Teresa Giudice may be spending the next 50 years in prison.
For now, though, this Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member is simply focused on the next few months: insiders confirm she’s working on a new deal with the Bravo franchise for one very important reason.
“Teresa is desperate for money,” a source tells Radar Online.
Teresa and husband Joe have pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges that include lying about their assets in a bankruptcy filing and misrepresenting their fortune in mortgage applications.
A trial date was scheduled for October 8, but then pushed back to early 2014, and legal fees will continue to mount for the couple.
“Being on the show is her major source of income and she really needs to have another season of the show start as soon as possible so that she can get more money," the insider explains, adding:
“She and Joe are in such dire financial straits and they are doing everything they can to get money. RHONJ is a cash cow for them and she is ready to go again.”
In the meantime, Giudice has been brushing off the haters and making as many public appearances as she can, both because she’s hard up for cash and because she wants to be a role model.
"The good thing about working [is] it’s a good example to show to my daughters," she recently told Entertainment Tonight. "Mommy’s a businesswoman, and hopefully they’ll follow in my footsteps."
Well, not all of her footsteps.
“Teresa is scared to death of financial ruin and the court case," Radar concludes. "She is doing everything she can to provide for her family and she needs a new Bravo deal.”