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Bankrupt, Busted, Broke! A Shocking Look at ‘Real Housewives’ Most Epic Money Messes

Reality TV

Nov 9, 2023 4:36 pm·

By Julie Evans

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Here today, broke tomorrow? So it seems have gone the fortunes of many of the Real Housewives of each and every city. They live oh so large … but it seems they’re often living on borrowed dollars.

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Whether they didn’t keep a tight enough grip on those Birkin strings, neglected their tax obligations or otherwise got messed up in shady business, more than a few of these Bravolebrities have faced financial woes over the years. They’ve gone from glam to glum, exchanging lavish lifestyles for a load of liabilities, stumbling head over red-soled heels into debt.

Keep scrolling to review some of the biggest Real Housewives money messes of all time.

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1 of 10

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann

Did Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann’s financial woes send their marriage over the brink? It’s certainly possible given the weight of those woes.

Kroy filed for divorce (for the second time this year) on August 24, 2023, stating that their marriage was “irretrievably broken.” And it seems, they’re pretty much broke too. They’re facing a $1.1 million lien on their Georgia mansion and a lawsuit in which it’s alleged Kroy owes BMW $400,00 in unpaid car notes.

In fact, the couple is “financially destitute largely,” according to papers Kroy filed September 18, 2003, in Fulton County Superior Court to request permission to sell the former couple’s $3 million mansion. He said it’s their only asset, and they’re facing foreclosure on it … again. The reason stated for their depleted finances: Kim’s “reckless spending habits and love for online gambling.”

2 of 10

Kim Richards

If only she’d trademarked the phrase, “slut pig” maybe she could have cashed in? But Kim Richards has seemingly been mostly out of cash since she was fired from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in June 2015.

Early success from movies like Escape to Witch Mountain she starred in as a child and her run on Real Housewives hasn’t been enough to sustain her. She’s been hit with lawsuits, tax liens and more. She was even reportedly forced to go live with her sister, Kathy Hilton, in 2015 because she couldn’t afford a place of her own.

Kim seems to be doing okay today though. Celebrity Net Worth says her net worth stands at $400,000 as of 2023. Not bad … but also not as good as the $2 million it was reported to be in 2012. And definitely not as good as her sister Kyle, whose reported net worth this year is more than $100 million in 2023.

3 of 10

Sonja Morgan

From riches to (designer) rags and back again! There was a point when Sonja Morgan was in a pretty desperate financial place. Her tony New York townhouse was falling apart, and in November 2010, she filed for bankruptcy, citing $20 million in debt.

Things have been looking much brighter for Sonja since then though. In 2015, The Real Housewives of New York City star told E! News she’d put the bankruptcy case behind her “I did a great job,” she said. “I paid what I had to pay, and it wasn’t easy, but at the same time it was an experience. It’s nice to be free of everyone looking at my money. I finally have my financial privacy back.” Her fashion line, Sonja by Sonja Morgan, and spirits company, Tipsy Girl Wines, are likely helping too. Celebrity Net Worth puts her net worth at $8 million in 2023.

4 of 10

Teresa Giudice

Teresa’s Giudice and financial issues go together like … Heckyl and Jyde (IYKYK). The Real Housewives of New Jersey star’s history of money mishaps goes way back. When she was with Joe Giudice, the two were up to their eyeballs in debt — $10 million of it — and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2009. Of course, then there was the bank fraud, wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud, which led to prison sentences.

Teresa has moved on from Joe and is now with Luis Ruelas. She hasn’t moved away from troubling money matters though. She reportedly has tax liens against her totaling more than $1 million. Most recently, was handed a new $17,000 lien for 2020 and 2021 tax years from the Morris County New Jersey jurisdiction on April 19.

5 of 10

Dorit Kemsley

Dorit Kemsley’s tagline on season eight of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills may have been more telling than it seemed, “I believe in excess of everything. Except moderation.” There clearly hasn’t been a lot of moderation when it comes to money.

In 2021, it was revealed that Dorit and her husband, Paul “PK” Kemsley, owed more than $1.3 million in back taxes. That was after reports that PK owed a hefty sum to the Bellagio in Vegas, and Dorit was sued by her business partner. Most recently, a private nurse is suing Dorit. The nurse claims Dorit owes her just over $8,600 for face manipulation. That seems like a drop in the bucket, considering her and PK’s net worth sits around $50 million in 2023, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

6 of 10

Michaele Salahi

Michaele Salahi was only a Real Housewife for one season, but she and her ex-husband, Tareq Salahi, will forever be remembered as the White House gatecrashers from the one-season run of The Real Housewives of D.C in 2010. Their troubles went beyond their security breach, however.

Tareq’s family winery — Oasis Enterprises, Inc., —and a polo organization he headed up — American Polo Cup — were major sources of financial strain, accumulating millions of dollars of debt and bankruptcies. Both have moved on since then. Michaele and Tareq divorced in August 2012. She married Journey guitarist Neal Schon in December 2013, and Tareq married his business partner, Lisa Spoden, in January 2016. In 2023, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Michaele’s net worth at $10 million and Tareq’s at $2 million.

7 of 10

Erika Jayne

It was nice while it lasted. Then, it all came tumbling down for cool-as-ice Erika Jayne (nee Girardi) when it turned out the lavish lifestyle she was living may have been funded in part by her now ex-husband’s alleged illegal ways.

In November 2020, Erika filed for divorce from Tom Girardi, then the lawsuits and allegations started flying regarding millions of dollars he allegedly scammed from his law firm’s clients. Erika was cleared, but Tom is still embroiled in the controversy. He was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in March 2021. As of September 13, 2023, he was facing federal indictment for $18 million in allegedly embezzled funds.

As for Erika, she’s moved on. She has an upcoming residency in Las Vegas — “Bet It All on Blonde” — which will run at the House of Blues through mid-December 2023. She’s seemingly doing well on her own financially too. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her net worth to be $5 million in 2023.

But it wasn’t easy to get where she is today. In April 2023, she told Us Weekly, “My therapist, my psychiatrist, my friends and my family really helped me through. It’s important to have those people around you that really look out for you. Because it was very ugly, very dark for a while.”

8 of 10

Jen Shah

Jen Shah’s financial front was so major it landed her behind bars. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star began serving a 78-month prison sentence on January 6, 2023, after being convicted in a massive money-laundering scheme. She was ordered to pay up to $9.5 million in restitution.

At the time, an officer from the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said Shah’s fancy lifestyle was basically a sham. “In reality, they allegedly built their opulent lifestyle at the expense of vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people,” he said.

9 of 10

Alexis Bellino

Alexis Bellino had a three-season run on The Real Housewives of Orange County that was rocky with relationship and financial strife. She and her ex-husband, Jim Bellino, spent $6 million on a mansion in Newport Beach, California, in 2007, but ended up defaulting on the loan before it went into foreclosure. They got a new loan through a new bank and refuted rumblings that they were bankrupt.

In May 2018 they sent a letter to friends that read in part, “To set the record straight, we have not filed bankruptcy. I have been buying and selling residential and commercial properties for more than two decades. I have been working since I was 13 years old, and have made sure that our investments are diversified — we own multiple companies, properties, securities and other assets. Thankfully, our financial future is secure. The bank’s actions, however, forced the entity that holds the title to the home to file Chapter 11 re-organization bankruptcy protection for the purpose of protecting this asset while we continue to work toward resolution.”

Their financial woes didn’t end there though. In May 2019 a lien was filed against Alexis for $22,180.99 in back taxes from 2017. She has since settled the bill.

10 of 10

Nene Leakes

It was taxing for a while for NeNe Leakes. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star had racked up some major debt in the Peach State. The state filed a lien against her in 2016 for $58,458 in back taxes, but interest and penalties sent that number soaring. In February 2021, the lien was released after she paid the whopping total: $95,232.92.

There was an even more major federal tax lien filed against her in July 2016 for $824,366.01 in relation to her 2014 tax return. NeNe has seemingly built her wealth back up over the years though. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her net worth at $14 million in 2023.