Teresa Giudice Confesses to Staging Prison Release Photo for Profit on ‘Hollywood Raw Podcast

Teresa Giudice has openly admitted to orchestrating the staging of her prison release photo to earn extra income, as revealed during her recent appearance on the “Hollywood Raw Podcast.”

The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star explained, “The only time [I made a deal with paparazzi was] when I got out of jail.” Acknowledging the demand for the first photo, she decided, “If they’re going to get it anyway, I might as well make money off of it.” While behind bars, Giudice struck an exclusive deal with People magazine for the rights to the photos, capturing her exit from prison at 5 a.m. on December 23, 2015.

Reflecting on the circumstances, Giudice couldn’t precisely recall how the paparazzi initially contacted her, speculating that it might have been through her lawyer or representative. In 2014, Teresa and her then-husband, Joe Giudice, pleaded guilty to various charges, including bank, mail, wire, bankruptcy, and tax fraud.

Initially sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, Teresa shared that she marvelled at her “beautiful” prison conditions. Meanwhile, Joe served 41 months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, N.J., followed by an additional seven months in an ICE detention centre before being deported to Italy in 2019.

After 20 years of marriage, Teresa and Joe finalized their divorce in 2020. She moved on with Luis “Louie” Ruelas, whom she wed in August 2022. Discussing her past relationship on the podcast, Teresa revealed that it took a long time to forgive Joe, especially considering the loss of her parents shortly after her release. Her mother passed away eight months later, and her father, who moved in with them, passed away three years after that.

While Teresa and Joe don’t communicate much today, she mentioned reaching out to him when she needs to. Not disclosing the financial details, Giudice did not reveal how much she earned from the exclusive pictures.