It’s a crazy time to be a Real Housewives fanatic, with three different shows on the air and a number of casting shakeups breaking the internet. But perhaps the biggest news to come from the Bravo-verse is the recent sentencing of RHOSLC star Jen Shah to 6.5 years in prison. And formerly imprisoned Housewife Teresa Giudice recently explained why she “can’t relate” to Shah also being ordered to jail time.
Over the past few years, the Real Housewives has learned into the true crime genre, thanks to Jen Shah’s arrest while shooting and Erika Jayne’s ongoing legal battle. But RHONJ original cast member Teresa Giudice was the first Housewife to go to prison before our eyes, serving 11 months for fraud over papers she was asked to sign by ex-husband Joe Giudice. On a recent episode of her podcast Namaste Bitches, Tre made distinction between herself and Shah. As she told co-host Melissa Pfeister:
I can’t relate to that [Shah’s sentencing], because I would never do something like that, you know?
There you go. The Real Housewives of New Jersey OG might have also gone to prison over fraud, she doesn’t really see the similarities between herself and Jen Shah. And indeed, there are some major differences between the two legal cases. And Giudice wants everyone to know that she’d never be involved in the same dealings as her Salt Lake City colleague.
Despite maintaining her innocence for two seasons of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Jen Shah ultimately plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, reportedly targeting vulnerable communities like the elderly in order to get money out of them. While Giudice served her own time in prison, she made a point of putting a barrier between her crimes and that of Shah’s. As she put it,
Listen, it’s sad, [but] like, I wouldn’t steal anybody’s money. I would not do that. I would never do that, that’s so bad.
There are plenty of people comparing Jen Shah with Teresa Giudice, as they’re both Housewives who were given prison time over issues related to fraud. But the latter TV personality has always maintained that she didn’t know what she was involved with, and was trusting her ex and signing where she was told. She addressed this later in the podcast, saying:
I know my kids know that I didn’t do anything. Joe told them. But when you’re stealing [from] people, and the kids could read this, and they’re like, ‘Mom, well why’d you do this?’ Like what do you say to your kids to that.
The difference between these two offenses can clearly be seen by the amount of prison time that was ordered for the two Real Housewives stars. Teresa Giudice was sentenced to 15 months in prison for 41 counts of fraud, including making false statements on loan applications, and bankruptcy fraud. Meanwhile, Jen Shah was sentenced to 6.5 years. So while there are similrities, these are vastly different circumsances.
Jen Shah will be noticeably missing from the reunion of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, although she’s expected to do an interview with Andy Cohen before surrendering herself into custody. As for Teresa, she’ll be back for the new season of Jersey premiering on February 7th. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
