Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Thursday. Her husband Joe Giudice received a 41 month prison sentence. The two pleaded guilty to nearly 40 counts of fraud back in March and after a lengthy series of delays, we have witnessed the legal outcome of their actions.
There is a great deal of anger and resentment at the famous pair, who attempted to go without paying for a series of crimes that led to a lavish lifestyle.
Teresa and Joe Giudice may be reality TV stars, but to the American public they’ve come to represent far more than a scripted television show.
With their large homes, fancy cars, and multimillion-dollar lifestyle, many saw them as living the American dream.
But throw in the numerous counts of fraud the Giudices were forced to answer for, and you have two individuals who lied and cheated their way to make their dreams a reality.
#RHONJ's @Teresa_Giudice has been sentenced to 15 months in prison. Read more:
http://t.co/PQsCS2jcj2 pic.twitter.com/SC83z9m68F
— Bravotv (@Bravotv) October 3, 2014
Ahead of sentencing, Teresa Giudice blamed the Bravo network and their editing for the way people view both herself and her family. She tearfully begged for leniency, hoping the judge would see her as a good person and not what she claims The Real Housewives of New Jersey falsely presented her to be.
Teresa and Joe seemed to overestimate how much negativity expressed towards them is due to the show rather than their own actions.
What many saw was a woman who spent the months ahead of her sentencing showing off her wealth and privilege and hoping to cash in on her fame to make as much money as possible before going to jail.
The fact is that Teresa and Joe broke the law and were hoping to get away with it while profiting handsomely from it. They acquired millions of dollars worth of wealth that they had no intention of paying back.
This is NOT behavior that breeds sympathy.