RHONJ’s Teresa Giudice pays off $258K in debts as she plans fairytale wedding to fiance Luis Ruelas
REAL Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice has paid off over $258,000 in debts, as she plans her fairytale wedding to her fiance Luis Ruelas.
, 49, has had financial struggles over the years, especially after her 2013 bankruptcy fraud case where she was ordered to pay $414,588 in restitution and $8,000 in fines.
The Sun can exclusively reveal the judgement in the case has been “paid in full” regarding “special assessment, fine and/or restitution” as of February 3, 2022.
The amount is likely the $8,000 in fines, as she paid off the $414,588 in restitution back in 2017.
The Sun can also confirm Teresa, her ex-husband Joe and her in-laws, Filomena and Frank, were hit with a $235,510.15 judgement by Alliance Laundry Systems in July 2013.
The debt was paid off on February 22, 2022.
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Teresa also paid off a judgement from June 2009 to North Hudson IVF, according to New Jersey courts.
She paid off the full amount of $11,310.59 on April 13, 2022.
Teresa once revealed on that she and Joe underwent IVF in an effort to get pregnant with a son before the birth of their fourth daughter, Audriana.
Teresa paying off the debts comes as she’s planning her wedding to her fiance, Luis, 47.
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The couple, who began dating in November 2020, are tying the knot this summer in New Jersey.
LUIS' LEGAL TROUBLE
Although Teresa is debt free, her fiance is involved in two ongoing lawsuits.
Prometo Produce Corp sued Produce Depot, Luis and business partners on July 16, 2021, claiming they owe “$127,540 plus contractual interest at 18% per year” for avocado loads.
Luis reached a settlement agreement with Prometo Produce Corp.
According to court documents, the parties still need to “finalize, execute and implement the settlement” and are awaiting an upcoming court hearing.
As The Sun previously reported, Mascari Enterprises and Cedro Bananas Wholesale Distributors hit Luis, his company Produce Depot, and his business partners with a lawsuit on January 22, 2021.
The court papers read: “Between November 2, 2020 and December 23, 2020, Plaintiff sold and delivered to Defendants wholesale quantities of produce… having an aggregate value of $308,191.
“Defendants have failed to pay for the goods when payment was due, despite repeated demands, and presently owe Plaintiff $283,191.”
On December 24, 2020, “two checks issued to Plaintiff by Produce Depot for the payment of produce sales made by Cedro Bananas were returned by the bank for insufficient funds,” the court papers claimed.
The parties dismissed the case in February 2021.
Then, New Eastern Fresh Produce Corp. and El Sol Brands Inc. sued Produce Depot, Luis and three other business partners on March 15, 2021.
The court papers read: “Between October 15, 2020 and January 4, 2021, Plaintiffs sold and delivered to Produce Depot wholesale quantities of produce.”
The lawsuit continued that the parties “have failed to pay for the goods when payment was due, despite repeated demands” and owe the vendor $77,676.25.
The Plaintiff claimed that on February 24, 2021, two checks provided by Produce Depot for the sale of produce were returned by the bank for “insufficient funds.”
The two vendors filed to dismiss the lawsuit just days later.
Northeast Banana Corp sued the company Produce Depot, Luis and a business partner.
The lawsuit read: “Between on or about November 30, 2020 and December 14, 2020, NBC sold and delivered to Produce Depot in interstate commerce wholesale quantities of produce, including bananas, plantains and pineapples, in the amount of at least $44,490.”
The lawsuit read: “To date, Produce Depot has failed and refused to make payment to NBC for the produce within the payment terms agreed between the parties.”
On April 8, 2021, both parties chose to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit.
Then finally, Produce Depot, Luis and his business partner were sued by C.H. Robinson Worldwide on September 23, 2021.
The court papers claim the business sold “fresh fruit and vegetables” to Luis’ company on October 20, 2020 and November 13, 2020 in the amount of “$113,404.40.”
The court papers read: “Produce Depot has failed and refused to pay for the commodities it ordered, received, and accepted from Plaintiff, despite due demand.”
Luis and the other Defendants responded to the lawsuit in December 2021, claiming they were “not individuals which are or were in custody, control or management” of the produce business.
The parties are currently undergoing settlement talks, according to court papers.
SHOW BACKLASH
Luis proposed to Teresa in October after a year of dating and has appeared on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
While Teresa has praised her boyfriend for his over-the-top romantic gestures on the show, her RHONJ co-stars have been suspicious of his past.
The season opened with her co-stars discussing a video featuring Luis that resurfaced.
In the clip, the businessman can be seen bare-chested surrounded by fellow shirtless men - whom he calls his “brothers.”
He is standing on the beach and appears to be addressing one of his exes, begging her for forgiveness and claiming he is ready to “finally get married and have a life together.”
Luis addressed the video later on in the season after Margaret Josephs asked him about it.
He said on the episode: "I grew up with a lot of trauma in my life. A friend of mine went out and started this thing called Warrior out in California and a lot of men go revisit their pain, to see their pain, get clarity.
“And I was in a relationship with a woman so I had to learn in that moment how to be vulnerable to that woman and tell her, I'm sorry... because I didn't want to commit to a marriage, I didn't want to commit to a bad woman.
“So I went to apologize to a woman for not being honest and saying it's over.”
But Margaret didn’t buy it, as she said: "The video we all saw, he was proposing and now he's saying it was a breakup video?"
ABUSE CLAIMS
On a previous episode, co-star Traci Johnson’s husband and former NFL player Tiki Barber asked Luis about allegations that he was abusive towards an ex.
Luis denied the claims on the show.
The Sun broke Luis was accused of “controlling and abusive” behavior by an ex from when he proposed in February 2019 to October 2019.
The woman dismissed the lawsuit.
A rep for Luis did not respond to The Sun's request for comment on the abuse claims at the time.
NASHVILLE NIGHTMARE
Teresa said of Margaret on a recent episode: “She’s been dragging my boyfriend through the mud.”
The two even got into a fight over the feud while on a cast trip to Nashville, as Teresa threw drinks at her.
Teresa posted a photo with Luis from the night, as she captioned the snap on Instagram: "Nashville. A cowgirl stands up for what’s right, even if she stands alone."
On the finale episode, Luis demanded to leave the restaurant when the cast members continued to discuss his past.
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On a trailer for the RHONJ reunion, host Andy Cohen asks Luis about the abuse allegations.
The mom of four and dad of two currently live in a $3,350,000 mansion in Montville Township, New Jersey that they bought after just months of dating.
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