Mortimer

Tinsley Mortimer
Sophy Holland/Bravo

The Real Housewives of New York City‘s Tinsley Mortimer was arrested in Palm Beach, Fla. in 2016 for trespassing at the home of Nico Fanjul, her recent ex-boyfriend at the time. ‘Tinsley and Nico broke up, and she cannot get over it,’ a source close to the reality star told People following the incident. ‘She sat on his doorstep for hours and banged on the door. She was frantic and very upset. Finally they called the police to get her out of there.’ Apparently, Tinsley had originally called the police for an escort so she could claim her belongings, but they told her she would need to go to the police station first.

July 11, 2022, 3:56PM