How fraud became a regular plot point on the ‘Real Housewives’ — and why reality stars think they can get away with it

On Oct. 9, “Real Housewives of Potomac” star Wendy Osefo, 41 and her husband, attorney Eddie Osefo, also 41, were arrested for insurance fraud.

The pair are hardly the only Bravo-lebrities who have faced such accusations. In the “Real Housewives” universe, fraud has become a common theme.

“The personalities of people who are attracted to being on reality TV seem to have the same sort of optimism bias that people who think they can get away with crimes have,” attorney Angela Angotti, cohost of the “The Bravo Docket” podcast, told Page Six.

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In 2024, the Osefos claimed that their Maryland home was burglarized while they were on vacation, and that thieves made off with $450,000 worth of designer bags, jewelry and other valuables. Police investigators say the claims were a sham: items allegedly listed as stolen were later returned for refunds, and social media photos showed Wendy wearing a ring they’d reported stolen.

Meanwhile, “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah, 52, was arrested on-screen in 2021 and is now serving a 6.5-year prison sentence for running a nationwide telemarketing scheme.

And, in 2015, Teresa Giudice, 53, of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” spent 11 months behind bars for bankruptcy fraud.

Her ex-husband, Joe Giudice, also 53, spent three years in prison from 2016 to 2019 for fraud and tax offenses, before the couple divorced in 2020.

Others, like Erika Jayne, 54, from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and Vicki Gunvalson, 63, from “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” have faced fraud accusations in civil lawsuits that were later dismissed. In addition, more than a dozen other “Housewives” stars have been arrested over the years for offenses ranging from assault to drunk driving. Page Six has reached out to Bravo for comment.

Angotti says that being on reality TV can cultivate a sense of invincibility that starts even before the cameras roll. A reality star typically signs a contract that strips away any control over how they’re portrayed.

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“To sign that, you have to think, ‘Well, that’s not going to happen to me,’ or ‘The audience is going to like me,’ or whatever,” Angotti said. “And [then] you’re constantly like, ‘Is someone looking at me? Are they paying attention to me? Do I have nicer things than this other person?’ I think it’s a lot of keeping up with the Joneses. But then it becomes harder and harder and harder.”

“The Real Housewives” has always centered around women with aspirational lifestyles, but the displays of wealth seem to grow more extravagant with every season, Angotti added.

“There wasn’t [always] this merry-go-round of stylists and glam squads and everything else,” he noted.

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In 2006, when “The Real Housewives of Orange County” launched what would become a cultural juggernaut, the show portrayed struggling single moms alongside more affluent women.

But then Jayne joined the “Beverly Hills” cast in 2015, ushering in a new era of ostentatious wealth. She traveled everywhere with her own “glam squad” and claimed to spend $40,000 a month on hair, makeup and clothing.

In 2020, Jayne filed for divorce from her husband, high profile attorney Tom Girardi, 86, after 21 years of marriage. The following month, she was named in a fraud lawsuit brought against Girardi.  

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In 2022, a judge ruled that she had no knowledge of her estranged husband’s dealings.

Earlier this year, in a different case, Girardi was sentenced to seven years, three months for embezzling millions from clients. He is currently serving his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, and the pair have yet to finalize their divorce.

Jayne and Girardi’s turbulent times have made for good TV, and she’s one of the longest-running cast members on “Beverly Hills,” second only to Kyle Richards, 56.

“They’re shooting the good, the bad, the sad,” a source close to Bravo told Page Six. “It’s what’s happening in everyday lives — whether it’s marriage, divorce, addiction, things with their children. And, unfortunately, things that are illegal.”

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On Bravo, a criminal charge doesn’t necessarily spell the end of a career. 

Shah stayed on “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” for an entire season after her arrest, insisting she was innocent for over a year before pleading guilty.

“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” famously chronicled the Giudices’ years-long legal troubles, prison stint and post-prison life. After her 11-month stint behind bars, Teresa, 53, wrote a tell-all memoir about her experience, which she referred to as “camp,” and returned to the show, where she remains a beloved cast member. 

Another source familiar with the network says viewers like to see such redemption arcs from Bravo stars.

“What we’ve kind of seen is people are generally more open to forgiving when there’s an ownership of whatever it was,” the source said. “Whether it was a misunderstanding, whether it was a misstep, we’re always pleasantly surprised when you stand on something face on. You can begin to repair.”

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But not every “Housewife” gets a happy ending after doing time.

Page Six recently exclusively reported that Shah will be released from prison early in August 2026. But executive producer Andy Cohen, in a behind-the-scenes clip last month from his talk show, “Watch What Happens Live,” said he never wanted to see her again.

Bravo also has yet to say whether another “Real Housewives of Potomac” star Karen Huger, 62, known as reality TV’s “Grand Dame,” will return. Huger just wrapped up a six-month stint behind bars for driving under the influence and crashing her Maserati into a street sign in March 2024. 

In the early days of “Housewives,” Bravo took a firmer stance. In 2009, Michaele Salahi, then a cast member on the first season of “The Real Housewives of D.C,” snuck into a White House state dinner with her husband, Tareq, posing for photos with President Barack Obama and other celebrities. The Salahis avoided criminal charges, but Bravo canceled “Real Housewives of D.C.” after only one season due to what Cohen called the “stink” with the Salahis. 

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Outside of the Bravo-verse, other reality stars have also had tangles with fraud.

“Jersey Shore” star Michael Sorrentino, 43, known as “The Situation,” was sentenced to eight months in prison for tax evasion in 2018. And in 2022, Todd Chrisley, 56, and Julie Chrisley, 52, who starred in USA Network reality series “Chrisley Knows Best,” were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion and sentenced to 12 and 7 years, respectively. In May 2025, however, the Chrisleys were released years early after President Trump pardoned them.

“I find it fascinating that anybody would go on reality TV if they knew that they were committing any kind of crime,” the source close to Bravo said. “You’re actually putting your life out there. It makes no sense.”

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As for Wendy Osefo, her future is uncertain.

“It’s in the hands of the law right now,” the source close to Bravo said. “So we’ll see how that unfolds.” 

When Wendy, a mother-of-three and political commentator with a PhD, joined “Potomac” on season five, she and Eddie were portrayed as grounded professionals who valued education, integrity and family.

“There’s even a scene where Wendy sits her children down and says, ‘What’s important is what you do when no one’s looking,’ ” Angotti said. “They really led with responsibility and following a civic duty.”

But by the next season, fans noticed a transformation. Wendy “came back as a totally different person,” Cesie Alvarez, “The Bravo Docket” cohost, said. It wasn’t just her boob job and the BBL — Housewives are known for their second season glow ups.

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The family also moved to a more expensive neighborhood, Wendy upgraded her wardrobe and had a “really huge personality shift,” Alvarez said. “You could tell she was trying to portray herself as someone she wasn’t.”

In their fraud investigation, law enforcement said they found that the Osefos were “burdened by substantial debt.”

“I’ve been running over it in my head, just trying to figure out, how could these two smart people so poorly execute a crime?” Angotti said.

The fallout has been swift. Wendy has resigned from her teaching position at Wesleyan University, a university spokesperson confirmed to Page Six. Bravo postponed another show Wendy was slated to appear in. Lawyers say Eddie could lose his law license.

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A rep for the Osefos told Page Six the day after the arrest that the couple was “back home safely with their family and in good spirits.”

The rep noted that the couple are “grateful” for the support they’ve received from fans and eager to have their day in court.

They added, “At this time, they respectfully ask for privacy as they focus on their family and the legal process ahead.”