The world of reality television is all about drama, chaos, and a whole lot of controversy. Fans love to watch things get out of hand, but sometimes, the stars of these reality television shows take situations in their personal lives way too far and end up paying the ultimate price. The cameras love the shocking moments that hover on the edge of trouble and danger, but some stars have wound up in trouble so deep that it has gotten them arrested - and convicted - of some very serious crimes.
In a matter of moments, reality television celebrities have made snap decisions and poor choices that have resulted in them losing everything they worked so hard to achieve. Some of the convictions will shock you...
10 Josh Duggar, Crimes Against Children
Josh Duggar went from 17 Kids and Counting to handcuffs and courtrooms and is now on his way to a jail cell. This is all after he was found criminally responsible for a series of heinous crimes against children. He was also found to be in possession of some very disturbing materials featuring underage children. This was not the first time he was accused of inappropriate behavior, making authorities question whether or not his own children were safe in his presence. He now faces up to 20 years behind bars and a minimum $250,000 fine, when he returns to court for sentencing.
9 Countess Luann De Lesseps, Resisting Arrest And Battery Of An Officer
During her time on the Real Housewives of New York, Countess Luann de Lesseps had a life that most admired and envied, but in real life, she was falling apart at the seams. She was arrested for battery of an officer on December 24th, 2017, and then also charged for resisting arrest. The reason for this crass behavior is actually one of her other charges... disorderly intoxication. The reality TV star was captured on video as she was being arrested, and the internet took aim at her crass behavior. She was sentenced to one-year probation and 50 hours of community service. It was also mandated that she attend two AA meetings each week, among other restrictions imposed upon her.
8 Abby Lee Miller, Bankruptcy Fraud
Once a star on Dance Moms, Abby Lee Miller's reputation is now forever tainted by her criminal record. In 2015, she was charged with trying to conceal well over $750,000 of her income in "secret accounts" after she had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Trying to evade the law by stashing money and then proceeding to declare bankruptcy resulted in a one year prison sentence, of which she ended up serving less than a year. She was then transferred to a halfway house, and her future remains bleak.
7 Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino, Tax Evasion
Mike 'The Situation" Sorrentino was one of the biggest stars to come from the reality TV show Jersey Shore, and he was always known for his very cocky on-set behavior. It seems that was a true reflection of his personal life, as well. He and his brother Marc took money matters too far and wound up convicted of tax evasion. They both ultimately ended up pleading guilty to filing falsified tax returns and committing tax evasion in 2018. The Situation was ultimately sentenced to 8 months in jail, 2 years of probation, 500 hours worth of community service, and a slew of monetary fines.
6 Teresa And Joe Giudice, Tax Fraud
Stars of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Joe Giudice and Teresa Giudice were busted for tax fraud, and both wound up with criminal records after their ordeal. Joe was sentenced to 41 months in prison and Teresa was asked to serve a 15-month sentence. After flaunting their wealth on reality TV, the couple were recognized as being fraudsters that intentionally evaded paying their taxes and were said to have pocketed $5 million through their crimes. In order to maintain care or their children, the couple were given sentences that were to be served consecutively. Teresa has since been released, but Joe has been deported to his native homeland, Italy.
5 Farrah Abraham, Battery And Resisting An Officer
Farrah Abraham from Teen Mom loves to stir the pot on social media, but then she became entangled in a confrontation with a security guard on June 13th, 2018, things escalated to the point that she was arrested and charged with battery, trespassing, and resisting arrest. This all stemmed from a verbal attack she launched at a guest at the Beverly Hills Hotel, after which time a security guard asked her to leave the premises.
She didn't take well to that, and after verbally attacking him, she also proceeded to hit him in the face, grab his ear, and push him in the face. She was then belligerent towards the arresting police officers that attended the scene. Abraham found herself staring down an 18-month jail term, which was eventually reduced to 2 years of probation and 5 days of community service, after she entered a guilty plea. She was subsequently also ordered to enter an anger management class.
4 Jenelle Evans, Breaking And Entering, Theft, And So Much More
Jenelle Evans from Teen Mom 2 has gotten herself into so much trouble with the law, that her arrest details are too extensive to list. Among the most troubling incidents is the time that she and Kieffer Delp were arrested and charged with breaking and entering, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. She was convicted and sentenced to 12 months probation, as well as being subjected to routine drug checks. However, that didn't stop her from continuing to be a nuisance. She went on to get arrested more than 10 times and has even lost custody of her children.
3 Vincent 'Don Vito' Margera, Crimes Against Underage Children
Vincent “Don Vito” Margera starred alongside his troubled nephew, Bam Margera in Jackass and was reprimanded by police after attending a mall in Colorado. He was accused of assaulting two girls that were aged 12 at the time of the incident. The trial was a dramatic one, which highlighted his crass behavior, and the court ultimately found him guilty on 2 counts of sexual assault on a minor. He was sentenced to 12 years of what the judge termed as being "serious probation" and was ordered never to appear in the role of Don Vito ever again. Vincent passed away in 2015.
2 Renee Alway, Breaking And Entering, Identity Theft And Vehicle Theft
Most fans thought Renee Alway had it all after she appeared on America's Next Top Model and Modelville. However, her personal life was far from glamorous off-set. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison after a bizarre burst of criminal behavior. Alway broke into a number of homes and stole a woman's Mercedes as well as her identity, in the process. She entered a guilty plea, accepting responsibility for four counts of burglary, one count of vehicle theft, one count of identity theft, and for being a felon with possession of a firearm. She admitted that her issues with addiction led her down a dark path of destruction.
1 Chris Soules, Leaving The Scene Of A Personal Injury Accident
After becoming recognized for starring in The Bachelor, Chris Soules was behind the wheel when he crashed into a tractor and caused the death of a man from Iowa. At the time of the collision, Chris seemed to be engaging in all the right steps. He administered CPR to the man, phoned emergency services for assistance and identified himself as being the driver of the car that caused the collision. He even waited for paramedics to arrive on scene. However, he fled the scene before giving a statement to the police. He avoided the initial charges by pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.
