Reality Stars Who’ve Faced Jail Time
Whether coming from one of television's most wholesome families to living out their glamorous lives as Real Housewives, these reality stars shocked audiences when their actions landed them in jail.
Dating back to Survivor's season 1 winner Richard Hatch[1] to more recently accused offenders like Joseph and Kendra Duggar[2] and Josh Duggar, see the allegations concerning these television stars (from fraud to kidnapping to conspiracy to commit murder) and where they are now.
01 of 27
Joseph and Kendra Duggar
Joseph and Kendra DuggarCredit: Washington County Sheriff's Department
On March 18, 19 Kids and Counting star Joseph Duggar was arrested on charges of child molestation[3]. Advertisement Advertisement
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The 31 year old is being accused molesting a nine-year-old girl while vacationing with their family in Panama City Beach, Fla. in 2020.
Authorities allege that Joseph asked the victim to sit on his lap before sexually abusing her. "As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim's underwear and grazed her genitals.
Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs," Bay County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said.
"The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology," the BCSO's statement continued.
In an unrelated incident, Kendra Duggar, 27, was arrested and booked[4], on March 20, on four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment, both in the second degree. Joseph was also charged with the same. Advertisement
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Kendra was photographed leaving jail hours later, and Joseph is currently being held in Washington County.
Ark. as he awaits extradition to Bay County, where he will face the charges.
02 of 27
Josh Duggar
Josh Duggar poses for a booking photo after his arrest April 29, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.Credit: Washington County Sheriff's Office via Getty
19 Kids and Counting alum Josh Duggar was arrested for receiving and possessing child pornography in 2021 and was later sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison the following year.[5][6]
A 2019 investigation found that Duggar had developed a hidden system on his work computer to view content of children -- some under 10 years old -- being sexually abused. Later, family friend Bobye Holt said during days of testimony that Duggar admitted to her in 2003 and 2005 that he had molested four Jane Does (one was 5 years old) from when he was 12 to 15. Advertisement
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His sister Jill Duggar Dillard[7] -- who alongside sibling Jessa Duggar Seewald[8] was one of his multiple alleged molestation victims[9] -- wrote in her memoir that their parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, knew about the issue[10] and even sent Josh away as a child because of it.
03 of 27
Victoria Goodwin
Victoria Goodwin and Aaron Goodwin.Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty
On March 11, 2025, PEOPLE reported, per police, that the wife of Ghost Adventures star Aaron Goodwin, Victoria Goodwin, had been arrested after being accused of conspiring to have him killed.[11][12][13]
Investigators allegedly found messages from Victoria to an inmate in Florida about her plan including one text that allegedly read "Am I a bad person?
Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce," per TMZ[14]. Police told the outlet that Victoria has denied the allegations.
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The outlet also reported that, according to police, Victoria had allegedly set aside over £11.5K to pay the inmate in October 2024 as well as a £2,500 upfront payment they had also exchanged messages about.
In April 2025, Victoria accepted a plea deal[15], pleading guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit murder. She was later sentenced[16] to a minimum of 36 months and a maximum of 90 months in prison, according to KVVU-TV[17].
04 of 27
Ash Armand
Ash Armand attends the Star Magazine's Scene Stealers Event at Lure on October 9, 2014 in Los Angeles, California ; Ash Armand poses for a mugshot on June 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Credit: Valerie Macon/Getty ; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via Getty
One of the male escorts featured on Showtime's controversial reality show Gigolos[18], Ash Armand, was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and mayhem for the July 2020 beating death of Herleen Dulai, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal[19]. Advertisement
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Armand, whose given name is Akshaya Kubiak, claimed that she attacked him after they took psychedelic mushrooms together and that he "blacked out." He has been serving his 20 year sentence at a Nevada correctional center since 2021. [20]
05 of 27
Tom Girardi
Tom Girardi, Erika Jayne.Credit: Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty; Amanda Edwards/Getty
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills[21] star Erika Jayne's estranged husband, disbarred former lawyer Tom Girardi[22], was found guilty in federal court in August 2024 of embezzling more than £15 million from his clients over many years. Per CBS News[23], as of December 2024 his lawyers were seeking hospitalization instead of jail time as Tom has been living with dementia.
Back in 2020, both Erika and Tom were named in a lawsuit filed in an Illinois federal court on behalf of several families who lost loved ones in a Boeing plane crash, alleging that the former couple embezzled settlement funds[24] meant to help the victims' families.
That month, Erika also filed for divorce. Advertisement Advertisement
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In 2022, Erika was accused of racketeering and acting as the "frontwoman" in Tom's money "scheme." Despite an assortment of civil suits there have been no federal indictments of Erika and she has remained legally in the clear.[25][26]
06 of 27
Richard Hatch
Credit: AP Photo/Stew Milne
Survivor's first ever winner, Richard Hatch, spent three years in prison following his 2000 victory, after he failed to pay taxes on the £1 million prize[27]. Later, while appearing on a season of The Celebrity Apprentice, he served another nine months in prison after failing to refile his 2000 and 2001 tax returns -- as well as pay what he owed, CBS News[28] reported.
He was then back in prison one more time, Forbes explains[29], after giving interviews to the press that were allegedly not properly approved.
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More recently Hatch was back on television for season 2 of House of Villains [30]in 2024.
07 of 27
Todd and Julie Chrisley
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley.Credit: Kevin Mazur/ACMA2017/Getty
The Chrisley Knows Best[31] stars pled not guilty[32] on Aug.
14, 2019, hours after turning themselves in[33] for indictments of tax evasion, wire fraud and conspiracy bank fraud. Prosecutors also claimed the Chrisleys used their production company, 7 C Production, to hide their reality TV income from the IRS, and that Todd directed an employee to falsify income and asset documents.
According to WSBTV Atlanta[34], the couple walked into the courtroom "shackled," but walked out "vowing to fight." A judge set an unsecured bond of £100,000 each with travel restrictions. (Todd and Julie were allowed to visit California to tape their reality show as long as they notified probation officers.) Advertisement
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"We stand in our faith, and we stand in what we know is right.
We are fortunate to have the counsel that we have and our family will stick together, and we'll walk this road because we know that the good Lord will hold our hand and take us through," Todd told local reporters.
The night prior to the indictment[35], Todd shared a lengthy Instagram statement[36] denying any wrongdoing on behalf of himself and his wife. Instead, he pointed blame at an unidentified ex-employee who he claimed had stolen from his family, created "phony documents" and forged signatures years ago.
In November 2022, following their conviction, a federal judge sentenced[37] Todd to 12 years in prison and 16 months probation and Julie to seven years in prison, plus 16 months probation, according to[38] Insider and[39] Fox 5 Atlanta. The Chrisleys' former accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also sentenced to 36 months in prison[40].
He will begin his sentence on May 1, 2023, after undergoing hip surgery.
Both Todd and Julie reported to their respective prisons[41] to begin their sentences on Jan.
17, 2023. Their sentences were reduced in part for good behavior in September 2023; in 2024, and in 2019 shared that she was cancer free.[108][109]
17 of 27
Gina Kirschenheiter
Gina Kirschenheiter.Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty
The Real Housewives of Orange County star was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, PEOPLE[110] confirmed on Feb.
1, 2019. The Long Island native was released from jail at noon later that day. On RHOC, she called being behind bars "the worst part[111]."
"It's so scary," Kirschenheiter said. "The cells, they're clear walls.
And the first thing that I [saw] when I walk in [was] this man with his hands cupped behind his back, smashing his face against the glass. Over and over and over again. I [didn't] know if I was going to be in a cell with other crazy men like that.
You just don't know!"
Kirschenheiter took another hit when she learned that a warrant for her arrest had been issued because she failed to appear in court for a hearing related to her DUI arrest. As PEOPLE reported at the time[112], Gina's former lawyer had filed a motion to move her court date to May but allegedly made an error with the filing. Kirschenheiter retained new counsel, who rectified the bureaucratic misfiling situation.
In July 2019, she pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more, reported Us Weekly[113]. She was sentenced to three years' informal probation and had to submit to six months in an offender alcohol program and complete 20 hours of community service.
Kirschenheiter's now-ex husband Matt has also ran into trouble with the law.
On Sept.
4, 2019, Matt was charged by the Orange County District Attorney's Office with domestic violence and false imprisonment of Kirschenheiter earlier that summer amid their separation, TMZ reported[114].
According to documents obtained by the outlet, Matt allegedly "inflicted corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition" upon Gina during his June 22, 2019, arrest[115].
PEOPLE reached out to the O.C. D.A.'s Office at the time.
When contacted by PEOPLE, Kirschenheiter had no comment, while Matt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to [116]Us Weekly, in April 2021, Matt pleaded guilty to one count of domestic battery with corporal injury of a spouse and guilty to one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail though was told he wouldn't have to serve the time if he instead agreed to wear a monitor, complete a batterer's program and serve three years' probation.
18 of 27
Apollo Nida
Apollo Nida in 2021.Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Park's ex-husband Nida was taken into custody[117] by the U.S.
Marshals Service on June 13, 2019, after being released from prison eight days earlier.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service told PEOPLE that Nida was brought back into custody because he violated a technical condition of his release, though it was unclear what the violation was.
PEOPLE reached out to Nida's lawyer for comment.
Nida was arrested in January 2014 and later pleaded guilty to bank fraud and identity theft. He had been sentenced to eight years in prison.
In February 2025 Nida was accused of cheating and abuse by his wife of less than 3 years. According to PageSix[118], the father of two was arrested and charged with domestic violence and simple assault.
He was transported to Fulton County Jail and was let go after posting a £3,000 bond. Current status of the case is unknown. Sherien Copes filed for divorce[119] in February 2025.
19 of 27
Khlo?
Kardashian
Credit: Khloe Kardashian/instagram
If you've been Keeping Up with this Kardashian, you'll remember the time Khlo? was sentenced to up to 30 days in Los Angeles County jail for violating probation following a DUI arrest.
"She admitted to failing to complete [roadside cleanup duty] and enroll in an alcohol education class," L.A. City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan told PEOPLE in 2008.
Kardashian was arrested for DUI in March 2007, and was sentenced to three years probation. Kardashian only served three hours of her 30-day sentence[120] due to overcrowding.
20 of 27
Jason Wahler
Jason Wahler.Credit: JC Olivera/Variety/Getty
During the July 1, 2019, episode of The Hills: New Beginnings, Wahler revealed that he had been arrested 18 times.
"I was a womanizing alcoholic. [Ages] 18 to 23, I went to 12 different treatment centers from Florida to Hawaii. I was arrested 18 times.
Over the last 10 years, my life's totally made a complete 180," he said during the episode.
His arrests include drunk driving in Newport Beach, California,[121] and fighting at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2010, assault and a related drinking charge in Yakima County, Washington, in 2009, assault, criminal trespassing and underage drinking in Seattle in 2007 and more.
According to CBS News[122], Wahler was sentenced to two months in jail for punching a city worker and tow truck driver during an altercation in 2006 and was also ordered to attend a one-day program at the Museum of Tolerance for uttering racial slurs given that the victims were Black. He pleaded no contest to one count of battery.
Today, the star has been focused on recovery and has dedicated his life to raising awareness about addiction, according to his website[123]. He's also a married father of three[124].
21 of 27
Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi
Snooki.Credit: Gilbert Flores/Billboard/Getty
The now-mom of three[125] used to party hard down the shore, but one incident at the beach landed her a disorderly conduct[126] charge for being too intoxicated in public.
Polizzi was booked by the Seaside Heights, New Jersey, police department in 2010, all while the cameras were still rolling for her show, Jersey Shore.
"She didn't hurt anyone or get in a fight," a source said of the incident. "She just needs to be in a drunk tank for two hours."
A rep for the show declined to comment at the time of her arrest.
Eventually, her charges were dropped, but she had to pay a £500 fine and complete two days of community service, according to CBS News[127].
22 of 27
Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna in 2025.Credit: John Phillips/Getty
Blac Chyna (who has starred in, among other reality shows, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood) was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance[128] during a layover at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2016.
Police officials confirmed to PEOPLE that Chyna, whose birth name is Angela Ren?e White, was escorted off her commercial plane and placed in handcuffs.
"At 6:22pm Airport Officers were informed that there was an intoxicated female on a flight that was about to depart ABIA and she was causing a disturbance and would not be allowed to remain on the plane," an official said.
An eyewitness told TMZ[129] that the star appeared "heavily intoxicated" on the plane and was belligerent with flight attendants.
By January 2017, her case was dismissed, according to US Weekly[130] and TMZ, who first reported the news.
The charges were dropped because of her good behavior, but it is unclear what classes she took to earn the dismissal.
23 of 27
Teresa & Joe Giudice
Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice.Credit: Manny Carabel/Getty;joe.giudice/Instagram
Real Housewives of New Jersey's Teresa and Joe were both indicted on federal fraud charges[131] on July 29, 2013. They were charged in a 39-count indictment that included conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications and bankruptcy fraud.
On Oct.
2, 2014, in addition to probation and fines, Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud, while Joe was sentenced to 41 months. Teresa served her time in 2015, followed by Joe in 2016[132].
He was immediately moved to an immigration detention center, as an immigration court ruled to deport him to his native Italy after his sentence, since he never obtained American citizenship as a child. He did eventually leave the U.S. for Italy,[133] though has more recently been living in the Bahamas. Joe and Teresa ultimately divorced, and she has since remarried[134].
24 of 27
Geoffrey Paschel
Credit: Knox County Sheriff's Department
The 90 Day Fianc? alumnus was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting[135] his fianc?e. A jury found Paschel guilty of aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault, and interference with emergency calls, the Knox County District Attorney's Office said in a statement on Oct.
8, 2021.
Prosecutors had alleged that sheriff's deputies responded to a call of a domestic disturbance on June 9, 2019, at Paschel's home. When they arrived, his now ex-fianc?e told officers that Paschel had assaulted her. He also took her phone and wouldn't let her leave the residence.
She said she was able to flee to a neighbor's house while he slept, authorities said.
Paschel's aggravated kidnapping conviction is a class B felony. His prior convictions include possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, as well as two federal drug trafficking charges.
In February 2022, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison[136] without the possibility of parole.
25 of 27
Alexa Curtin
Alexa CurtinCredit: Instagram
The daughter of Real Housewives of Orange County[137] alumna Lynne Curtin was sentenced to 68 days in jail[138] after pleading guilty to multiple criminal charges.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast[139] in February 2021, Curtin pled guilty to possession of a controlled substance and substance paraphernalia, driving under the influence, driving without a valid license, vandalism and petty theft in Orange County court in late January. In addition to jail time, she was sentenced to three years of informal probation, three months in a first offender alcohol program and restitutions for damages, the outlet reported.
Online jail records show that Curtin was arrested on Jan.
8 and released on Jan.
26. Given that Curtin had previously spent time in jail, she was released on time served on the same day of her sentencing hearing, The Blast reported.
A lawyer for Curtin could not be immediately located by PEOPLE at the time.
26 of 27
Christopher Dionne
Credit: Connecticut State Police
The former host of an HGTV home remodeling pilot was sentenced to three years in jail for molesting a 10-year-old girl in his Connecticut home, PEOPLE[140] confirmed. Dionne molested the girl twice, in incidents several hours apart, the child said, while Dionne's then-14-year-old son and then-10-year-old daughter were in the same room sleeping.
According to the arrest warrant application obtained by PEOPLE[141], Dionne's victim said he touched her inappropriately while she was at a birthday sleepover at his house in November 2017, and also accused him of taking a photo of her on his phone while doing so.
During the trial, the victim testified that she was best friends with Dionne's daughter at the time of the assault.
The former reality star's sentence was passed down on December 11, 2019 at the New London Superior Court, according to court documents.
Dionne was sentenced to seven years in prison --which will be suspended after three years served -- and 10 years of probation following his release, the documents read. He will be required to register as a sexual offender, The Day of New London reported[142], and also adhere to a criminal protective order that prohibits him from contacting the victim for the remainder of his life.
Dionne's show, Family Flip, ran for one episode back in 2015.
In a previous statement to PEOPLE, an HGTV spokesperson said, "The individual referenced appeared in a pilot that premiered on our network in 2015. The pilot was not picked up for series."
According to The Day of New London, Dionne maintained his innocence while the victim's family filed a civil lawsuit against him.
Legal representation for Dionne did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
27 of 27
Julianne 'Jules' Wainstein
Credit: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
The former Real Housewives of New York star was arrested in Florida[143] on Feb.
23, 2020 and booked on a charge of battery after allegedly attacking her estranged husband, Michael Wainstein[144], in front of their two children.
Julianne was booked in Palm Beach County's main detention center around 3:50 p.m, according to online records[145]. The exes were then in court the following morning, Michael's lawyer Morghan Richardson told PEOPLE, where Michael obtained a protective order against Julianne.
An arraignment was scheduled for March 16, 2020.
Their two children -- son Jagger and daughter Rio -- were released to Michael's custody, Richardson added.
"This is a serious situation reflecting Ms. Wainstein's increasingly reckless behavior that unfortunately took place in front of the kids," Richardson said in a statement. "The children were released to Michael's custody yesterday and he is most concerned about protecting them.
Michael is exploring all of his legal options at this time."
The star, who joined RHONY for one season, and her lawyer did not respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
A source told PEOPLE that the former couple got into a verbal dispute during a custody exchange in a parking lot. Jules then allegedly approached Michael's car with a baseball bat, which she used to damage the back of the vehicle. She also allegedly licked his car window and punched Michael in the face.
The alleged incident was captured on video, according to the insider.
According to [146]Us Weekly, Julianne eventually submitted to drug testing and was granted permission to see her children again.
She and Michael finalized their divorce in October of 2020.
Read the original article on People[147]
References
- ^ Richard Hatch (people.com)
- ^ Joseph and Kendra Duggar (people.com)
- ^ arrested on charges of child molestation (people.com)
- ^ was arrested and booked (people.com)
- ^ 19 Kids and Counting (people.com)
- ^ was later sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison the following year. (people.com)
- ^ Jill Duggar Dillard (people.com)
- ^ Jessa Duggar Seewald (people.com)
- ^ one of his multiple alleged molestation victims (people.com)
- ^ knew about the issue (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Ghost Adventures (people.com)
- ^ Aaron Goodwin (www.instagram.com)
- ^ had been arrested after being accused of conspiring to have him killed. (people.com)
- ^ TMZ (www.tmz.com)
- ^ plea deal (people.com)
- ^ later sentenced (people.com)
- ^ KVVU-TV (www.fox5vegas.com)
- ^ Gigolos (people.com)
- ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal (www.reviewjournal.com)
- ^ 20 year sentence at a Nevada correctional center since 2021. (people.com)
- ^ The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (people.com)
- ^ Tom Girardi (people.com)
- ^ CBS News (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ embezzled settlement funds (people.com)
- ^ accused of racketeering (people.com)
- ^ there have been no federal indictments of Erika and she has remained legally in the clear. (people.com)
- ^ he failed to pay taxes on the £1 million prize (people.com)
- ^ CBS News (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ Forbes explains (www.forbes.com)
- ^ season 2 of House of Villains (people.com)
- ^ Chrisley Knows Best (people.com)
- ^ not guilty (people.com)
- ^ turning themselves in (people.com)
- ^ WSBTV Atlanta (www.wsbtv.com)
- ^ indictment (people.com)
- ^ Instagram statement (www.instagram.com)
- ^ a federal judge sentenced (people.com)
- ^ according to (www.insider.com)
- ^ and (twitter.com)
- ^ sentenced to 36 months in prison (www.insider.com)
- ^ reported to their respective prisons (people.com)
- ^