{alltv} Bankrupt 'Housewife' Teresa Giudice's $60K spending spree

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

{alltv} Bankrupt 'Housewife' Teresa Giudice's $60K spending spree

Spendaholic "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice celebrated her bankruptcy in style -- with a $60,000 shopping spree, astonishing court testimony revealed yesterday.

The buying bender came to light as the Bravo star and her husband, Joe, who owe creditors $11 million, tried to convince a Newark federal bankruptcy judge to stop the planned Aug. 22 auction of the contents of their Towaco McMansion.

In court, even the Giudices' own lawyer, James Kridel -- who had filed a court document with receipts that detailed the spree -- seemed at a loss to explain the profligate spending to Judge Morris Stern. Kridel said he knew the documents presented "a dilemma" and that Stern might view it as "conspicuous consumption."

The receipts show that within days of filing to wipe out their multimillion-dollar debt, the Giudices blew $8,800 for curtains and nearly $45,000 on wall hangings, mirrors, frames, tables, urns and chairs, The Post's Jeane MacIntosh reports.

"These were not Ikea-purchased furniture items," Stern said. "These were from high-end design stores."

The judge refused to stop the auction, but postponed it until Oct. 3. Stern called the Giudices' high-spending ways "a lifestyle choice" but noted that "it's not for this court to tell people how to spend their money."

During the hearing, bankruptcy trustee John Sywilok noted that right before their bankruptcy filing, the Giudices racked up an earlier $21,000 worth of furniture buys -- and paid off a total of $11,000 of that just two days before declaring they were broke.

After court, Teresa declined to comment on her shopping spree.

Hubby Joe -- sweating profusely and barely able to contain his temper with media after the hearing -- snapped, "None of your business! Back off before I get pissed!"