Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp Weigh In on Teresa Giudice’s Tax Debt Claims: ‘I’m Worried’

Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge are expressing concern for Teresa Giudice as she reportedly faces tax debt claims with her husband Luis Ruelas.

“I’m worried for her, to be honest,” Judge, 57, said on the Tuesday, April 8, episode of iHeartRadio’s “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast. “We don’t know all the details. Hopefully they get it figured out, but not a good position to be in.”

Last month, court documents obtained by People revealed the couple have received approximately $3 million in tax liens, which is the government’s legal claim against a person’s property when there’s a failure to pay a tax debt, per the IRS.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 52, owes $303,889.20. Ruelas’ amount nears $2.6 million. In December 2024, Ruelas, 49, was issued a lien for $163,523.94, per People. The lien is reportedly still an open case.

“How much tax lien do you have to have to go to jail?” Mellencamp, 43, asked her cohost during the podcast. Judge replied, “I don’t know. I do not know how that works. I hope that it doesn’t get to that. But this isn’t good.”

Mellencamp expressed optimism that Giudice could pay off any liens by doing “like, six paid posts and get that covered.”

And while filming for The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently on pause, Judge agreed that there are other ways Giudice is likely making money.

“I don’t think she’s done making money,” Judge shared. “I’m sure she’s still doing things even though the show’s been put on hold. The one thing that I’ve noticed, I thought, maybe they’re going to bring cameras back up, maybe.”

While Bravo has yet to confirm any plans for season 15 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Judge is confident fans will be waiting for any updates on the case.

“I think Instagram is following this closely,” she said. “I personally hate to see anybody in financial stress.”

Mellencamp added, “We don’t really know that much about this, but we do know that this is something that can be avoided if you’re planning properly.”

Us Weekly has previously reached out to Teresa for comment on the tax lien claims. Gia Giudice recently shared that her mom has “everything under control.”

Related: Teresa Cites ‘RHONJ’ as the ‘Only Hard Thing’ in 1st Year of Louie Marriage

Smooth sailing? Teresa Giudice and Luis “Louie” Ruelas are still adjusting to married life — and filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey hasn’t made it any easier. “The only hard thing has been, like, the show unfortunately,” Giudice, 50, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “This is not what he’s used […]

“There’s nothing to worry about,” she said on the March 31 episode of iHeartRadio’s “Casual Chaos” podcast. “My stepdad, Luis, is the most amazing stepfather. He treats my sisters and I like we are his own. He is also working on getting everything resolved as well. But there’s nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be fine. But thank you for your concern.”

This isn’t the first time Teresa has dealt with debt in a marriage. In 2009, the Bravo star and her first husband, Joe Giudice, filed for bankruptcy, citing an $11 million debt.

Five years later, the pair were indicted on 39 counts of fraud and tax charges, including bankruptcy fraud. Teresa served 11 months of a 15-month sentence the following year. Joe, for his part, served a 41-month prison sentence for bankruptcy fraud.