Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo BankWhen a woman joins one of Bravo's Real Housewives shows, her life gets flipped and turned upside down. Gone are her drama-free days of anonymity. Here to stay are the legions of obsessive fans and the public feuds with co-stars. But each housewife's road after joining the franchise is not created equal. For a unique few, they come to define their given city. And their story is one that, for better or worse, you couldn't make up no matter how hard you try.
For The Real Housewives of New Jersey, that woman is Teresa Giudice. From flipping tables to doing hard time, we haven't been able to look away from Tre's sometimes messy, usually fabulous Garden State life. This is her timeline.
May 12, 2009 – Real Housewives of New Jersey, the fourth in Bravo's franchise, premieres, introducing us to Teresa and her co-stars Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo, Jacqueline Laurita, and Danielle Staub
June 16, 2009 – Teresa's table flip in the season finale over Danielle's shady past, as documented in the book Cop Without a Badge, takes America by storm, turning "Prostitution whore!" into her first catchphrase of many
September 14, 2009 – Life Event: Teresa welcomes fourth daughter Audriana to a brood that already includes older sisters Gia, Gabriella, and Milania (Fans will catch a glimpse of the delivery when season two premieres in May, 2010)
October 2009 - Life Event: Our first hint at Giudice family troubles when they file for bankruptcy
May 4, 2010 – Life Event: Teresa releases Skinny Italian, her first cookbook
June 2010 – Teresa chases Danielle throughout the country club at the Posche fashion show, infamously reminding everyone, "I'm from Paterson. Did you forget?"
August 30, 2010 – Teresa shoves host Andy Cohen out of her way while lunging after Danielle during the season two reunion special
May 3, 2011 – Life Event: Teresa releases Fabulicious, her second cookbook, replete with "jokes" at her family and co-stars expense
May 16, 2011 – Fans meet Teresa's sister-in-law Melissa Gorga and cousin Kathy Wakile as they invade her turf in the season three premiere and the entire family has a brawl at her nephew's christening (!!) when brother Joe Gorga rebuffs her congratulations
June 6, 2011 – Teresa reveals the worst thing a person can send to her on Christmas: Sprinkle cookies
January 4, 2012 – Life Event: Teresa joins the cast The Celebrity Apprentice season five, raising $70,000 for charity and coming in fifth place
June 17, 2012: Teresa's long falling out with Jacqueline begins as she's questioned by her friend over rumors about legal trouble, prompting Tre to write off the possibility of future jail time as ridiculous (Foreshadowing!)
August 19, 2012 – Joe Giudice refers to Teresa as "his b---h wife" while hiding from her on the phone in a Napa vineyard
July 21, 2013 – Joe Gorga calls his sister "scum" while away in Lake George, leading to another massive brawl amongst the family
July 29, 2013 – Life Event: Teresa and Joe are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications, and bankruptcy fraud in a 39-count indictment
August 14, 2013 – Life Event: Teresa and Joe plead not guilty in federal court
August 25, 2013 – Teresa implies that former BFF Jacqueline's son Nick's autism may be instant bad karma for Jacqueline's behavior
March 4, 2014 – Life Event: Joe and Teresa enter a guilty plea to 41 counts of fraud after striking a deal with prosecutors
August 24, 2014 - New cast member Teresa Aprea tries to start a feud with Teresa over some rumors started by Victoria Gotti, but Teresa largely swats her attempts at drama away—after all, there are bigger fish to fry
October 2, 2014 – Life Event: Teresa is sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison
January 5, 2015 – Life Event: Teresa begins her sentence at Federal Correction Institution, Danbury
October 11, 2015 – Teresa Checks In, a three-part special chronicling the Giudice family's life with Teresa behind bars, premieres on Bravo
December 23, 2015 – Life Event: Teresa is released from prison
March 23, 2016 – Life Event: Joe begins his 41-month sentence
July 10, 2016 – The Real Housewives of New Jersey season seven premieres, marking Teresa's triumphant return to Bravo
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)