She’s making a (financial) comeback. Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice has been rehabilitating her finances since her bankruptcy and divorce from ex-husband Joe Giudice — but where does her net worth stand today? 

What Is Teresa Giudice’s Net Worth?

The longtime Bravo babe is currently estimated to be worth $500,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth

When Did Teresa Giudice Join ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’?

The mother of four has been appearing on RHONJ since its inaugural season in 2009. She has since appeared on several TV shows, including Celebrity Apprentice, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and the NBC medical drama Mercy. During RHONJ‘s 10th season in 2019 and 2020, Teresa was reportedly making $62,000 per episode.

Her most recent television credit was as a competitor on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars.

“I love dancing. I don’t have any dance experience,” she told E! News before the season started. “All four of my daughters, I started them in dance from two and a half on. And my youngest, Audriana, she’s gonna be 13 next week and she’s a competitive dancer.” Teresa made it to week two with partner Pasha Pashkov before being voted off the show.

How Does Teresa Giudice Make Money?

The reality star has published a whopping seven books since she became a household name — and she has even been on the New York Times bestsellers list for four of the titles. She has four cookbooks — 2010’s Skinny Italian, 2011’s Fabulicious, 2012’s Fabulicious: Fast and Fit and 2013’s Fabulicious: On the Grill — and two memoirs, 2016’s Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again and 2017’s Standing Strong.

The author has also created a line of wines called Fabellini Wines and a haircare brand with Jerel Sabella named for Teresa’s daughter Milania.

In 2008, Teresa and her then-husband built an almost-10,000 square foot mansion — featuring six bedrooms, five baths, a Cinderella staircase, a pool and a massive chandelier — in Montville, New Jersey. She put it on the market for $2.5 million in September 2020. The yoga instructor lowered the asking price on the property to $2.24 million in January 2021 and in January 2022, it was lowered again to $1.99 million. It sold one month later, according to Page Six.

Teresa Giudices Daughter Gia Reveals She Got a Nose Job
Courtesy of Gia Giudice/Instagram

Teresa Giudice Has Had Financial Issues

In 2009, the TV personality and her husband filed for bankruptcy and claimed they were $11 million in debt. At the time, the family was forced to auction off belongings and their New Jersey mansion to recoup their losses.

Four years later, the former flames were indicted on 39 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements on loan applications. In 2014, they pleaded guilty to 41 counts of fraud following a deal with federal prosecutors. Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in prison, while the couple was also ordered to pay $414,000 in restitution.

In late 2014, the competition bodybuilder sued her bankruptcy lawyer for $5 million, alleging that he didn’t meet with her before he filed bankruptcy documents. Her lawyer called the claims “absurd,” but a settlement was reached.

She served her jail sentence from January to December 2015, with the final four months of her sentence spent in house arrest.

In 2018, Teresa’s 2009 bankruptcy case was dismissed — but she was still ordered to pay restitution to the IRS and New Jersey’s department of treasury.

The mother of four was hit with a $17,000 lien for 2020 and 2021 tax years from the Morris County New Jersey jurisdiction on April 19, 2023, according to documents viewed by Life & Style, bringing her total amount owed to the federal government to $1,096,012.14.

Teresa Guidice ‘Made Money’ From Her Prison Release Photos

After serving 11 months in prison, Teresa left her Connecticut correctional facility and was captured on camera by the paparazzi. As it turned out, she had struck a deal with them and got a boost to her bank account in the process.

“They wanted the first photo and I did it,” Teresa explained on the “Hollywood Raw” podcast in January 2024, noting that it was the “only time” she had made a deal with photographers. “I was like, ‘If they’re going to get it anyway, I might as well make money off of it.’”

She did not reveal how much cash she made from the exchange.

When Did Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas Get Engaged?

In October 2021, Teresa announced that her then- boyfriend, Luis “Louie” Ruelas, proposed to her during a trip to Greece after nearly one year of dating. 

“My fiancé you are such a beautiful person inside and out. I love everything about you, especially your heart and the way you treat me and my daughters. You are amazing in so many ways,” Teresa wrote on Instagram at the time. “I am so lucky to have found you thank you for coming into my life. I know my parents sent you to me from that day I prayed to them on Bay Blvd. I adore you endlessly. You are the love of my life, my soulmate and my everything. I Love you.”

When Did Teresa Giudice Marry Luis Ruelas?

The infamous housewife tied the knot with Luis in August 2022 in a ceremony filmed for a Bravo special. The duo hosted a romantic affair in New Jersey in front of 220 guests. The lavish black tie event was attended by a sea of Bravo stars including Kenya Moore, Phaedra Parks and Cynthia Bailey

Teresa’s new husband is a cofounder of Florida-based digital marketing agency Digital Media Solutions. Luis has a net worth of approximately $2 million, according to Exact Net Worth.

Did Teresa Giudice Make Luis Ruelas Sign a Prenup?

During a February 2022 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, host Andy Cohen asked Teresa if she would be signing a prenup before her wedding to Louie.

“No,” Teresa said.