"Real Housewives of New Jersey" Star Teresa Giudice Accused of Hiding Income, Say Reports
NEW YORK (CBS) The luxurious life of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast member Teresa Giudice and husband Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice was apparently far from, er, reality. The couple has been accused of perjury and fraud in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for withholding assets from their Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition filed in October, according to local station WPIX.
PICTURES: Reality TV's Run-ins with the Law
U.S. Trustee Roberta A. DeAngelis filed a Complaint Objecting to Discharge Sept. 2, which indicated her opposition to the couple's bankruptcy petition - suggesting that it be denied because the two failed to disclose pertinent financial information and reported various "falsehoods," reports RadarOnline.com.
In the 20 page complaint obtained by the gossip site, DeAngelis alleges that the couple omitted the Housewife's book "Skinny Italian" and her online fashion site TGFabulicious.com, which were two significant sources of income when they initially filed for bankruptcy, reports WPIX.
DeAngelis claims Teresa received a "$250,000 initial advance, a $30,000 additional advance, and royalties based on sales of her cookbook 'Skinny Italian'," according to WPIX.
Teresa's online fashion boutique didn't do too badly, either. WPIX reports that the site reportedly had more than $100,000 deposited into its bank account during the six months that followed the bankruptcy filing.
DeAngelis stated in the complaint that "the defendants have concealed, destroyed, mutilated, falsified, or failed to keep or preserve recorded information from which their financial condition or business transactions might be ascertained," according to WPIX.
"Due to the economy, most of my husband's real estate ventures failed despite his hard work and effort. As a result, we looked to the Bankruptcy Court for a 'fresh start,'" Teresa, a mother of four, told People Magazine in June.
Chances are this wasn't exactly the "fresh start" she was looking for.
