The Traffic Stop
Teresa Giudice, the star of the reality TV show “Real Housewives of New Jersey”, was pulled over by a police officer in Riverdale, New Jersey, in April 2023 for swerving lanes and driving slowly. A newly released body cam footage obtained by TMZ reveals that Giudice attempted to use her fame and connections to get out of the situation.
According to the video, Giudice handed over her driver’s license to the officer and then said, “I have family business cards, too.” The officer, who did not seem to recognize her or care about her cards, told her not to worry about it and walked back to his car.
The Warning
The officer returned to Giudice’s car and told her that he was giving her a warning instead of a ticket. He explained that he stopped her because she was drifting over to the right side of the lane and going a little slow. Giudice claimed that she was using a navigation system and that the car was new, as her previous one was stolen two months ago.
She also apologized several times and said that she learned to drive with one hand on the top of the wheel from her late father, who passed away in 2020. The officer accepted her apology and let her go.
The Reaction
Giudice’s attorney, James J. Leonard Jr., told TMZ that his client did not offer a family business card, but a New Jersey State PBA card that was given to her by an acquaintance who is a law enforcement officer. He said that no such card as a family business card exists or has ever existed.
He also questioned why the video of his client, who did nothing wrong, was released to the public more than five months after the traffic stop. He said that Giudice was extremely cooperative and polite to the officer and that her demeanor in the video is exactly who she is in real life.
Giudice has not commented on the video or the incident publicly. She is currently filming for the 14th season of “Real Housewives of New Jersey”, which is expected to premiere on Bravo in 2024.
