‘Real Housewives Of New Jersey’ Stars Ordered To Pay Hefty $760K Judgment In Bankruptcy Case

The list of “Real Housewives” stars facing severe legal trouble is long, and now, members of the Bravoverse can add another name to it.

Jacqueline Laurita, who starred in Bravo’s “Real Housewives of New Jersey” for seven seasons, and her husband, Christopher Laurita, have been hit with a court judgment ordering them to pay a hefty six-figure sum to the law firm Seidman & Pincus LLC.

According to a new report, the legal team claimed they represented the former “Real Housewives” stars in 2014 as part of Christopher’s bankruptcy case for his clothing line, Signature Apparel Group.

In early July 2025, a New Jersey judge officially ordered Jacqueline and Christopher, 55, to pay a massive $760,000 judgment to lawyers at a litigation firm in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, per Us Weekly.

The filing states that the reality TV couple was charged $342,000 for legal services, plus interest of $419,000, totaling $761,000.

Lawyers at Seidman & Pincus, Mitchell Seidman and Andrew Pincus, argued that they represented Jacqueline and Christopher as part of a bankruptcy case in 2014. According to the filing, the Bravo alums were responsible for paying for services, as well as any accrued interest.

The legal documents claim that the law firm provided Jacqueline and Christopher with “extensive legal” assistance, which included a variety of planning meetings and representing them in court during a 13-day trial.

The firm’s lawyers claimed they issued the Lauritas regular invoices and that neither TV personality ever raised concerns or issues over the amount.

“Over time, Defendants fell behind in the payment of fees and expenses owing to [the law firm] pursuant to the Engagement Agreement, such that [the law firm] was compelled to request [permission] from the Bankruptcy Court to withdraw from its representation of Defendants in the Actions,” the legal documents read, per Us Weekly.

After some time, the New Jersey law firm confirmed the court approved its request to withdraw as lawyers for the Lauritas in April 2018.

This also isn’t the first time the Lauritas have found themselves in hot water over Christopher’s business dealings. According to NJ.com, the pair has faced legal troubles regarding Christopher’s apparel company for some time.

After the clothing company filed for bankruptcy in 2009, Christopher and Jacqueline were sued and accused of using its bank accounts to pay for private jets, vacations, and flashy vehicles.

Judge Robert E. Grossman for the Southern District of New York eventually found Christopher and the management company, Iconix, liable for fraud. He was also found liable for breach of his fiduciary duty.

Christopher and Jacqueline aren’t the only “Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars who have faced unfortunate legal woes. In 2014, the show’s biggest stars at the time, Teresa and Joe Giudice, were sentenced to 15 and 41 months in prison, respectively, for “committing a string of crimes as part of a long-running financial fraud conspiracy,” according to the United States Attorney’s Office of New Jersey.

According to the legal paperwork, Teresa and Joe pleaded guilty to a multitude of fraud charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as one count of bankruptcy fraud by concealment of assets.

“The Giudices together deceived financial institutions with patently false loan applications; were dishonest when they sought the protection of the bankruptcy court and hid assets and income from the trustee; and Giuseppe Giudice cheated the government by failing to pay taxes on years of significant income,” U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said. “When they pleaded guilty, both admitted swearing to statements they knew were lies. Prison is the appropriate penalty for these serious financial crimes.”

The filing states that from September 2001 to September 2008, Teresa and Joe Giudice committed different types of fraud by submitting falsified documents to lenders in order to secure hefty six-figure mortgages and other loans.

For example, in 2001, Teresa applied for a $121,500 mortgage, claiming she was employed as an executive assistant. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also reported that the reality star submitted fake W-2 forms and fake pay stubs.

The documents also state that in 2005, Teresa applied for a $361,250 mortgage, claiming she made a monthly salary of $15,000. However, the Bravo star was not employed at the time.

In 2009, the pair filed for individual Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. According to the documents, however, the couple “intentionally concealed business they owned, income they received from a rental property,” and income from the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” and magazine appearances.