Teresa Giudice and her husband, Luis Ruelas, were recently slapped with tax liens. They are not alone, as numerous other reality television stars have also walked this path. Some have even spent time in prison for allegedly falsifying their filings. The government does not take kindly to a live-and-let-live way of being, so this is one area we all have to be extra careful about every year.
You have to make millions to owe millions. Also, errors happen. But if you do the crime, you just might have to do the time – as some of these reality TV stars have found out.
Reality TV stars facing tax problems
As the world currently stands, if you earn money, you owe money. These funds are often taken directly out of your paychecks. But, if your job does not withhold your taxes, you must pony up while filing your annual or quarterly taxes.
However, ignoring these notes can lead to risky consequences, especially if the filing deadline, minus a granted extension, comes and goes. Whether they received tax liens, had income tax discrepancies on their filings, or owed unpaid back taxes, here is a list of the reality television stars that have experienced tax problems on their BINGO cards at some point in time. As a thankful aside, most of these stars have since resolved their cases.
- Alexis Bellino
- Toni Braxton
- Brittany Cartwright
- Todd Chrisley
- Julie Chrisley
- Lynne Curtin
- Marc Daly
- Shamari DeVoe
- Robyn Dixon
- Kelly Dodd
- Alexia Echevarria
- Teresa Giudice
- Brandi Glanville
- Jon Gosselin
- Marlo Hampton
- Richard Hatch
- Ray Huger
- Margaret Josephs
- Dorit Kemsley
- PK Kemsley
- Jacqueline Laurita
- NeNe Leakes
- Kenya Moore
- Kyle Richards
- Lizzie Rovsek
- Luis Ruelas
- Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino
- Jax Taylor
- Peter Thomas
- Mauricio Umansky
- Porsha Williams
Reality TV and tax problems seem to go hand in hand
As you can see, the list of reality television stars who have experienced tax problems is massive. These stars bring in decent paychecks, so taxes should be easy for them to pay. Yet, taxes are not always cut and dry, as we examine countless reality television stars who have experienced tax woes over the past two decades.
So, why is this the case? Cue The Tax Defenders, writing an in-depth blog about this topic in 2023. I will share their top answers with you now.
According to a partner at Bambridge Accountants in New York, AKA Alistair Bambridge, erratic pay schedules play a role. As Alistair notes, “Celebrities have erratic pay cycles. They may have years where they have massive contracts and then very little income the next. That frequently leads to tax issues, as they think they can use money from next year and have difficulty budgeting or saving.”
Chantay Bridges, a realtor, author, speaker, and philanthropist, blames the greed of bad actors, otherwise known as wallet-loving accountants, alongside a poor understanding of rules and laws for those who self-file.
Finally, Rosalean Batool, a wellness and lifestyle coach, answered this question with two words: Poverty identity. “For most celebrities, being rich is unfamiliar and therefore unsafe.” Having money “creates a poverty identity” where celebrities “hoard,” “mismanage,” or “recklessly” spend their funds.
Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas are making recent tax-related headlines
Teresa and her husband, Luis, both have in-progress tax troubles. Their household owes $3 million in total, payable to the IRS. In the world of reality television stars with tax issues, these two are making the bulk of the headlines on this topic. Luckily, they are used to being in the hot seat, as proven by their time spent on Real Housewives of New Jersey.
In 2024, Luis took out a $1 million loan against his home with Teresa. On March 6, 2025, court documents surfaced showing that Luis now owes over $2.5 million in taxes to the state of New Jersey. As rumor has it, Luis is reportedly begging for more time to repay his loan.
With Luis explained, now Teresa. On March 20, the Mercer County, New Jersey, courts filed a judgment against her via a case deemed “Division of Taxation vs Teresa Giudice.” According to their findings and documentation, Teresa owes their state another $303,889.20.
To her credit, Teresa has successfully paid down her fees and fines for several years. Hopefully, a contract for RHONJ Season 15 will arrive at her doorstep shortly to help boost her payments made back to the state of New Jersey.
Todd and Julie Chrisley are still serving time over their recent tax-related problems
Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie Chrisley, have also made recent headlines for their shared tax troubles. These two are now serving prison sentences after being convicted of bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Todd spends his days at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida. Meanwhile, Julie resides at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
In Atlanta, Todd and Julie were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of over $36 million in fraudulent loans, defrauding the IRS, and committing tax evasion. Julie also scored a few extra convictions, like obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Chrisley Knows Best, eh? Nope.
Todd received a 12-year prison sentence, while Julie snagged seven years. Nevertheless, they claim that their case got mishandled. As they reside in custody, they are now fighting back, hoping to have their sentences pardoned. Even though his guards removed his MAGA sticker from his cell, Todd (and Julie) continue to carry hope that POTUS will soon wipe their slates clean.
TELL US – CAN YOU RELATE TO THESE REALITY TV STARS WITH TAX PROBLEMS, AND, IF SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF ADVICE?
