Reality Stars Who’ve Faced Jail Time

Josh Duggar

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.

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.

His sister Jill Duggar Dillard — who alongside sibling Jessa Duggar Seewald was one of his multiple alleged molestation victims — shared in her memoir that their parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, knew about the issue and even sent Josh away as a child because of it.

Victoria Goodwin

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.

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. Police told the outlet that Victoria has denied the allegations.

The outlet also reports 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.

Ash Armand

One of the male escorts featured on Showtime’s controversial reality show Gigolos, 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.

Armand, whose given name is Akshaya Kubiak, claimes 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. 

Tom Girardi

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne’s estranged husband, disbarred former lawyer Tom Girardi, was found guilty in federal court in August 2024 of embezzling more than $15 million from his clients over many years. Per CBS News, 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 meant to help the victims’ families. That month, Erika also filed for divorce.

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.

Richard Hatch

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. 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 reported.

He was then back in prison one more time, Forbes explains, after giving interviews to the press that were allegedly not properly approved.

More recently Hatch was back on television for season 2 of House of Villains in 2024.

Todd and Julie Chrisley

The Chrisley Knows Best stars pled not guilty on Aug. 14, 2019, hours after turning themselves in 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, 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.)

“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, Todd shared a lengthy Instagram statement 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 Todd to 12 years in prison and 16 months probation and Julie to seven years in prison, plus 16 months probation, according to Insider and Fox 5 Atlanta. The Chrisleys’ former accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also sentenced to 36 months in prison. He will begin his sentence on May 1, 2023, after undergoing hip surgery.

Both Todd and Julie reported to their respective prisons to begin their sentences on Jan. 17, 2023. Their sentences were reduced in part for good behavior in September 2023; in 2024, Julie’s sentence was briefly thrown out, but that was overturned and a judge ordered her to finish her initial sentence.

In a 2025 sitdown with PEOPLE, the pair’s daughter Savannah Chrisley said the family plans to seek President Donald Trump’s help in pardoning Todd and Julie.

Jen Shah

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star and her assistant Stuart Smith, who has also appeared on the Bravo series, were arrested on March 30, 2021. They were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on ‘reality’ television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah’s ‘first assistant,’ allegedly generated and sold ‘lead lists’ of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release. “In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims’ money. Now, these defendants face time in prison for their alleged crimes.”

Shah and Smith allegedly carried out a nationwide telemarketing scheme with the help of others between 2012 and March of 2021, according to the indictment. They were accused of having “defrauded hundreds of victims” with purported business services. They were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing through which they victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

On July 11, 2022, Shah switched her original plea of not guilty to guilty, taking responsibility for the fraud and money laundering charges. Entering the guilty plea meant Shah would not stand trial.

Shah reported to FPC Bryan Prison in Texas in February 2023 to begin serving what was initially set as a 6.5 year sentence and was later reduced by one year. At the start of 2025 it was reported that her sentence had been reduced for a third time and she would now be released on Nov. 3, 2026.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro

The Jersey Shore star was arrested after allegedly attacking a partner in Los Angeles, PEOPLE confirmed on April 23, 2021. His arrest took place the morning of April 22 at 11:50 am in the Northridge area on suspicion of intimate partner violence with injuries and with priors, a spokesperson for the LAPD told PEOPLE.

Ortiz-Magro was then taken to Van Nuys jail before being released later that day on $100,000 bail. The reality star’s daughter Ariana, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Jen Harley, was in his care at the time of the incident, a source told PEOPLE, and was later taken to her mother. Harley was not involved in the incident.

Following the star’s arrest, which was first reported by TMZ, his lawyers said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE: “We have just learned of the new allegations against Ronnie and need some additional time to further investigate. As such, we will not be making any other statements at this time.”

At the time, the star was on probation as part of a plea deal he agreed to in 2020 in a previous domestic violence case involving Harley. However, he avoided jail time for the probation after an in-patient treatment program. A judge ordered the reality star to take 26 parenting classes, and put in place a 3-year protective order for his girlfriend Saffire Matos, according to TMZ.

In March 2023, Ortiz-Margo revealed that he now had full custody of his daughter Ariana.

“I almost lost everything I built. I almost lost my daughter,” he said on an episode of  Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. “I was in treatment for eight or nine months, but it helped me grow and it made me a stronger person.”

Maurice Fayne

The Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star was arrested and charged with bank fraud after allegedly spending millions of dollars worth of coronavirus relief funds on jewelry.

The United States Department of Justice revealed the arrest on May 13, 2020, explaining that Fayne, who also goes by the name Arkansas Mo, had been arrested on federal bank fraud charges arising from a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

A representative for Fayne did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

PPP provides forgivable loans to small businesses to help cover up to eight weeks of payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities amid the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The program was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Fayne was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison in September 2021 for bank fraud as well as conspiracy, wire fraud related to a Ponzi scheme and “making false statements to a financial institution related a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application.”

Chad Johnson

The Bachelorette alumnus was arrested after getting into an alleged fight with his girlfriend, PEOPLE confirmed on Feb 25, 2020.

A spokesperson with the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that Johnson — who competed on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette as well as Bachelor in Paradise — was arrested that Monday afternoon on robbery with domestic violence enhancement charges.

According to TMZ, which first reported the news, Johnson’s girlfriend, Annalise Mishler, said he had gotten physical with her and officers found visible red marks on her face. The outlet reported that Johnson was charged with robbery because he allegedly grabbed her phone away while she called 911.

Ahead of the arrest, Mishler had reportedly documented the alleged fight in a series of since-deleted posts on her Instagram Story.

The posts, which were captured by television writer Reality Steve, alleged that Johnson had punched a visible hole through her wall. The videos also showed Johnson allegedly “screaming” outside of her door and trying to get inside.

According to Mishler’s videos, Johnson allegedly yelled “I hope you f—ing die” through the door. In the clips, Mishler said the alleged fight started after she found notifications from a dating app on his phone.

In an update on her Instagram Story the same day of Johnson’s arrest, Mishler wrote that “things escalated this morning and are being taken care of now.”

Drita D’Avanzo

The Mob Wives star and her husband, Lee, were arrested on Dec. 19, 2019, in Staten Island, New York after police allegedly found illegal drugs and weapons in their home, PEOPLE confirmed. Police allegedly found two loaded guns, approximately 120 pills of hydrocodone, 22 Xanax pills and marijuana.

PEOPLE confirmed that they had each been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia and acting in a manner injurious to a child. A source told PEOPLE that the couple’s daughter was home at the time of the arrest.

According to ABC 7, the arrests came after the NYPD received tips from the community. Drita was eventually cleared, according to TMZ, while Lee was ultimately sentenced to 64 months in prison.

Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino

The Jersey Shore star and his brother Marc were indicted in September 2014 for tax offenses and conspiring to defraud the United States after allegedly failing to properly pay taxes on $8.9 million in income from 2010 to 2012. In April 2017, both men were indicted on additional charges including tax evasion, structuring and falsifying records.

Sorrentino pled guilty to one count of tax evasion in January 2018, and his brother Marc pled guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return.

In October 2018, Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison and two years of supervised release, and Marc was sentenced to two years behind bars.

Sorrentino was also ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and was given $123,913 in restitution, which he has already paid, plus a fine of $10,000.

After reporting to the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, on Jan. 15, 2019, the star received thousands of letters from fans and visits from his wife Lauren Pesce and castmates Pauly “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and Vinny Guadagnino.

Then on Sept. 12, 2019, Sorrentino walked out of the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution a free man.

Amber Portwood

Portwood first served time in jail for domestic violence after a 2010 fight with her ex Gary Shirley — whom she shares daughter Leah with — which was caught on camera. After violating her drug court probation, she was sentenced to five years in prison though ultimately served 17 months.

Years later, the Teen Mom OG was charged with domestic battery on July 5, 2019, after the star allegedly assaulted her boyfriend Andrew Glennon while he was holding their then-1-year-old child, James.

“Just after 3:00 a.m., on 7.5.2019, officers were called to [address] reference a disturbance. Officers spoke to the male victim who stated his live-in-girlfriend and he were having a disagreement,” a spokesperson from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told PEOPLE in a statement. “During which time the female, later identified as Amber Portwood, assaulted him, while he was holding their one-year-old child. Officers spoke to Amber Portwood at the scene. She was subsequently arrested for her alleged actions in this incident.”

Days later, it was alleged that Portwood had taken a “handful of Klonopin and tossed it back like it was nothing” and used a machete to breakdown the door of their home office, where Glennon locked himself and their son in during the dispute.

That October, Portwood reportedly signed a plea deal and was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation, as well as court-ordered parenting classes.

Glennon filed for sole custody of their child following the incident; it was eventually granted in early 2022 with permission to move the child to Malibu.

Amanda Stanton

The Bachelor alumna was arrested in Las Vegas on one count of domestic violence against her then-boyfriend Bobby Jacobs in September 2018.

Stanton was in Las Vegas for a friend’s bachelorette party when the alleged incident occurred. At approximately 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 10, 2018, police responded to a battery domestic violence call at a hotel located on the 3100 block of S. Las Vegas Blvd., according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

A physical altercation took place in a hotel room where it was alleged that the reality star battered her then-boyfriend Jacobs, according to authorities. Stanton entered a plea of not guilty one month after her arrest. In December 2018, her case was dismissed.

Stanton detailed the incident in her memoir, Now Accepting Roses, writing, “I never in my life expected myself to be in a situation like this. To this day, I am still devastated and confused by what happened that night. So is everyone who knows me.”

Stanton and Jacobs eventually split in April 2019. The star said that she was “blindsided” by the breakup in a series of Instagram videos afterward, and admitted, “I thought we were going to get engaged.”

Abby Lee Miller

In October 2015, Miller was charged with attempting to hide $775,000 of income from her show Dance Moms and other spin-off projects during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Miller, who allegedly hid the money in secret bank accounts between 2012 and 2013, pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud in June 2016. She was also accused of divvying up $120,000 and having her friends carry the money in plastic bags in their luggage in August 2014, funds she promised to forfeit in January.

In May 2017, Miller received a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. She was additionally fined $40,000 and ordered to pay the $120,000 judgment, as well as give a DNA sample relating to her felony charge.

She reported to the Victorville Federal Correctional Institution in California to begin her sentence in July 2017 and was released and transferred to the Residential Reentry Center in Long Beach after eight months.

In 2018, Miller was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and in 2019 shared that she was cancer free.

Gina Kirschenheiter

The Real Housewives of Orange County star was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, PEOPLE 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.”

“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. News about the warrant broke in late April of 2021. As PEOPLE reported at the time, 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.

Kirschenheiter’s now-ex husband Matt has also run 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.

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.

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 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.

Apollo Nida

Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Park’s ex-husband Nida was taken into custody 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, Sherien Copes, as she filed for divorce.

Khloé Kardashian

If you’ve been Keeping Up with this Kardashian, you’ll remember the time Khloé 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 due to overcrowding.

Jason Wahler

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, 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.

Today, the star has been focused on recovery and has dedicated his life to raising awareness about addiction, according to his website. He’s also a married father of two, with one on the way.

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi

The now-mom of three used to party hard down the shore, but one incident at the beach landed her a disorderly conduct 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.

Blac Chyna

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 during a layover at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2016.

Police officials confirmed to PEOPLE that Chyna, whose birth name is Angela Renée 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 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 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.

Teresa & Joe Giudice

Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa and Joe were both indicted on federal fraud charges 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. 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, though has more recently been living in the Bahamas. Joe and Teresa ultimately divorced, and she has since remarried.

Geoffrey Paschel

The 90 Day Fiancé alumnus was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting his fiancée. 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-fiancée 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 without the possibility of parole.

Alexa Curtin

The daughter of Real Housewives of Orange County alumna Lynne Curtin was sentenced to 68 days in jail after pleading guilty to multiple criminal charges.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast 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.

Christopher Dionne

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 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, 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, 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.

Julianne ‘Jules’ Wainstein

The former Real Housewives of New York star was arrested in Florida on Feb. 23, 2020 and booked on a charge of battery after allegedly attacking her estranged husband, Michael Wainstein, 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. 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 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.